The Great High Priestly Prayer

Introduction:

As we come to John 17, we find ourselves in the final hours before the cross.

Jesus has finished teaching His disciples in the Upper Room. Judas has already left to betray Him. The shadow of Calvary is growing darker by the moment. Within a few short hours, Jesus will be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, falsely accused, brutally beaten, and crucified.

Humanly speaking, this is the most difficult night of His earthly life.

Yet what do we find Jesus doing? We find Him praying.

In our most difficult times, instead of worrying, we need to be praying. The Christian life could be so simple for Christians if only we would put Christ on the throne of our lives.

John 17 records the longest prayer of Jesus found anywhere in Scripture. The prayer we are going to look at tonight is more appropriately “The Lord's Prayer," because it is the prayer the Lord Himself prayed. Matthew 6 teaches us how to pray, but John 17 reveals how Jesus prayed.

What makes this prayer especially significant is that it reveals Jesus functioning as our Great High Priest.

Hebrews 4:14–16 NKJV

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Under the Old Testament system, the high priest represented the people before God. He offered sacrifices. He interceded for the nation. He entered the Holy Place on behalf of others, but Jesus is greater than every priest who ever lived.

He is both the Priest and the Sacrifice.

He is both the Intercessor and the Lamb.

He is both the One who prays and the One who answers prayer.

Transition

When we study the duties of the high priest in Leviticus, we discover that he represented the people before God, sanctified the sacrifice, and entered the holy place on behalf of the nation.

In John 17, Jesus fulfills those priestly responsibilities perfectly as our Great High Priest.

I. The Three-Part Intercession (John 17:1-26)

One of the primary duties of the high priest was intercession. He stood between God and the people.

In John 17, Jesus intercedes in three distinct ways.

A. The High Priest Prayed 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.

Notice Jesus is not praying selfishly.

He is praying that the Father would glorify Him through the cross so that the Father would be glorified.

The cross was not an accident. It was not a tragedy. It was the very purpose for which Jesus came.

John 12:27 says: “For this purpose I came to this hour."

Jesus speaks of the glory He shared with the Father before the world existed.

John 17:5: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

What a declaration of His deity!

Jesus existed before Bethlehem.

Before creation.

Before time itself.

Our High Priest begins His prayer by committing Himself completely to the Father's will.

Just as the Old Testament priest prepared himself before ministering, Jesus presents Himself before the Father.

B. The High Priest Prayed for the Priesthood (John 7:6-19)

In the Old Testament, the priesthood consisted of those who ministered before God.

Here Jesus begins praying specifically for His disciples.

Notice how often He refers to them.

He prays for their protection.

He prays for their unity.

He prays for their holiness.

John 17 v. 11: “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me."

Verse 15: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one."

Notice Jesus does not ask for removal. He asks for preservation.

Believers are not called to hide from the world. We are called to shine in the world.

Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world."

Jesus knew the disciples would face persecution.

He knew they would face temptation.

He knew they would face opposition.

Yet He prayed that they would remain faithful.

Verse 17 gives one of the most powerful statements in Scripture:

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."

The means of spiritual growth has never changed. God sanctifies His people through His Word. The more we immerse ourselves in Scripture, the more we become like Christ.

I know you guys tire of earing me say this, but I am just telling you what the Bible says. If you to become more and more Christlike, study the Scripture more and more. I am telling you it is that simple. Spiritual growth does not come from a song, church attendance, or anything else. Spiritual growth occurs as we immerse ourselves into God’s Word.

C. The High Priest Prayed for the Entire House of Israel (John 17:20-26).

The high priest did not merely represent himself or the priests.

He represented the entire nation.

Jesus now broadens His prayer beyond the disciples, and focuses His prayers on you and me.

Verse 20:"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word."

At this point, Jesus is praying for future believers. He is praying for everyone who would receive the Gospel message.

That includes us.

Before Calvary, before the resurrection, before Pentecost, Jesus already had us in mind.

What does He pray?

Verse 21: “That they all may be one.”

BAM! KAPOW! WHAM! SHAZAM!

Unity has always been God's desire for His people.

Psalm 133:1 says: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Jesus Christ prayed for us to be unified. He prayed that we be as One. Unity in a church is only disrupted by sin, a refusal to repent, and a refusal to restore relationships, and those are absolutely the only reasons a church is not unified.

Jesus also prays that believers will experience His love.

Verse 26: “That the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

What a staggering thought! The same love the Father has for the Son is extended toward every believer, and every believer should extend that same kind of love to other believers as well.

II. The High Priest Sanctified the Sacrifice (John 17:16-19)

Another responsibility of the Old Testament priest was to prepare and sanctify the sacrifice before it was offered.

Notice verse 19: “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

Jesus is not becoming holy.

He is already perfectly holy.

The word "sanctify" here means to set apart.

Jesus is setting Himself apart for the sacrifice that is about to occur.

Within hours He would become the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world as John the Baptist proclaimed in John 1:29.

Unlike Old Testament sacrifices that had to be repeated continually, Christ's sacrifice was once and for all.

Hebrews 10:12: “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God."

The priest prepared the sacrifice.

Jesus prepared Himself as the sacrifice.

The priest offered a lamb.

Jesus became the Lamb.

III. The High Priest Entered the Holy Place*********

Under the Old Covenant, the high priest entered the Holy Place and, on the Day of Atonement, passed through the veil into the Most Holy Place.

The veil separated sinful man from the presence of God.

Only the high priest could enter.

Only once a year.

Only with blood.

Jesus, however, changed everything.

After His death on the cross, Matthew 27:50-51 says:

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

Notice it was torn from top to bottom.

God tore it. The barrier was removed. The separation was ended.

The way into God's presence was opened.

Hebrews 10:19–20 NKJV

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

The earthly high priest entered an earthly sanctuary. Jesus entered the heavenly sanctuary.

Hebrews 9:24: “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands... but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us."

Even today, Jesus continues His priestly ministry.

Romans 8:34 says: “It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

At this very moment, our High Priest is praying for us.

Conclusion

John 17 reveals Jesus as our Great High Priest.

We see Him fulfilling the duties that were only foreshadowed in Leviticus.

He interceded for His people.

He sanctified the sacrifice.

He entered the Holy Place.

Unlike every earthly priest, His work was perfect and complete.

The Old Testament priest offered another man's blood.

Jesus offered His own.

The Old Testament priest entered an earthly temple.

Jesus entered heaven itself.

The Old Testament priest had to repeat the sacrifice.

Jesus declared: “It is finished." (John 19:30)

Because of Christ, we have forgiveness.

Because of Christ, we have access to God.

Because of Christ, we have an Advocate in heaven.

Because of Christ, we can come boldly before the throne of grace.

Invitation

Perhaps there is someone here today who has never trusted Jesus Christ as Savior.

Religion cannot save you.

Church membership cannot save you.

Baptism cannot save you.

Good works cannot save you.

Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse your sin.

Hebrews 7:25 says: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

Will you come to Christ today?

Perhaps you're a believer carrying a burden.

Remember, your High Priest is interceding for you right now.

Maybe you need to come and pray.

Maybe you need to recommit your life.

Maybe you need to join this church family.

Whatever God is saying to your heart, don't delay.

The Great High Priest has made a way.

Come to Him today. Amen.