John 17 Sermon 4

John 17

Sermon #4

July 20, 2025

John 17:20-26

When you go to college, they always make you take classes that make you question your life choices. I went to a liberal arts school, meaning those ridiculous classes that have no baring on your life are like twice as many as a normal college. One of those classes that I thought completely and totally pointless was Music and Art of the Western World.

The point of the class was culture. I learned how to identify art and music by the age it was created. Like I said, pointless for my major. But what I did learn is what era or period of time would give you the best representation of reality in comparison to some weird idea of reality. There are two time periods I’ll compare for you today. The first is the realism time period. Realism art started mainly in France around 1840 and lasted until the 19thcentury. Here is an example.

The second time period I’ll compare would be the Cubism time period and was around 1907-1908. Here is an example of this style of art:

Yep, that is a pitcher of fruit according Pablo Picasso. If I did not tell you what that was, would you be able to tell me what that second picture is? I doubt it. Picasso was a brilliant man who took reality and imposed his idea of reality and the result in my opinion is a mess. Now, I know there are some who appreciate his work but it is a far cry from reality.

John 17 has been a walk-through of reality for me. This passage has taken us all through a journey into what true reality in love is. Through our Lord’s intimate prayer, the clarity of what He did becomes clearer, vivid and real.

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The love shared between the Father and Son is a revealing love that moves us into knowing who He really is. When that reality becomes clear, it moves us into action. Because of the unity the believer has with their savior, it moves us to be the greatest witnesses of Christ’s love to the lost world.

For the last several weeks, we have been learning that John 17, is the apex of the written Word. I have said this, John 17 could be the thesis statement for our salvation. If you only had 1 chapter to read from to learn about who Jesus is, who God the Father is and the role of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer, it is John 17. This chapter is that important and key to any student of the faith.

Why? It is the difference between a Picasso and a realistic painting of truth. We who are in Christ want to be realistic revealers of God’s love but tend to be revealers of our own versions of love. We often default to Picassos instead of reality. My question to each of you is this, if you looked at the representation of the gospel message in your life, would you compare it to Picasso or the reality in John 17?

Our ability to be the representation of John 17 to the lost is found in the unity we share with Him who prayed this prayer.

1.             Unity in these.

Vs 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those…”

In verse 20 there is a shift. The importance moves from “These” (meaning, I am not just praying for “THESE”). Look at the flow of this verse. The word “these” comes after the verb (ask) in the English translations (ESV). However, the verb is before the noun in the Greek. It should read “Not concerning these I pray only.” When the Greek puts the verb before the noun, it says that the emphasis is on the object of the prayer, his disciples, and those who will believe through the disciples.

The importance is not on the prayer but on those who will come to believe. He is praying for HIS people. What we take away from this one line is that Jesus is 100% focused on the ones who are His children. It is not on what He is doing for the believer, but them personally! Here is the takeaway. How it is worded is to get you to see that Christ can’t overstate enough how individually He is praying for His elect personally. He is laser-focused on who He is praying for.

To be clear, the “these” are the 11 chosen for the job that they will complete. In a few minutes they will demonstrate their failure and weakness as they scatter as Christ is arrested. But, THESE same men will launch the greatest church in all of human history. They go on to write the NT and the results are eternal.

Through their obedience, the Holy Spirit secures their success in launching the bride of Christ, His church. Christ chose the “these” for that time and space to do the great work that God designed them for. Because of them, we stand on their shoulders and are saved through their obedience.

These 11 had 19 verses dedicated to their knowledge of salvation (vs 3), their obedience (vs 6), their protection from Satan (Vs 11, 15) protection from the world (vs 13) and their unity with Him (vs 17-19). In 19 verses, the 11 have the greatest prayer to ever lift His voice to heaven and pray for every aspect of their lives moving forward. In the perfect triune unity (Father, Son and HS), the second member of the God head prayed for these 11.

In unity, He prayed for these. But in this single verse, He now shifts to the “those.”

