When people die, we often only hear at their funerals what they had done and accomplished in their lifetime. We hear about the people they impacted, the heights they climb, sometimes the sorrow they endured.

Many times this would be the first time we hear these things said about the person who died. It’s at funerals we hear about the legacy they have left behind.

In the Bible in the book of John, chapter 17, Jesus Christ prays his final prayer before his arrest, unjust trial, death on a cross, and on that glorious Easter morning, he rose.

In this prayer, in a sense Jesus gave his eulogy. He says a few things from verses 1– 26, but the one thing he says over and over, is that he came to earth to make his heavenly father known. In verse 4 He says: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

He continues: “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”

Jesus accomplished all that he was tasked to do here on earth.

The Apostle Paul said a similar thing before his death. In the book 2 of Timothy 4 verse 7, Paul said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing,” he continues.

Both Jesus Christ and Paul were confident that they have accomplished all that they were tasked to do by the time their time came to an end here on earth. Paul completed his race by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus completed his race by making the heavenly father known.

The legacy both Jesus Christ and Paul of Tarsus left behind is still impacting people today, more than 2,000 years after they have left this earth. What legacy will you be leaving behind?