Given to Unity

Intro: I love listening to people pray. I am not listening for eloquence or their skill of speaking in public. I’m listening for their oneness with God their unity.

Holly and I have had “Those Talks.” Yes we’d love to have companionship and a helper but first dates and dating seems so foreign and awkward because we are so comfortable in our relationship and its depth and history.

Need: Christ’s prayer has so much depth and history.

Prayer for Jesus is second nature.

There is both honor and expectation to it.

When we pray like Jesus and we seek what He is seeking on earth, Jesus said ask anything you want in my name and I will give it to you.

Text (Please Stand)

John 17:1–8 HCSB

Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent —Jesus Christ. I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed. I have revealed Your name to the men You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that all things You have given to Me are from You, because the words that You gave Me, I have given them. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from You. They have believed that You sent Me.

Context:

Upper Room, Lord’s Supper, Judas,

Jesus teaches key points to being His disciples

Forgiveness/ Foot washing

Faith over Fear The Spirit is Here!

Remain in the Word and Let Love lead to Obedience

Greater works than Him (evangelism)

Christ’s Pursuit in Prayer (v.1-3)

Explanation

The hour/crescendo has come: All throughout time

John 2:4–5 HCSB

“What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” “Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants.

This hour was known before time existed.

Ephesians 1:4 HCSB

For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love

Jesus has known of this “hour” or event before time existed.

While on Earth he lived with a singular focus Glorify the Father.

John 17:1 “Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You,”

Illustration. “The Aging artist” Sergi Cardenas. The more you admire the paintings the more you admire the Artist.

Jesus is not seeking exclusive glory here, He is saying When people give adoration and worship me, and when I am loved by millions for taking on the sin of the world, they will see that you were the artist behind this masterpiece and ultimately the greater worship will be given to you.

Argumentation:

What does the crescendo of all glory look like?

To the world it is a shameful death and seemingly defeat of a would-be, radical leader of an oppressed nation of people.

While the Devil was having a field day mocking Jesus who could only scrounge up a dozen men to support Him in the end, and while the crowds mocked him as he hang there dying

Something unseen happened.

John 3:16 HCSB

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 3:25 (HCSB)

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood- to be received by faith.

1 Peter 2:24 HCSB

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; you have been healed by His wounds.

Galatians 3:13 HCSB

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.

Think with me for just a second. Jesus knew before God ever created the world that this fate for him was certain.

Every day of his ministry Jesus knew the outcome of His life’s work on earth. A shameful, isolated death bearing the weight of all the sin of you an me.

Jesus, why would you agree to such an outcome? Is you and me.

John 15:13 HCSB

No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

John 14:23 HCSB

Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

This is what he means when we says so he may have eternal life! True life that lasts forever is in knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. On His end that relationship with you was worth everything. And apart form Him we could not have it by our own works.

Notice that eternal life is found ONLY in God and Jesus. Heaven is not our destination God is our destination. We cannot receive God unless he sends for you.

We are Given to Unity.

We do not stand at Heavens door and knock.

It is by Grace you have been saved not by works.

Jesus loves you, and He wants a relationship with you

Transition: Christ’s Pursuit in Prayer is that he would do everything for the glory of God. In doing so, He will be glorified in Heaven by those who worshipped Him on Earth.

Christ’s Confidence in Prayer (v. 4-8).

Explanation

Notice the assertion statements Jesus makes here.

John 17:4–8 HCSB

I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed. I have revealed Your name to the men You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that all things You have given to Me are from You, because the words that You gave Me, I have given them. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from You. They have believed that You sent Me.

v.4 I have done it all!

v.6-8

I have testified of your name on earth (evangelism)

I have made disciples (those who kept your Word, believed the truths of the gospel)

Some secular critics argue that Jesus is being blasphemous demanding God give glory to Jesus.

Philippians 2:5–11 (HCSB)

Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.

Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form,

He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth —

and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the authority that John was talking about in verse 2.

Jesus knows what needed to be done and He did so perfectly.

He became sin who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God.

What Jesus wanted more than anything was to bring glory to God on Earth and to be in Heaven with God.. And for you to be there too.

That is his prayer for the disciples next week and then us in Chapter 17:20-26

How do you know if you will be there?

By knowing Jesus personally and the Only true God.

Before Jesus could ascend to heaven he was thrust into Hell. Where we will be unless we cry out to Jesus with the same confidence He had in His prayer.

Save me Lord and forgive me a sinner!

I want to be Given to Unity, a personal relationship with you. Come into my life and I will live that life for you and your glory.

Your greatest effort to glorify God is not by dunking a basketball, earning a raise or a new title at work, having perfect attendance, being likable, or a peace keeper.

The greatest glory you can give the Lord is by worshipping him for the salvation He has given you and to help others know His greatest work on the cross.