2.             Unity in those.

This is where I pray that the Holy Spirit takes my voice, words and desires and does a unique work in each of your ears. I want you to re-read that verse and listen to me carefully. When He prays for “those”, the “those” is as by name the people in this room who are IN Christ. He is right now thinking of YOU. Fill in your name instead of “those”. Remember how I said that focus of the prayer shifted? He can’t say it stronger, Not concerning these I pray only, but I am praying for …..fill it in there! He is praying for all those who will believe that He is LORD.

This is a personal prayer from your personal savior. It is a reality that Christ understood and understands that you who are given to the Son by the Father are secured by the Holy Spirit for the time and space that you live in. “Those” are the those whom have been enlightened who recognize the reality of their salvation.

Why do we evangelize? Why do we tell of this great salvation? We are a result of this obedience.

Romans 10:14,15

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”[1]

We go make disciples among every nation so that others who come to believe understand that their Savior lives. He is calling them to the foot of the cross as He prays for them personally and specifically. We go to share this news church to those who will come to understand that their savior is personally calling them and personally praying for them by name. He had your name in mind when He said the word “those”.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will…”

The “will” means a continual, ongoing and ever believing action. For those who believe, it is marked by a life of belief, life change and unity with their savior. For example, I am seeing this firsthand. Some pastors measure success by hands raised in response to invitations. I choose to measure this ongoing and continual faith in spiritual growth in who God is.

I see it firsthand as people in this congregation come to know deeper who their Lord is. That little word “will” is far more important than we give it credit. It means, we will live in and be in perfect unity with Him and His Father.

3.             Unity in the Father.

Verses 21 to 23 speak of a unity that we struggle to grasp and my desire is to pull all of the understandings of this unity into a clear and vivid picture.

“…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us…” The unity that He speaks of does not mean that we all agree and sit around never to disagree and the color of the carpet and wall hangings. No, what Christ is saying is that He is pulling you and me personally into a relationship that our little minds are missing.

IN means: A preposition meaning the state of your soul. Where is your soul at? Are you a child of God? Being IN Him means that you are one who believes that Jesus Christ is LORD.

The word “ONE” is used over and over with the word IN. ONE means: being in one mind and soul with Christ Jesus. If ONE, IN Christ, we are ONE together as little images of Him.

The second person of the Triune God is pulling you and I into an intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit. The Father sent the Son, the Son obediently accomplishes the will of the Father in the plan of salvation, the Spirit applies the finished work of the Son. All three moving and acting in unison pulling His children into this harmony and unity for His glory.

When Christ is praying this prayer, He is showing the perfect example of perfect unity. Do you understand this church? He is praying you all the way to heaven. Heaven is a place for sure. But Heaven is more of a unity with your Father! Get your head around the fact that heaven is this relationship and it’s attainable HERE and NOW!

God is a God of community; he shares himself with others. From eternity past, He has shared Himself between the Father, Son, and Spirit. There has never been a time, a moment, or breath when He has not existed in perfect communion. When God creates, it is not a strange thing for his character, but an expression of his very heart.

He loves to love others and so creates little images of Himself that he might love them and be loved by them. His original intent was an invitation into the divine community, and His intent has never changed but finds its fulfillment now in the Cross of Christ. The purpose of salvation is not to keep us out of hell, but to bring us to God. He wants to love you and be loved by you because that is the core of who God is.

Does this passage look more clear? Our understanding of what Jesus is praying should have moved from Picasso, to a real and clear picture now. But there is a real and tangible expectation from what our Lord has prayed. Here is our so what from our text, we are to abide in this unity.

4.             Abide in Christ’s unity.

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them[2]

He made known the name of the Father. Through His words and life of perfect righteousness, Christ made known the Father of lights, the Ancient of Days. That which was out of grasp or access, has now been opened to you and me. As He prays, He confirms what His entire 3 year ministry was all about. This one verse wraps it up in a perfect conclusion. He says, “I came, made you known, did it like we planned it and now, I will continue to make the Father known so that they may continue in LOVE.”

That Love is agape: the highest form of love possible. It is a non-held-back, but extravagant and un-restrained love. This is the love that He has chosen to shower on His children. But, pastor, why do I struggle to understand this? Why is it only good for this morning but then I forget it or take it for granted?

