Power of Prayer

Ballers ball. Dancers dance.

Ballers ball. Dancers dance.

Believers believe!

Anointed with God’s Name

Verse 1: Father...

Father: 21 recorded prayers of Jesus. Each one Jesus addresses the Father as Father.

Pater, not Abba

Daddy vs. Father

Title of respect, love, and endearment.

Title of respect, love, and endearment.

Intimacy in this moment.

We pray to the Father, through the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Father is God.

Son is God.

Holy Spirit is God.

It’s okay to pray for to all of them!

The Lord’s Prayer

“Jesus, ask in my name”

“Prayer for Illumination”

Pastoral Accommodation:

What about those who can’t get themselves to pray to God the Father?

High school debate: What do we do with those who experienced abuse from the hands of their father?

Do we give out Pastoral accommodation?

All but one! : My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!

21x= Father, except one: .

All but one! : My God, My God, why have you foresaken me!

Jesus pushes us to scripture on the Cross.

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

As he hangs: Still my God, but Jesus reveals something powerful in this short prayer. He’s quoting . Sometimes God feels more distant, less personal, less present...

I bring this up because the CROSS casts a shadow across our passage. The prayer Jesus prays is can’t be separated from the Cross as we shall see going through this passage.

As he hangs: Still my God, but Jesus reveals something powerful in this short prayer. He’s quoting . Sometimes God feels more distant, less personal, less present...

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

and by night, but I find no rest.

In that moment, just a few breaths away from his death, Jesus feels the weight of sin and hell, and in that moment he still cries out in faith.

Verse 1: … The Hour has come.

Why is this statement significant? The crucifixion has drawn neigh!

Up to this point, the hour has NOT yet come.

Wedding Feast: : When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Jesus is making a connection between wine and his time. Why? Because Jesus connects wine with his blood shed. Not time for crucifixion, mom!

Wedding Feast: On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Brothers trying to Convince Jesus of Going to Judea to Reveal himself:  Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.

8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.”

Trip to Judea meant revealing who he really was- as the King who needed to be crucified and not the king who was to be coronated.

Teaching in the Temple: : So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

: So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.

: So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

: So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

: You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John 1. Jesus Prays for His Glorification (17:1–5)

Repeatedly throughout the Gospel we are told that the ‘hour’ has not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20).

Jesus took the trip in secret- arrest led to death.

Debating with the Pharisees: : You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

Again, arrest led to death

Prayer: NOW IS THE TIME!

But now, it is this hour.

The hour has come for the Son to be glorified

Hour for what?

Hour for what?

But now, it is this hour.

Hour to be arrested… sentenced… execution!

VERSE 4: I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

It is this hour.

“My work here is done!”

It’s go time!

The hour has come that they arrest me. I’m prepared. I’ve accomplished what you needed from me. I’ve obeyed your will up to this point. I know it’s go time!

Total acceptance and reception of God’s timing to suffer.

Those of us within the reformed worldview, who hold highest among the theological hallmarks, God’s sovereignty, the temptation is there to bring some things to God in prayer rather than all things...

Such blind obedience going into suffering. Total acceptance and reception of God’s timing to suffer.

“As so often in Scripture, emphasis on God’s sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a disincentive.” Don Carson

To say ‘The Hour has come’ is a confession of faith that the Father is ordaining this moment of suffering for Jesus.

Those of us within the reformed worldview, who hold highest among the theological hallmarks, God’s sovereignty, the temptation is there to bring some things to God in prayer rather than all things...

Lesson in Praying Under the Umbrella of God’s Sovereignty

Temptation: If God already has everything packaged for us *just so* for the future, why bother pray? Why pray if you can’t change God’s mind?

God as the literal Know-It-All: is it a prayer motivator, or a prayer crusher?

Does God’s Ultimate Power and Will of Decree: Does it push you to prayer and cause apathy in prayer.

Jesus flips this temptation on its head!

