Farewell Discourse: Summary Lesson (Randy)

Some people have said that if you want to understand the heart of Christianity, you only need to read the book of Romans and the gospel of John.  And if you are truly pressed for time, you only need to read the Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus as found in John 13-17.  These are Jesus’s final words to his disciples and one of his last prayers to his Father in heaven.

 This past fall, we explored the Farewell Discourse and Prayer of Jesus as he prepared his disciples for his impending death.  Knowing what was to come, Jesus brought this ragtag group of disciples together for one final meal – the Last Supper – and shared his message one more time.  Would the disciples listen? Would they get it?  Would they carry the message forward?  Now we know that Jesus knew the answer all along.

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Farewell Discourse: Prayer for Future Believers (Randy)

Jesus prays for future believers at the very end of his final prayer.  In these final moments, he asks God to help us live in unity and love so we may come to know his glory – the glory of God dwelling in our hearts and the glory of God in heaven – and so that the next generation of believers will come to know Christ.

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Farewell Discourse: Prayers for the Disciples (Randy)

In his final hours, Jesus prayed for both himself and his disciples.  In that prayer, he revealed his true purpose on earth – to sacrifice his life as the ultimate act of love so we may know God have eternal life – and asked God to protect us from the evil one so that we may be one with God and one with each other.  By being one with God and having a personal relationship with him, we receive eternal life and experience a full measure of joy. 

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