What was before my mind in turning to this scripture was just the desire of His own heart. I do not believe, beloved, that He will really get the desire of His heart fully until He has got those He has ransomed with Himself in His own presence.
It is so beautiful to remark in His blessed word, even this John 17, that, notwithstanding all the failures that are in us, and all the willfulness, all the negligence, all the carelessness, and all the indifference, He has not one word to say to His Father against us: the marvelous love and grace of His own heart passes over all our failures, shortcomings, and slightings of Himself. He appeals to His Father that they may be one. “Father, I will;” oh! beloved, does not that sink down into our hearts! Is it not His own voice in our hearing, so to speak? “Father I will”—“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.”
It is so sweet and so precious that we get John 17 after the previous four chapters. The blessed Lord had been speaking to those who had been with Him, and He turns to His Father from, them and speaks to His Father in their hearing those who are dear to His heart, it is the eleven, because Judas had left before.
In chapters 14, 15, 16, He speaks in their hearing and to them, and in the 17. He looks up to His Father, and how blessed! He says, “I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
Remember He is not yet come to the cross, but it is in anticipation of that work which is to be accomplished on Calvary’s tree; it was especially this verse which was before my heart. He is speaking to His Father, and His words are worth our meditating on continually.
When these desires are fulfilled, then it will be as it says in Isaiah, that He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. And it is in connection with that blessed word in Heb. 12, “Who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross,” &c. The joy was having those whom He had been into death for, with Himself in His own image, and to the praise and glory of His own blessed name—even for eternity. We will just read the verse again: “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” L. T.