Well we have some obstacles that keep us from abiding in this love and abiding IN Christ:

a.             Fellow believers:

Have you forgotten that these 11 icons of the faith will fail Him in a couple minutes? And yet, He is still praying for them, inviting them and securing those who will fail Him. Why? Because He loves them!

I do not want you to look around this room but we all have been abandon, betrayed and let down by brothers and sisters. Even in this room. We have all been let down by believers. It is a sad truth but have you heard these objections:

“I would rather deal with non-believers than believers, at least I won’t be taken advantage of.” OR “I don’t go to church because of the hypocrisy of the people.”

Look, these are real and piercing indictments, and I have no excuse for them! Even in our failure, Christ is praying for those who offend and those being offended. We are all failing from time to time. But, thanks be to Jesus, we get up, learn from our failures and do our best to repair the hurt.

The church or the bride of Christ is designed for community, security and support for the children of God. That is why we did the church in the park, and, today we are going to be the hands and feet to the hurting. Look, people may fail you, but Christ’s love does not.

b.             The world:

Remember what I taught two Sundays ago. The world system will cause us to scatter like the disciples did. It hates us and seeks to destroy those who are in Christ. That is why the church is so vital. There must be a sanctuary for the child of God. The church is for that. We, the church, must be a sanctuary for the child of God to run to.

This world system is our advisory and yet, it is also our mission field. God has His remnant, the called that go into the world as directed to tell of the great salvation found in Christ.

c.              The lost.

Those who are not of Christ will hate those who represent and show the light of the world through them. As light bearers, we will be attacked. You will hear, “Why do you always go to church? Why not go to the lake every Sunday? Why do you give 10% of your income to a religious organization that is built of broken people?

This is where we go back to what you have been doing with your time, talent and treasure. These are your greatest evangelistic tools to the lost. When they are camping every Sunday, you are showing the light of Christ by pointing them to the source of your light through your time, talent, and treasure. Why do I do this? Because I am one with Christ!

When in Christ, you can honestly say that I do this not because I have to. Rather, I am a part of the body of Christ and I am reciprocating the love of the Father to the body of Christ. I give to this body of Christ because I love my Lord. I give to this body because I Love you and wish to abide in Christ. Abide: meno- rest, stay, or remain with Christ.

Conclusion:

As we conclude Jesus’s earthly ministry, it is summed up in the love He had for His children. It is a love that transcends time and space and is directed to the heart of the believer. Christ is getting ready to take human history and turn it on it’s head. It is a mind-blowing move where death is put on it’s heals. The cross of Christ removes the sting of sin in exchange for salvation for the lost.

Why would He do this? Because genuine love has no regard for worthiness! It has no regard for your worth. It has everything to do with His genuine love. To the one who would ask, “why would a huge God like this care enough about me to love me?” It is because you can’t earn this level of love. God is far above our worth. Instead, He loves you because of Him, not you.

All of humanity will soon watch as the salvation of the world goes to a cross for people who hated Him. In our rebellion, Christ came to pay the penalty of sin so that in Him we may have perfect unity with our creator. It is an act for broken vessels to become whole. It is an act of mercy, grace and love. Church, to steal the words of the late John MacArthur, Christ is loving you by name all the way to heaven. Do you see this? Do you see how powerful this love is?

Why wouldn’t we abide in that? What is limiting you from recognizing this love? Is it your failed understanding of this love? If so, I am calling you to change your perception of this love to align to His!

I want to pull up those pictures again. Would you be shocked to know that the man who painted this:

 (1931) also painted this:  (1918)

It’s not like Picasso didn’t see reality. It is obvious that he could see the reality of the truth. But he also saw the mess that he built in his head.

Christ’s presentation of a love is real and understandable! It’s real! It’s tangible. You can see it, grasp it, and understand it. It’s not a mess or cloudy nor does it open itself to our “impression” of it. It’s not subject to our interpretations. It is vivid and His. We are not allowed to twist it to our desires. No, we only need to abide in it. Do you? Can you see it?