Jesus Prayer For His people

Last week we looked at the first part of Jesus Prayer it was a prayer for himself, and I pointed out three things that I wanted you to see, and those three things were…

Jesus Prayer is for glory.

Jesus Prayer is that believers know about the one who gives eternal life.

Jesus Prayer is that he would share in the glory he had with the father for all eternity again.

A quick summary will help us… The part of the prayer we looked at a week ago showed that he prayed for glory, and that glory that came from his life, and death and would result in him having all authority to grant salvation to all who had be given to him. That the cross accomplished something man could never do and as a result purchased salvation for all of God’s people throughout time. This prayer for himself also included that believers would know Jesus Christ personally. They would have a real realationship with Christ, and know his works. As a result of his work he would return to the Father and share in the glory that he had prior to the foundations of the world.

It was a powerful word from God. This week we see a Prayer for his people…The title of this message is a Jesus Prayer for his people.

There is something truly beautiful when someone prays for you. I have had the pleasure of hearing some wonderful prayers in my life. A few of those example’s are when we found out we were having twins, and my wife had been experiencing some complications, and the elders sat and prayed for us. Another example was when I had friends that would have wonderful prayers in small group settings, finally a another one I will never forget is when I became a licensed minister, and while those prayers were impactful for me they do not compare to the prayer in John 17.

I love what what R.C. Sproul says about this prayer. He says, “If we take great comfort in the intercessory prayer of a friend or of a pastor, how much more comfort can we experience from the full assurance that Jesus is praying for us? We know that Jesus’ prayers never fail. He knows the mind of God perfectly. He knows what to pray for so that we persevere to the end. Moreover, Jesus says the Father will give us whatever we ask for in His name (15:16). If this is so, certainly the Father will not fail to give His own beloved Son what He asks for, and He asks for us to persevere”

What a great segway for us to get into the text today.

Let us look again at this beautiful prayer…

1. Jesus gives reasons for his prayer.

Jesus Christ reasoning is this text is powerful. He states that he had manifested God to the people whom were given to him. God chose a specific people and gave them to Christ, and Christ Manifested the Father to them. Meaning that Jesus perfect life was a representation of the Father. Everything that Jesus Christ did on earth displayed the father perfectly. The Character of Christ fully displays God the Father.

And the result of this reveling is that the disciples kept the word of God. While they were not perfect they sought to follow and live by the teachings of Jesus Christ. They knew that this teaching was not from the world, but directly from God. They recieved this teaching, and acknowledged it as ultimate truth. The recognize its heavenly authority, and knew that Jesus Christ had come from God, and is God.

Because of all this Jesus Christ specifically prays for them, and not world. He is praying for all the father had given him.

I love what one commentator says, “ Jesus realizes that he has been entrusted with the salvation of this people who belong to God and have been handed over to him on behalf of God’s saving purpose for them. Since they belong to the Father and Jesus’ role as their Savior comes from the Father, he is especially zealous to pray on their behalf.”

Jesus takes great care of those whom the father has given him.

He does this not only because they have been given to him, but they are glorified in him.

How are they glorified in Christ.

One scholar says this happens in many ways. he says ,”Jesus is glorified in his work of grace for out salvation, He is glorified by his people when they live holy lives and preform good works, He is glorified by our faith, and he is glorified in believers work to extend the kingdom.

After we are saved we give glory to God in in many ways, which includes what the scholar said. We should do everything for the glory of God, because he has given us everything in Christ.

This prayer had purpose and had a multitude of reasons, and that purpose and those reasons is clearly seen in the rest of the chapter.

2. Jesus prays for protection

Up until that point Jesus had been with the disciples. He ate with them, he fellowship with him, and he taught them. They had been under his direct supervision, and now that was about to change.He would soon be returning to the Father. Instead of just leaving them without any hope, he prays for their protection. The text mentions multiple times that the Father had given Christ these disciples, and he was not about to lose any of them. He guards them and protects them in only ways he can, and not one of them are lost.

One of those who wasn’t his child was Judas. And Judas betraying Christ was necessary to fulfill Scripture. Judas not being protected by Christ is not a failure to keep safe all of those the father had given him. Judas heart was wicked and evil, and he acted upon his desires. His destiny was to be the son of destruction. If you go back a few chapters you see Jesus prophesying this very event to happen.