“As so often in Scripture, emphasis on God’s sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a disincentive.” Don Carson

“As so often in Scripture, emphasis on God’s sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a disincentive.” Don Carson

“As so often in Scripture, emphasis on God’s sovereignty functions as an incentive to prayer, not a disincentive.” Don Carson

God as the literal Know-It-All: is it a prayer motivator, or a prayer crusher?

Does God’s Ultimate Power and Will of Decree: Does it push you to prayer and cause apathy in prayer.

Be like Jesus here: Pray within God’s sovereign timing...

Verse 1; 4-5: Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you

One Petition: Glorify your Son.

One Petition: Glorify your Son.

One and only petition in this prayer about himself:

“Glorify your son...”

Carson: “To clothe in splendour’: Royalty

Carson: “To clothe in splendour’

Carson: “To clothe in splendour’

Roll out the red carpet for me.

PURPOSE: so that the Father may be glorified!

Analogy of a Movie Premier:

What does this mean?

Lead actor and the director share a limo. The lead actor comes out and all these people start taking pictures of him. But then the director steps out of the limo and the lead actor takes out his camera and all he does is take pictures of the director. Selfies. The actor doesn’t smile for any of the pictures, but to everyone surprise all the actor does is hide behind a camera so the director is the entire focus!

The red carpet is sort of like how we give those we revere glory!

Two Prayer Lessons:

1. Purpose of His Prayer: Attention Deflection within Petition

ONE Petition: glorify me- purpose is to give the Father glory

: Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

Lead actor and the director share a limo. The lead actor comes out and all these people start taking pictures of him. But then the director steps out of the limo and the lead actor takes out his camera and all he does is take pictures of the director. Selfies. The actor doesn’t smile for any of the pictures, but to everyone surprise all the actor does is hide behind a camera so the director is the entire focus!

The red carpet is sort of like how we give those we revere glory!

STRIKING! Convicting...

He didn’t seek fame, health, earthly power, money. He could have had a whole lot more of it! Satan offered worldly fame and power, but Jesus denied it, because his ministry wasn’t about Jesus’ glory alone, it was how his glory gave shone a light on the Father!

Are your petitions intended for God’s Glory! We are moons. We are attention deflectors. When you pray for yourself, pray like Jesus, pray that the content of what you pray for leads to God’s glory somehow.

Are your petitions intended for God’s Glory! We are moons. We are attention deflectors. When you pray for yourself, pray like Jesus, pray that the content of what you pray for leads to God’s glory somehow.

Do I want to be healed for my sake, or for Christ’s sake?

Do I want this or that or the other thing for my sake, or for God’s glory?

Do the things I pray point behind me and towards God’s glory.

Glorifying the Father was Jesus’ singular focus, and should be ours as well!

Lesson #3: Praying for Self for the Purpose of God’s Glory

Give me healing for your glory

Help serve

Justice and mercy

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

2. The Cross was a Glorifying Event

This point flips the analogy of the red carpet on its head

Analogy:

Rather than the crowd taking pictures, it’s a crowd shouting: CRUCIFY HIM! Crowd shouting out, you’re a terrible actor! String him up!

Actor takes all the blows but he continues to walk on the carpet taking pictures of the director!

How can suffering and death, which included blood and nakedness, lead to Jesus and, by deflection, the Father be clothed with splendor?

Things get so backwards, but so is this concept Jesus teaches us here:

CROSS IS A PLACE OF HONOR!

Jesus is asking to be glorified on route to the cross! To suffering! Like, the cross IS the glorification!

Questions:

Questions:

Not about self-promotion or cosmic egotism, but glorification.

How can suffering and death, which included whips, public humiliation, nakedness, how can that process give glory to Jesus, and by deflection, give glory to the Father?

How can the Cross make the Father look good?

To be clothed in splendour like the way it used to be! Before the creation of the world.

Christ’s glorification is no the end, but a means to the glorification of the Father.

