“Thank You, Father”

Sermon Series: Uncommon Gratitude

Week 4 – The Gratitude of Jesus

Opening Prayer

(To open the service or before the sermon)

“Father, we come before You today with hearts that long to be shaped by Your presence. As we gather in this place, we ask that You quiet every distraction, soften every hardened place, and open our hearts to Your voice. Lord, teach us today not just how to give thanks, but how to give thanks the way Jesus did — with faith before the miracle, with trust before the answer, and with surrender even in the shadow of suffering. Let the gratitude of Christ become the gratitude of His people. Breathe on this service, Holy Spirit, and let Your Word transform us from the inside out. We give You this time, and we give You our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Texts: John 11:38–44; Luke 22:14–19 Title: “Thank You, Father”

Introduction

“A morning of worship, a lifetime of grace.”

Most of the time, when we preach on gratitude, we focus on us: our blessings, our struggles, our responses. But today, we look at the gratitude of Jesus — a thanksgiving that isn’t tied to comfort, results, or timing, but is rooted in complete trust in the Father.

When Jesus said, “Follow Me,” He wasn’t only inviting us to believe His teachings — He was inviting us to imitate His heart. That includes His heart of thanksgiving.

Jesus thanked the Father when the miracle hadn’t happened yet, He thanked the Father when He knew suffering was coming, He thanked the Father in weakness and confidence, and He thanked the Father in the face of death.

This is uncommon gratitude — and it’s the kind that transforms the soul.

Main Point 1: Jesus Gave Thanks Before the Miracle (John 11:38–44)

At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus stands in front of a stone, a grieving family, and a hopeless situation. Martha warns Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench.” Everything around Him says, “It’s too late. It’s over.”

But Jesus lifts His eyes and says:

“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” (John 11:41)

The miracle hasn’t happened yet. Lazarus is still dead. The stone is still in place. The mourners are still crying.

Yet Jesus gives thanks before anything changes. Why? Because gratitude for Jesus isn’t about the outcome — it’s about the relationship. He knows the Father is listening. He knows the Father is faithful. He knows the Father is good.

Illustration: It’s like thanking someone for a ride when you haven’t even gotten in the car yet — because you completely trust they’re coming.

Application:

Can you thank God while the stone is still in place?

Before the healing?

Before the breakthrough?

Before the answer comes?

Uncommon gratitude doesn’t wait for proof — it thanks God because of trust.

Main Point 2: Jesus Gave Thanks Knowing What Was Coming (Luke 22:14–19)

Picture this moment: Jesus is at the Last Supper, holding bread that represents His broken body and a cup that represents His shed blood. He knows betrayal is coming. He knows the cross is hours away. He knows the pain, humiliation, and agony that await Him.

And Luke writes:

“And He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it…” (Luke 22:19)

Jesus gave thanks for the body that would be beaten. He gave thanks for the blood that would be shed. He gave thanks even as the suffering approached.

This is gratitude not rooted in feelings — but in purpose. Jesus was not thanking God for the pain — He was thanking God for the redemption that pain would accomplish.

Illustration: A surgeon doesn’t rejoice in the cut, but in the healing it brings. Jesus wasn’t thanking God for the nails — He was thanking God for the salvation those nails would secure.

Application:

Can you thank God for His purpose even in seasons of pain?

Can you say, “Thank You for what You’re doing through this,” even when the path is hard?

Uncommon gratitude sees the purpose behind the pain.

Main Point 3: Jesus Gave Thanks in Weakness and Trust

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus shows gratitude in moments of physical exhaustion, emotional heaviness, and spiritual burden. He thanked the Father for revelation to the humble (Matt. 11:25), for daily bread (Matt. 14:19), and for the Father’s nearness in prayer.

Gratitude was His instinct — not because His circumstances were easy, but because His relationship with the Father was secure.

Jesus shows us that gratitude is not a mood — it is a spiritual posture. It is how we stay aligned with the Father’s heart. It is how we surrender when we don’t have strength. It is how we say, “Father, I trust You,” even when the way is unclear.

Application:

When you feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or empty — choose gratitude.

Not because everything is okay, but because God is still God.

Gratitude in weakness is worship in its purest form.

Conclusion: The Gratitude That Changes Everything

When we see how Jesus thanked the Father — before the miracle, before the suffering, before the resolution — it changes how we understand thanksgiving.

Jesus shows us that gratitude is:

an act of faith

an act of surrender

an act of warfare

an act of trust

and an act of love

The gratitude of Jesus is not seasonal — it is continual. Not situational — but foundational.

Key Line: Christ-like gratitude thanks the Father not because life is good, but because God is good.

So as we end this series, let’s not settle for common gratitude — gratitude only in blessing — but embrace uncommon gratitude, shaped by the heart of Jesus.

Closing Prayer

“Father, we thank You for the example of Jesus — for a Savior who showed us what real gratitude looks like. Thank You that He lifted His eyes in front of Lazarus’ tomb and said, ‘I thank You,’ even before the stone was rolled away. Lord, teach us to trust You like that.

Thank You that at the table, holding the bread and the cup, knowing the suffering and the cross that lay ahead, Jesus still gave thanks. Help us to see that gratitude is not anchored in comfort, but in confidence — confidence that You are good, You are wise, and You are working all things together for good to those who love You.

Lord, we ask You today to cultivate in us a deeper spirit of thanksgiving — one that doesn’t depend on our feelings or our circumstances, but one that rests in Your faithfulness. Teach us to thank You in weakness, to thank You in waiting, and to thank You even when the way ahead is unclear. Let our gratitude be more than words; let it be worship that rises from hearts surrendered to You.

God, for those in our church family who stand today before their own ‘tombs’ — impossible situations, heavy burdens, unanswered prayers — give them the courage to lift their eyes and say, ‘Father, I thank You,’ even before anything changes. Let uncommon gratitude break chains, open doors, heal wounds, and bring peace where there has been fear.

Make us a church that gives thanks like Jesus — boldly, humbly, and continually. As we leave this place, let the gratitude of Christ go with us, shape us, and shine through us. And may everything we do bring glory to Your name.

We ask all this in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus. Amen.”