Jesus Prays For Us (Where is Jesus)

Where is Jesus?

As I mentioned last week I was privileged to travel to Israel. That has been on my mind especially as I have been thinking on the events surrounding the death and Resurrection of Jesus. You know we serve a risen, He lives today. Well as we travelled around Israel we journeyed to Bethlehem. We ducked into the caves where the Bethlehem shepherd kept their sheep, the stable in which Jesus was born. But He wasn’t their. We journeyed to Nazareth where Jesus grew up, we saw the way life was back then, even a carpenter shop, but Jesus wasn’t there. We travelled to the sea side and ate of the fish, but Jesus wasn’t there. We sailed across the sea and worshipped God in the midst of it thankful that on our trip it was calm and not stormy, but Jesus wasn’t there. We went to the mountains where Jesus preached and where He was tempted, but Jesus wasn’t there. We travelled to Jerusalem, and saw the temple mount and the upper room, but Jesus was not there. We saw Golgotha where they crucified, but Jesus wasn’t there and finally we journed to the tomb. One by one we stooped under the sign over the door which told us what we would find within. Jesus wasn’t there. The sign quoted the angel. He is not here for He is risen.

All those years ago the women too traveled to the tomb early Sunday morning. When they arrived they found it much the way I found it. Jesus was not there. Mary turned to who she supposed to be the garden and asked “where is Jesus?” The disciples came and checked out the story, and they too saw the empty tomb and they gathered in a locked room to ask “where is Jesus.? The two travelled to Emmaus and when a third traveler joined them they asked Him “ Where is Jesus?” The Soldiers and the priests asked one another “Where is Jesus?”

Mary was talking to Jesus, she found Him. The disciples in the upper room were joined by Jesus, the 3rd man on the journey to Emmaus was Jesus, those travelers found Him. The soldiers and priests? Well they never did find Jesus, because they did not ask where Jesus was hoping to find Him, but rather with express desire to not find Him.

I hope you know where Jesus is. I knew that when I went to Israel it was not to meet Jesus in the flesh, I knew that I wouldn’t find Him over there. If you haven’t found Jesus or you have lost Him Jeremiah 29:13 tells us how to find Him. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

So even though we know the answer, lets answer the question anyway. Where is Jesus?

John 14 1-6 says:

John 14:1–6 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus has gone home. He is in his Fathers house, preparing a place for us. God created the world in 6 days, how spectacular must heaven be if He has been preparing a place for us for 2000 years? Well it doesn’t work like that exactly since God is not bound by time, 6 days and 2000 years aren’t really any different for him, but its still a nice thought. He didn’t just home to rest, Jesus is in heaven working. And he wants us to join Him. How can we do that? Well Jesus answers that here, Jesus is the way the truth and life. If you don’t know which way to go, turn to Jesus. If you can’t figure our the truth, turn to Jesus. If you haven’t yet found life, Jesus is the fount of Life.

But Jesus didn’t just go to prepare a place. What else is He doing in Heaven?

Romans 8:34 KJV 1900

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Jesus is in Heaven praying for us. What is His prayer? It is probably the same one He prayed before he left this earth. In John 17:20-26 we read:

John 17:20–26 KJV 1900

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

I. Jesus Prays for us

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. Just before we read these words we find Jesus praying a powerful prayer for his disciples. He knew that his death was imminent and prayed essentially a prayer of benediction for his disciples. In the midst of this prayer, Jesus paused, and began praying for you and I. For those who would believe on Him. So where is Jesus? Well, He is at the right hand of the father. And what is He doing there? He is praying for you.

II. The topic of Jesus prayer

a. That we may be one with Him

Jesus prayed specifically that we may be one with Him, as he is one with the father. What does being one with the God look like? The passage goes to say in verse 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Made perfect in one with Christ. This means to be completely one with Christ, or consecrated with Christ. I use the word with because Christ has already consecrated, or dedicated himself to us by his death on the cross, therefore we are consecrated with Christ. We dedicate our lives to Him, for He has already given His life to us. Before we were even born, He made us a part of His life. Before we existed, before we could choose Him, He chose to offer us salvation. He has consecrated Himself to us, we must consecrate ourselves to Him.