Glorify me, because that way you will be glorified!

Jesus’ death leads to the Father’s glorification.

Those you give to him he might give life.

Jesus’ death leads to the Father’s glorification.

All about giving and reflecting glory and life.

How?

How can something so bad lead to the sole purpose of life?

All about giving and reflecting glory and life.

So let’s just go through the story again that will lead to Christ’s Glorification?

Arrested in a garden

Taken away to be tried.

Falsely accused

Whipped

“Crucify him!”

Carried his cross

Clothes taken

Crown of Thorns

Hung to die

Crown of Thorns

THAT PICTURE doesn’t look like a red carpet: HOW CAN THAT BE A PICTURE OF GLORIFICATION FOR JESUS AND THE FATHER!?

Values of the Kingdom:

Sacrifice, deference

Not just a nice ethic- putting others first- God’s love on display in order for sinners like you and my to be grafted into Jesus, to be washed clean!

Ethic of the world: Kill the Light

Light’s response: Kill the light in order for the light to shine towards the Father!

Our Suffering Leads to God’s Glory as well!

Example #1: Lazarus’ Death:

: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Example #2: Jesus prophesies Peter’s Death:

: This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.

Example #3: Sharing with Jesus

: Insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you...

: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

So think about this again: Jesus walked into the process of crucifixion… with JOY!

HOW BACKWARDS IS THAT!?

HOW COUNTER CULTURAL IS THAT! Like, I just want to tweet this statement to Joel Oesting and all millions who are buying into the false gospel!

“Stop taking away the purpose of the Gospel!”

We need to look at the Cross with Jesus on it! How are you sharing with Jesus the joy suffering can bring.

Yes, Protestant took Jesus off the crucifix. But that doesn’t make it wrong to look at a crucifix! Sometimes we need to take a good look at the cross: Not the empty one! The one with Jesus on it and remember: for the joy that was set before him endured the cross!

Why? Because that’s how the Kingdom works, folks! In order to get to resurrection, you need death, and in that death we give God glory.

Our culture is suffering averse. We celebrate youthfulness. We avoid pain at all costs. We pay good money for our creaturely comforts. The church continues to combine health and wealth with Blessings from God.

Our culture is suffering averse. We celebrate youthfulness. We avoid pain at all costs. We pay good money for our creaturely comforts. The church continues to combine health and wealth with Blessings from God.

But where does it say in the Bible that lay-z-boys are blessings?

But when we take a good solid look at scripture, we read a different narrative:

Have you given thanks for the pain? The suffering? The illness? the loss? The grief? We don’t invite it, but we do need to receive it...

And to receive it feels like death itself. Cause it’s a profession of faith that proclaims:

I’m not in control!

There’s purpose in our pain!

Thank you Lord for this hardship, this pain, this suffering, this struggle. Because it’s through these things that I can share with his suffering and give God glory!

HEIDELBERG CATECHISM:

Nancy: Not a hair can fall from my head…

ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY!

Verse 2-3: The Hope within Suffering

Verse 2: since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent...

Verse 2: since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Glorification:

Authority over all flesh

Shared glorification doesn’t end in pain, but ends with eternal life!

These verses remind us of the bigger picture.

FIRST, Jesus still knows who he is: The King over everyone

This verse puts thing in grand perspective:

This verse puts thing in grand perspective:

FIRST, Jesus still knows who he is: The King over everyone

Jesus still knows who he is: The King over everyone

SECOND, Jesus knows his purpose: To provide eternal life!

Showtime line of events:

Showtime line of events:

Showtime line of events:

Showtime line of events:

Showtime line of events:

Showtime line of events:

<--Eternally granted authority to all people (completed action in the past)

--- to all people---

—> that he might give eternal life--- (competed action in the past)

<--- to those you have given him (perfect= ongoing action into the future).

This ongoing action is the process of belonging to God!

Tremendous Confidence and Hope.

Tremendous Confidence and Hope.

