Desire is the conscious impulse towards something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment; it is the longing and craving for something. I wonder if there's anybody who doesn't have some kind of hope or desire. I dare to say all humans have them, including children.
But does
Jesus have a desire? Why? After all, He's God and can make anything happen, so
why should He desire anything? Yet, surprisingly, Jesus does have a desire for an excellent reason. That desire is so important to Him that He prayed about
it. He prayed to the Father, "Father, I want these whom you have given me to be
with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you
loved me even before the world began!" (John 17:24). Jesus desires to have
others be a part of His celebration in heaven someday!
Jesus'
desire is not so far-fetched. We do that all the time ourselves. Don't we send
out invitation cards to graduation celebrations, weddings, retirement
celebrations, etc.? Sure we do! But why? Because we want loved ones and friends
to share our joy. Victories and successes aren't that enjoyable when you are by
yourself.
Jesus came
to earth to fulfill the Father's will (see John 17:4, 18). As we read from the
Scriptures, it wasn't an easy assignment, but He did it! He has since returned
to heaven and is seated at the Father's right hand, surrounded by beauty and glory! It's just right that Jesus should want His friends to
celebrate with Him. His prayer was not only about the disciples He had then,
but for all disciples since then, including you and me. Jesus defines
friends as those who obey Him: "You are my friends if you do what I command"
(John 15:14). What an amazing thought that Jesus is waiting for us, His friends,
so He can show us around to give us a grand tour of the heavenly city. It is
made of pure gold, with walls of jasper, streets of gold, gates of pearls, the clear as crystal River of Life, and all those mansions He promised to
prepare for us! (See Revelation 21; 22 & John 14:2-3)
Remember that Jesus is still praying for us; He is our advocate before the
Father. Any time the devil accuses us of anything, He steps in to defend
and declare us forgiven based on his suffering. "If anyone does sin, we have
an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one
who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins and not only our sins but the sins of all the world" (1 John 2:1-2). I
believe He'll continue to pray until we see Him face to face and cast our
crowns at His feet!
If this is unclear, I'll explain. God loves you very much and
desires a personal relationship with you, but your sin is in the way.
He is a holy God, and unless your sin is out of the way, it will be impossible
to establish that relationship with you. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus, to
pay for your sins and mine. Anyone who repents and trusts in
Jesus is forgiven and made a child of God. Would you like to be a child of
God? I encourage you to pray and ask God to forgive you in Jesus' name. Once
you do, what you read earlier in this article will make more sense to you.
Jesus is in
heaven, desiring for you to have faith in Him now, in this life, so someday
when this life is over, He'll have the opportunity to give you a tour of
heaven, where all His children will live with Him forever. Please don't let
this opportunity pass you by because if you miss it, you have by default
chosen to spend eternity in hell. (See Revelation 20:15)
Jesus is coming soon! Brothers and
sisters, let's share Jesus' heart desire with all who will listen. It is
crucial and it is urgent.
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