It is finished
There comes a point for most of us when we realise that we are simply not going to get everything done. Sometimes it's on the relatively trivial level of unfinished domestic tasks, but sometimes it is a more painful realisation that we will not achieve some deeply held ambition, and that we have failed to take opportunities that won't come again. But, of course, we are human and loose ends are a feature of a fallen world.
Jesus' prayer of consecration draws us into the perfect purposes of God. Obedient to the will of his Father, he had brought to completion the perfect work he had come to do. There was one more day; one more supreme and unique task, and the full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice would be made. Glory surrounds all that he had done; glory surrounds him as he goes through death and reconciles all things in creation to their Creator; glory awaits him as he returns to the Father's throne.
How do we with our loose ends and unfinished tasks fit into the perfect purposes of God? Perhaps the answer lies, in part, in this high-priestly prayer of consecration. Jesus prays about sending us out into the world as he was sent (17:18). As he finishes his earthly work, he sends his disciples out to fulfil his purposes, protected by his power and destined to share his glory. 'For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life' (Ephesians 2:10). He will work with and through our weaknesses and forgive our failures. He will make up for our inadequacies and sometimes surprise us by what we can do in his strength. We are called to work in his way, although we may not get everything done.
Then when we are welcomed into his glory, we will discover exactly what we did achieve in fulfilling God's purposes in our lives - work that was well done, relationships that were built up, words that changed lives, prayers that worked miracles. However much or little we have had time to do, we will be complete in him.
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