It says in John 13:18 these words, “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen, but the Scripture will be fulfilled, He who ate my bread has lifted his heal against me.” This same language is found in Psalm 41:9 which says, “ Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me”

The one who closely lived and walked with the Lord Jesus Christ would betray him, but it would not derail any of Gods plan.

He was still going to go back to the Father, but he spoke these words in the world so they would have joy.

Joy is produced by Christ. It is a fruit of the spirit. But how could they have Joy when the one they have been following was about to leave them?

One man said it like this, “He calls it his “joy” because the disciples had to receive it from him; or, more briefly, because he is its author, cause, and pledge. There is nothing but fear and unease in us; in Christ alone there is peace and joy.

That quote is so good, because Christ is the author of our faith, Christ work which includes his life, death, and resurrection is this is the cause of this joy, and his pledge to us is that he will protect us not in this life, but the life to come.

Christian joy is the result of our protection.

another part of that protection is the giving of his word. This word is what causes believers to be different, and the world hates them because of it. The word distinguishes believers from the world. Dont be surprised when people outside the faith hate the word of God, and you for standing up for it. God’s word is something that often goes against the world. Which makes since because Christ is not of the world. When you read the words of scripture you can see that it is different from what the world believes, and for their own protection Christ wants them to be different.

He wants them to be different because he is not taking them out of the world, he is only asking that the evil one will not get them. The cross was the ultimate blow to Satan, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t causing disruption, but Christ prayer means that Satan doesn’t control our destiny. We may be wounded, battered, broken, or even die, but because of the Love of Christ for his children we will never be separated from God.

This truth enables us to be different to live as though we are not of this world, because of Christ we are not of this world our new home is not here even though we may temporary be here this is not our final destination.

J.C Ryle sums up this prayer of protection well by saying, “The special intercession of the Lord Jesus is one grand secret of the believer’s safety. He is daily watched, and thought for, and provided for with unfailing care, by one whose eye never slumbers and never sleeps.… They never perish, because He never ceases to pray for them, and His prayer must prevail. They stand and persevere to the end, not because of their own strength and goodness, but because Jesus intercedes for them. “

Jesus gives reasons for his prayers.

Jesus prays for protection.

3. Jesus prays for sanctification

The text just mentioned that Jesus Christ was not taking the disciples out of the world. Not only was he praying for protection he is now praying for sanctification. He is praying they become more like Christ. That is what sanctification is. Sanctify means to be set apart. Followers of Christ are to be set apart.

Set apart how though? Set apart in the truth. A true disciples life is transformed by that truth. Notice who’s truth it is. It’s God’s truth. The disciples lived in a world that had a million ideas of what the truth was, the same goes today, but the word of God is true. This truth sets believers apart.

Listen to what the Psalmist says in Psalm 19:7-8 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes:

Paul says it this way.. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

These scriptures show us the impact the word has in a believers life.

and by the power of the Holy Spirit and the word they will be sanctified

and part of sanctification is be sent out by God.. He uses the illustration As you send me into the world so I have sent them into the world. Jesus mission becomes our mission. While the disciples nor us could actually save anyone, we are to tell others why we have been sent, and the word of God helps us with that vary mission.

Jesus words in Matthew tell us about this mission well, it says, “ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Believers can be sent out because of Christ. Again in this prayer we are reminded of the work of Christ. You see it time and time again that the work of Christ is behind this beautiful prayer. Jesus life set himself apart. He is God, he is perfect, he is the truth, and for our sake he consecrates himself.

One pastor said it like this, “Jesus dedicates himself to the task of bringing in God’s saving reign, as God’s priest (i.e. his mediator) and prophet (i.e. revealer); but the purpose of this dedication is that his followers may dedicate themselves to the same saving reign, the same mission to the world”

Our sanctification will lead us to become more like Christ, and live out the mission of Christ, all because of the work of Christ.

Jesus gives reasons for his prayers.

Jesus prays for protection.

Jesus prays for sanctification.

4. Jesus prays for future believers

Jesus prayer is not just a prayer for the moment it is a prayer for all eternity. In this prayer he is praying for future believers that they will be unified. The Father and Son are perfectly unified, we see this in this prayer over and over again, and he is praying that believers share in that same unity.The unity that believers have is so unique because they are unified based on what Christ has done.

See Christian unity stands out in the watching world, When believers come together for a specific purpose it is clearly seen by the watching world. God intents to use our unity to testify that we belong to God, and Christ.

