The Dance of Eternity (John 17:20-26)

Foundational Truths God is Triune God is Love The shared life of eternal love between the Father, Son, and Spirit is the “Dance of Eternity”

Why Important? The unity (shared life) and love of God is our pattern for unity & love –“that the world may believe… that the world may know” (21, 23) – Only by participating in the life & love of God can we participate in God’s ministry to the world!

Why Important? Extremely Practical! Immeasurably Important! Profound, yet satisfies most basic human needs!

The Life of the Trinity Shared life of mutual indwelling  “You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father… (Jn 1:1, 18)  “circuminsessio” “I and the Father are one… know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” (Jn. 10:30, 38) “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? … the Father abiding in Me does His works.” (Jn 14:10)

The Life of the Trinity Shared love of mutual delight  “You love them, even as you love Me… You loved Me before the foundation of the world… that the love with which You love Me may be in them” “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand” (John 3:35) “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing” (John 5:20)  “perichoresis” “Glorify Me together with Yourself, Father, with the glory which I had with You before the world was… for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:5, 24)

The Dance of Eternity Shared life of mutual indwelling Shared love of mutual delight  Love is at the heart of reality  We were created by love for love to give/receive/share love  Sin is relational—turning from life and love of God, resulting in death  Salvation is participation in the life and love of God in Christ through the Spirit

Participation in God “they may be in us” (17:21) “you love them, even as you love me” (17:23)  John: “eternal life” (cf. Jo 17:3; 14:16-20)  Paul: “In Christ” “Christ in you” (cf. Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27)  Heb: “bringing many sons to glory” (2:10)  Peter: “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)

Reflecting the Trinity Unity  Unity in diversity  Visible unity (21, 23)  A reality and process/goal: “be one” (22) & “may be perfected in unity” (23) Love Evangelism

“The divine strategy by which the Lord intends to bring the world to an awareness of Jesus Christ is to create in the midst of the world a family, a family life, a shared life, so that men and women all over the earth, becoming by new birth members of that life, enter into a family circle which is so unmistakable and so filled with joy and warmth that worldlings observing it will envy it and, like homeless orphans with their noses pressed up against the window, will long to join the warmth and the fellowship of the family circle. The remarkable thing is that when the church is like this there is no more potent evangelistic thrust.” (Ray Stedman)