Jesus' Prayer

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Introduction:

TS: The prayer takes place just before Jesus and the disciples enter Gethsemane, where He will pray again prior to being arrested. John 17 is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. It offers a profound glimpse into his heart and purpose on the eve of his crucifixion. He begins with saying The Hour has come”. Jesus knows the arrest and Crucifixion is imminent.
This prayer is divided into three parts:

Jesus prays for himself

John 17:1–5 NKJV
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
v. 1 This verse acts as a bridge between the preceding Last Supper discourse (John 13-16) and the intimate prayer that follows. The use of the present participle ("Lifting up his eyes") paints a vivid picture of Jesus initiating prayer in a focused and intentional manner
He asks for the Father to glorify the Son
Following the Father’s will and atoning for sin on the cross will itself glorify the Son
So that the Son can give glory back to the Father
Fulfilling the Father’s purpose also glorifies the Father!
2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
He has authority
He is the Sovereign Lord of All
He gives eternal life
To all who call on His name
God has given us to Him
He calls, and convicts us
He responds when we call out to Him and saves us
Romans 10:13 NKJV
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent
Eternal Life- that they may know God
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
The mission has been fulfilled
Glorified GOd
Gathered and trained disciples
Now finishing on the cross
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
His is an eternal glory

Jesus prays for his disciples

John 17:6–19 NKJV
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
The Father has given all believers to Jesus!
Chosen
Ephesians 1:4 NKJV
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
Written in Lamb’s Book of Life
Revelation 17:8 NKJV
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
In eternity past, God knew us and wrote us in the BOOK of Life
Nobody surprises God! God has always known us, even before we were born!
They believed
John 17:8 NKJV
For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
Salvation is by GRACE through Faith!
We respond to God’s call with faith!
He does the work, the heavy lifting!
9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
Jesus asked 2 things:
Keep them
They would face the world’s temptation and hostility
He asks God to preserve His disciples through that
He prayed, based on the immutable God, that he would keep them eternally secure!
Make them 1
He prayed for their unity!
As among the trinity, so in the church
Keep them together
Keep them 1
in purpose
in mission
in affections
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
His joy fulfilled in them
Christ held them, and here prays for their future security
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Gave word
They were disciples, taught ones
He instructed, modeled and commanded.
They were ready to go forward
15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Keep them from the evil one while in the world
17 Sanctify[i] them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Sanctify them by the Truth (Word is Truth)
Jesus wanted more than eternal life
He wanted them to be sanctified
MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Commentary)
The idea of sanctification is the setting apart of something for a particular use
Set apart for God and his purposes
By truth… His Word
that is why reading, studying, and meditating on the WORD is vital for Christians

Jesus prays for future believers

John 17:20–26 NKJV
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [j]will believe in Me through their word;
THIS IS US!
The Savior prayed for US!
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me,
That we would be one
Jesus wanted us to be one,
just like He and the Father were one
The glory ...
God gave Christ glory.... He gave it to us!
We share in the attributes and essence of God!
As He sanctifies us
As He grows us
As He conforms us to His image
We display His glory
" like His disciples were one and He prayed for them”
and have loved them as You have loved Me.
That we are loved
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
That we behold His glory

Conclusion:

Jesus loved us so much, He took us before the Father in prayer
All aspects of this prayer point to glorifying God
When we carry out our purpose, we bring Him glory
When people see Him change our lives, we bring Him glory
When we hold onto each other in unity, we bring him glory!
Glorify God!
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