A crazy as it might sound to you, because of Christs glory we can actually be unified. This doesn’t seem like the case when churches fight over so many non essential things, but because we have been given glory and the Holy Spirit we have the ability to be unified.

One man put this so well. The thought is breathtakingly extravagant. The unity of the disciples, as it approaches the perfection that is its goal , serves not only to convince many in the world that Christ is indeed the supreme locus of divine revelation as Christians claim (that you sent me), but that Christians themselves have been caught up into the love of the Father for the Son, secure and content and fulfilled because loved by the Almighty himself , with the very same love he reserves for his Son. It is hard to imagine a more compelling evangelistic appeal.”

For us who are sitting in the room it is difficult to imagine this in practice, but it can be a possibility. The way we can do this is to remember the reason we are unified. That reason is Christ. The Father and the Son have no disunity in our salvation. This means we as Christians shouldn’t either. This doesn't mean that we are all the same, because even the Father and Son are different persons, but it does mean that we should all strive together for the greater purpose. That greater purpose is to display Christ in every aspect of our lives, so the world knows who we belong to. It may be difficult, but remember Christ prayed for unity for all believers and a a result we can do that very thing.

Jesus gives reasons for his prayers.

Jesus prays for protection.

Jesus prays for sanctification.

Jesus prays for future believers.

5. Jesus prays for future glory for all believers

Jesus desire is that all the Father had given too him would be with him in glory. They would be in Heaven with him. This prayer is a prayer that is from start to finish is a work of God. The glory we will see in heaven is not based on our own merit but the merit of Christ. This is an awesome truth for any believer. This plan of redemption, this plan of glory, and love the Father had for Christ was not something made on the spot, but before the foundation of the world.

and because of that love, believers can have eternal life, not only can they have eternal life, they have protection, they have transformed lives that are made into the image of Christ, all because of the love of God for his children.

It is through Christ that we can truly know God. His life, his character, his attributes, mirror God the Father. The world did not truly know God the Father, until Christ came. Sure the prophets had spoken the word of God on countless occasions, God even rescued them time and time again, but all those things were were just a glimpse of who God really is. But when Christ came The Fathers glory became magnified.

He made God truly known. O what love God the Father, and Son have for there people. Believers know that Jesus is from God, and his mission hasn’t stoped. Even though Christ was about to leave the disciples, and would be gone physically, He is going to continue to make himself known by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5 says this, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

For the Believer The Holy Spirit has illuminated ever single word of this prayer.

Think about it like this Jesus did not have to Go to the cross to get glory. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit have been eternally in Glory forever, but because he came to earth, lived a perfect sinless life, died on the cross, and rose again three days later, he gets all the glory. Our salvation is a work of his glory. The Father has given him all of those who would believe, and Holy Spirit regenerates those sinful hearts.

God did not need us for his glory, but he wanted us, and that is why he went to the cross.

To know Jesus Christ prayed such a prayer gives me great comfort because he was praying for me, and for you if you are believer.

You seen in this text that…

Jesus gives reasons for his prayers.

Jesus prays for protection.

Jesus prays for sanctification.

Jesus prays for future believers.

Jesus prays for future glory for all believers.

This prayer is not an empty prayer...

it is a prayer filled with hope, filled with promise, filled with God’s word, and filled with God’s glory.

It doesn’t matter where you are at today, unbeliever, new believer, old believer, this prayer demands a response.

What response will yours be.

For some it may be that there head and heart would come together, and see why Jesus prayed. Let those reasons take root in your life.

Maybe in this season of struggle, doubt, and loss you need to be comforted in his protection, and trust that despite everything is going on, and everything that will happen he will protect you. It might not be the protection you want in the moment, but he will see you through.

Maybe you are or are not in a season of growth, start the new year off in this word, and be different from the world. Saturate your minds, and hearts with his truth.

Pray for future believers, Pray that God would put people in your life that need to hear the good news of Christ, and pray that believers come together for the greater purpose and that we would be known as different, and we would be known by the same type of love that the Father and the Son have for one another.

Pray for future glory. Pray heavenly prayers and look to where Christ. Have an eternal perspective.

This prayer is only offered to believers.

When my buddy and I talked about John a few weeks ago, him and I talked about John 20:30-31which says, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

If you dont believe this he did that and now you do, this is what you can do. You can repent of your sins, and trust in Christ for salvation. Repent simply means to turn away from your sin, and put your faith in Christ alone for salvation.

No matter where you are at have some sort of response today....