“I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” John 17:24 (NIV)
The Son of God is saying to the Father, “I want these believers, those You have given me, to be with me in heaven.” Christ wants you in heaven.
Christ is about to go to the cross. He is going to wear the crown of thorns. Nails will be driven into His hands and His feet. He is going to be plunged into utter darkness.
If you ask him, “Jesus what do you want to get out of this? Why are you doing this? What is all this about?” He would say to you, “I want those the Father has given me to be where I am.”
Being with Christ is the greatest joy of heaven.
There will be so many things for us to do and to enjoy in the new heaven and the new earth. But being with Jesus will be your greatest joy. Christ Himself will lead you into the joys and splendors of heaven. “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water” (Rev. 7:17).
Paul said, “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). If you live for this world, to die is loss, because everything you lived for gets left behind. But if you live for Christ, to die is gain, because you get more of Christ, you go to be with Christ, and that is far better.
On a scale of 1 to 10—1 (unmoved) to 5 (skeptical) to 10 (elated)—how do you respond to Jesus’ words here? Why?