Pain, suffering, the cross- all a means to an end! It’s not the end of the story!

Death was means to end death.

Death was means for justice

Death was means to ensure our eternal life

Death was means to give glory to our Triune God

The glorification of the passion narrative has a purpose!

You’re pain and suffering has a purpose as well.

You’re pain and suffering has a purpose as well.

How can you embrace your struggle in such a way that you can begin to find the purpose of your struggle?

If you carry with you pain, rather than avoid it, or ignore it, or turn a blind eye to it, or fix it- how can you expose it to find it’s purpose?

Why did the Lord permit it to happen?

Why does the Lord continue to permit it?

How can you even, and this is hard folks, this is really hard: How do you even get yourself to thank the Lord for it?

That’s why faith is so important!!!

That’s why faith is so important!!!

VERSE 3: Defining Eternal Life

Knowing the only and true God

HINGE: Verse 3: ACKNOWLEDGE

Verse 3

The MONO God

Definition of Eternal life: to know what?

The MONO God

‘co-exist’ sticker.

Not mere information.

Not mere information.

TRUE God

Jesus was sent by this ALONE and TRUE God.

Jesus was delegated by this ALONE and TRUE God.

Jesus was delegated by this ALONE and TRUE God.

To have new life is knowledge of God. What does that mean… to know God?

To have new life is to know God. What does that mean… to know God?

To know God is to desire His glory.

Augustine: ‘You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless till they rest in you.’

“Everlasting life is not so much everlasting life as personal knowledge of the Everlasting One.” Carson

Augustine: ‘You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless till they rest in you.’

Knowledge of the one TRUE God

Not Buddah, Brahma, Brahmins, Nirvana, Krishna, Allah,

Islam’s Allah

Knowledge unhinged from Jesus

Jehovah Witnesses’ Jehovah

Not mere information.

The Mormon’s Father

Buddah, Krishna,

Verse 4-5: Work

“EGO gave glory to you on earth.” How?

By accomplishing the work that God him to do.

Importance of Jesus ministry as a preparation for the Cross.

Proleptically:

The Message of John a. Jesus Prays for Himself (17:1–5)

He never knew the intimacies of marriage, the struggles of parenthood, the challenges of middle age, or the limitations of aging. Even within the sphere of his teaching and healing ministry, there were multitudes of his needy contemporaries in Palestine to whom he never ministered, whether in word or deed. Yet his ministry was perfect and whole, because he did, with complete and single-minded dedication, ‘all that he was given to do’.

The Message of John a. Jesus Prays for Himself (17:1–5)

He never knew the intimacies of marriage, the struggles of parenthood, the challenges of middle age, or the limitations of aging. Even within the sphere of his teaching and healing ministry, there were multitudes of his needy contemporaries in Palestine to whom he never ministered, whether in word or deed. Yet his ministry was perfect and whole, because he did, with complete and single-minded dedication, ‘all that he was given to do’.

He never knew the intimacies of marriage, the struggles of parenthood, the challenges of middle age, or the limitations of aging. Even within the sphere of his teaching and healing ministry, there were multitudes of his needy contemporaries in Palestine to whom he never ministered, whether in word or deed. Yet his ministry was perfect and whole, because he did, with complete and single-minded dedication, ‘all that he was given to do’. We are not called to reach the whole world or to minister to every need. There is a specific work for us to do, and in finding and doing that specific thing to the limits of our powers lies our fulfillment, and our peace. Bruce Milne, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Vancouver

The glory beyond the Cross exists as well!

English Standard Version Chapter 5

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Not just the bad, but also our work, our ministry- all of our lives are moons for the Messiah!

All but one! : My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!

As he hangs: Still my God, but Jesus reveals something powerful in this short prayer. He’s quoting . Sometimes God feels more distant, less personal, less present...

1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

In that moment, just a few breaths away from his death, Jesus feels the weight of sin and hell, and in that moment he still cries out in faith.