John  ◦   Chapter 17

1After Jesus finished speaking with his disciples, he looked toward heaven and began talking with his Father.

"Father, the time for the completion of my mission has come. Now bring the attention of the entire universe to your Son, that I may reveal your true nature, character and government, and thus bring all glory and honor to you.2For you placed the security of the entire universe in my hands, so that all who unite with me may have eternal life.3Now, eternal life is this: having an intimate knowledge of you, and connection with you — the only true God, and me — Jesus Christ, your Son whom you have sent.4I have exalted and magnified you on earth by completing the mission you gave me. I have revealed your true character, methods and principles, exposed Satan as a liar (and his methods of selfishness as the cause of death), and procured the Remedy for sinfulness.5And now, Father, bring me back to you that I might occupy my rightful place at your side–the very place I had before this world was made.

6"I have revealed your gracious, loving and benevolent character and methods to those you chose to be my disciples, and who receive this healing truth. Their hearts were loyal to you; you gave them to me to instruct and heal, and they have listened, understood, and freely chosen to follow your ways.7Now they understand that everything I did was a revelation of you.8For I presented the truth about you — your love and kindness, your respect for freedom of choice and truthfulness, your graciousness and constant giving of yourself for the welfare of your creation — and they wholeheartedly embraced it. They know with certainty that I am here as your ambassador, with your full approval and authority.9My heart yearns for them, Father — that the Remedy complete its work of healing their characters. I’m not asking that the Remedy heal those who have refused to take it, but I’m asking for those whom you gave me to instruct and heal, for they now love and trust you too.10Our love is pure, as all I have are yours, and all you have are mine. And their transformed hearts and minds powerfully confirm that I have faithfully discharged my mission and brought them back to you. 11My mission here is almost complete, and I will no longer stay in this selfish world, but they will remain to carry the Remedy throughout the world. I am coming home to you. Holy Father, protect them from the lies and deceptions of Satan by reinforcing in their minds the truth of your character and principles–your character of love and your principles of truth and freedom that you revealed through me–so that they may be unified in love, truth, freedom, purpose, motive, and righteousness of character, as you and I are united.12While I was with them, I protected them from deception by constantly revealing the truth and showing them love. None has been lost to the infection of selfishness, except–as the Scriptures foretold–Judas, who refused the Remedy, and whose death was the inevitable result of unimpeded selfishness.

13"I am coming home to you now, but I say these things while I am still here on the earth so that they may see the importance of daily heart-searching conversation with you, and experience the full joy that comes from constant unity with you.14I have given them the truth about you, but the selfish world hates them because they have the antidote to fear and selfishness, and are not in harmony with the principles of the world any more than I am.15My desire is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect their minds from being reinfected with deceit, fear and selfishness from the evil one.16They are not in harmony with the world, even as I am not in harmony with it.17Settle their minds so fully and completely into the truth that nothing can ever move them from it–your word is truth.18As you sent me into the world to be your ambassador — to reveal the truth about you — so have I sent them into the world to be our ambassadors to reveal the truth about us.19I have committed myself completely — holding nothing back — in order to bring them the only antidote to sin through which they may be fully restored to your original ideal for mankind.

20"My heart's desire is not for them alone. My heart also longs for those who will accept the Remedy they will spread — 21that those who accept the Remedy will also be fully restored to your original ideal and will be in complete unity, Father, just as you and I are in complete unity in all things. May they also be in unity with us, so that the selfish world may see the power of the healing truth I have brought, and know that you have sent me.22I have given them the full truth about you, your methods, principles and character that you gave me, that they may be in complete harmony and unity as we are:23my character reproduced in them, and your character flowing out from me. May they be restored to complete unity — practicing only your methods — so the world will know that you sent me as the healing solution, and that you have loved them even as you have loved me.

24"Father, I want those you gave me (to instruct and heal) to be with me wherever I am, and to see my unveiled glory–the glory that comes from your love — the glory of being one with you before the world was created.

25"Perfect and righteous Father, though the selfish world believes all sorts of lies about you — and therefore does not know you — I know you, and they know that you have sent me. They hate me because they prefer their lies about you to the truth.26But I have made you known to them in order to dispel the lies about you that Satan has spread–the lies that prevent them from knowing you. I will keep making you known, for this is the only healing solution–the truth about you which dispels the lies, restores trust, and results in the love you have for me being reproduced in them. Then the infection of selfishness will be removed, and my character of selfless love will be restored within them."