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Oberon Golf Course - Links Pro Am 2006 |
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PGA Chaplain Bible Studies Study 21: June 9th to 15th 2008. “Finishing the Job”!Jesus prayed and said; “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” John Chapter 17: verses 1 to 5. (New International Version) How hard is it to finish a good round of golf off when you have started well? I find it so. Already preparing the winning speech, one of the hardest things is to finish strong. Yet it is strange when you start bad how easy it is to finish strong. These are the kind of pressures we put ourselves under when playing golf. Over the 3 years I have played masters pennants match play for Oatlands Golf Club I have had 6 halved matches; a testimony that one of my weaknesses I have yet to overcome is finishing matches. In our reading of John’s gospel in a section called “the last discourse” (before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion) Jesus has moved from teaching to prayer in John Chapter 17. Over the next weeks we will be looking at this amazing last prayer of Jesus before his arrest. Like when Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ prayer starts off with a reference to God, that his name and way of life should be honoured and acknowledged. Prayer according to the bible is always about God first. Being thankful to God sets the right platform for the rest of our prayers. That’s why when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we start we “Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In Jesus’ prayer that unfolds Jesus sees his crucifixion as the moment God and He will be glorified. How strange this may sound to us, that we could glory in such a cruel and barbaric form of execution! Jesus however has the habit of turning our thinking upside down. In the crucifixion of Jesus we see Jesus dying for us to satisfy God’s justice that is true and real, a sacrificial love and a payment made that was effective for every sin we have committed. This shows us how seriously God treats sin. Jesus speaks of his crucifixion and rising again and exultation as completing the work he came to do. The fruit of this completion is forgiveness for those who believe and the gift of eternal life. Through Jesus we come to know God in a personal way that only the crucifixion makes possible. Jesus speaks about his relationship with the Father as extending back
to before the world began. For a short time Jesus left the heavenly realm
to enter our history and lives to show the love of God and to enter into
the depths of our darkness, despair and turmoil when he was arrested,
beaten humiliated and nailed to a cross. But like we say; “you
cannot hold a good person down”, Jesus rose. He has lifted
himself and us out of darkness, despair and turmoil to give those who
turn to him a new life with God. Prayer. |
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