Jesus: Prays for believers
So that you may believe - Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsAim: To look at Jesus praying for all believers, future believers
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Focus
Focus
Is Jesus focused? Purposeful? Determined?
Does this prayer have focus?
So far we have see focus
On the glory of the Son to glorify the Father (17:1-5)
For the disciples (17:6-19)
Now tonight the focus steps back with not just the immediate but at the progression (those who would come to believe)
Focus on how that is to be accomplished; Unity.
Christ does shift from sanctity to unity
19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
Look back at (17:19) how were “they” to be sanctified?
In truth, For He is truth (14:6); His word is truth (17:17); we are called to walk in the truth as exampled (2Jn4-6)
4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. 5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
(Transition) Tonight truth brings unity. The unity of believers is the focus of our passage tonight as we look to finish this chapter of prayer.
Jesus prayer for unity
Jesus prayer for unity
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Any general observations in this passage?
Who are the “these,” “those, and “their? (v.20)?
These (apostles)
Those (other believers)
Their (apostles)
What is the focus on the prayer (v.21)? What is the hope, answer that Jesus desires (v.21)?
They be one (Unity).
That the world would believe You sent Me.
What did Jesus give to them, that the Father had given Him (v.22)?
Glory!
What again is Jesus request (vv.22-23)?
That they be one
That they be perfected in unity
That the world may know You sent Me, and loved them like You loved Me
What is Jesus desire (v.24)?
Be with Him, Be where He is
See His glory as it was before the foundation of the world
What have the “these” of (v.25), come to know?
That You have sent Me
Who is the “your” and “you” (v.26)? How do you know?
Your and the You - Father
A broader hope, scope
A broader hope, scope
From me, to these now to those. Jesus broadens the scope of His prayer
God’s eternal purpose, plan, more than the Jews, more than the Apostles but for “those who would believe because of their word.”
In the broadened prayer who is Jesus now praying for?
Praying for other believers, future believers.
Morgan says:
“He prayed for them. He prays for us. He knew His intercession for them would prevail. He knows His intercession for us will prevail. Then let us rest in Him, with the rest of loving obedience and the surest confidence.”
Other scriptures to consider (scriptures ref: Isa55:11; Jn14:13, 12)
Consider Isaiah 55:11 “11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
Consider John 14:13 “13 “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Jesus knew one would deny, all would scatter, all would struggle with faith, but it would be short lived. They would accomplish His works, in fact greater works (ref: Jn14:12)
Jesus finished His work; He finished with full confidence that the apostles would continue the work, accomplish the work that was set before them under the power of the Father, the empowering of the Holy Spirit within them that they were to receive.
Tenney: “The last section of Jesus’ prayer shows that he expected the failure of the disciples to be only temporary. The entire tone of the farewell discourse is built on the assumption that after the resurrection they would renew their faith and carry on a new ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
A prayer for unity
A prayer for unity
21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
The desire, prayer of the Lord is for the unity of the apostles; so there can be belief in the world (17:21)
The Apostles while united together by Christ, still had division, selfishness too.
Give me seat of honor (Mk10:37)
Worried about me, is it “I Lord,” (Jn13:22-25)
And yet to come with Peter Jn21:21)
Jesus prays for Christian unity.
Wiersbe pens the question: “What is the basis for true Christian unity?
The answer is unified in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus broadens the prayer with a view of the future believers of all nations, an every class. (Look at Rev7:9-10)
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
God so loved the world, He gave us Jesus (Jn3:16). Who reveals the Father (Jn17:6). He broadens for the world will see the Christian, and the love they have for one another (Jn13:34-35)
If the world sees God’s light in us (Mt5:16); they will see the unity that we have by love. They will see that we live to glorify God in our body (1Cor6:19-20).
What can promote Christian unity? Our trust in
Same Savior (14:6); same glory (17:22); same heaven (3:5); same work (14:12); same love (1Jn4:8); same truth (14:6); and we should live by the same love, the same example (13:15)
Yes there are some differences, in fact disunity within believers because man created it, Some are salvation issues, others are minor issues, but yet we can have unity in many areas and pray for unity in the other.
The Father, For the Father is in Jesus, and that unity is found when we are in the Father and the Son (consider 17:11)
FF Bruce: “If the Father is in Him and He is in them, then the Father is in them: they are drawn into the very life of God, and the life of God is perfect love.”
Jesus prayer to the Father for the unity of the apostles so that there can be unity of the believers who would believe because of the words of the apostles.
Guzik says this:
“Jesus did not pray for uniformity or institutional unity among believers, but for unity rooted in love and a shared nature, bringing together the many different parts of the ‘one’ body. This isn’t a legislated uniformity seeking to unite wheat and tares, nor it is the unity of institutions. Jesus had in mind the true unity of the Spirit.”
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
The world judges the church (believers) by what they say and what they do. Jesus calls for the unity to be that of love so that the world would believe.
As I was writing this I found I could only get to (17:20-21) we will get to the rest of these verses next week.