When William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, one of the greatest Holiness organizations that has ever existed, was asked the reason behind His success he replied, “I will tell you the secret: God has had all that there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, even with greater opportunities, but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart and caught a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with me and them, on that day I made up my mind that God should have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.” That is consecration.

The apostle Paul was consecrated. Suffering beatings, and shipwrecks, stoning’s, imprisonments, and hardships beyond measure and he considered it all a privilege to be counted worthy of such treatment for the cause of Christ.

William Borden, who died on his journey to the mission field, was consecrated, as he gave is life over to Christ. As he said, no reserves, no retreats, and no regrets.

Job was consecrated as he allowed God to take all that he had, and said “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Martin Luther was consecrated, as he risked his life to stand for the truth of the Bible.

The Wesley's were consecrated as they preached the truth of the Gospel even though they were kicked out of the churches, and mocked by the mobs.

Francis Asbury was consecrated as he built the Methodist Church in America.

This list could go on, but I think you get the point.

Consecration, giving our lives over to God, so that he lives in us, and through us brings the power of God to bear in our lives. Not for personal gain, but for the salvation of the souls of the lost, for the edification of the saints and for our own spiritual strength. These people, these examples of consecration changed their worlds. No, everyone who fully consecrates themselves to God does not go down in history, or change the world. However everyone who consecrates themselves to God could change the world. How much do we sell ourselves short because we forget that it is not us living, rather Christ living within us. Our weakness, our limitations do not hold God back. If the grave could not hold Him, why do we think our weakness can?

b. That we may be with Christ

Jesus prays another prayer for us in this passage. “Father, I will that they also who thou hast given me, be with me where I am;” Jesus desires an eternity with us in heaven, where we will behold his Glory, where we will glorify him for what he has done for us! This gift is the result of this consecration to God.

We do not know a lot about heaven, but this is what we do know. There is room for you! God is preparing a place for each of those who are fully consecrated to Him! The most important thing we know about heaven, God will be there! He will wipe away all tears from His children, for there will be no sorrow there. No pain, no remembrance of the evils of this earth, for the former things will be passed away. Our pain wracked, limited physical bodies will be made whole and perfect in heaven. There will be no sin, nor even any results of sin. Heaven will be even better than the state earth was in when God pronounced His creation to be very good. Walls of jasper, gates of pearl, streets of pure gold, the saints of all ages gathered before the glorious lamb of God praising the Him for His eternal sacrifice! We don’t know a lot about heaven, but we do know that Jesus, the precious lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sins, who rose the third day, who ascended 40 days later, is there even now, preparing a place for you and I and interceding, praying, in our behalf. This is heaven.

Anytime I mention heaven I feel compelled to mention another place though. Not only is there a glorious heaven which God wants us to go to, there is a terrible hell to avoid. Once again we know little about this place, but this is what we do know.

There is darkness there, and no light. There is pain there, which shall last for eternity. There is fire there, and those in that fire burn, but are never consumed. There is memory there, those there will be able to look back at their lives on earth, their decisions which led them to this place, the ones who they led astray, the times they rejected God. But most of all there will be evil there, for Satan himself will be banished to this place of torment forever. All the evil, sinful people of the world will be there, and only evil will be there. This is what we know of hell.

How do we make the choice, how do we decide to spend eternity in a glorious heaven, full of light, with place prepared for us?

The decision is shown in John 17:23. That we may be made perfect in one. That we consecrate ourselves to Christ, in Christ, with Christ. This is the decision, and we have a great heavenly High priest who gave his life for us, and who rose on that Sunday so long ago. That is risen all the way into glory ans is now interceding for us at the right hand of the father, praying that we will make it. We have the greatest prayer warrior of all time on our side. Victory is possible! Because with His resurrection Jesus broke the power of death and hell and sin forever. The Holy Spirit living within us gives us the strength to make it to that eternal city and live forever in unity with Him. Take comfort in the difficulties and trials that we have, take comfort not because of the trouble that comes, but because Jesus Christ is our advocate actively interceding for us in heaven! He prays for us today, he prayed for us just before He left this earth. And He has already won our battle!