Never Alone!

Never Alone!

Text: John 17

INTRODUCTION

Christ is quickly approaching “the hour” of His crucifixion. He was enduring for the cross that was set before Him! Following the crucifixion, Jesus would then resurrect and return to His former glory.

For those who followed Jesus, that potentially meant a cold, dark and despairing life. Their faith, assurance, and hope was hanging in the balance. As always, Jesus leads with great love and takes this moment to pray to His Father in Heaven to address this reality.

Jesus always knows what His children need! Remember, He is a Savior “who at all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus was well aware of the potential we had to fail in our faith and could not persevere of their own strength and resolve. They must be kept by the Father.

Also, due to their identifying with Christ, the world hates them! We will find that Jesus not only prays for Himself, but prays as well for His present disciples and those who would later come to faith.

Hebrews 7:25 “25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

1) JESUS PRAYS FOR HIMSELF

This portion of Jesus’ prayer speaks to the theme of Jesus completing the work of salvation

Jesus’ prayer is spoken from the position that the work is as good as done, due to how close He was to being crucified and resurrecting.

The harmony between the triune God is of great comfort to the believer.

The believer is the one the Father has given to the Son and the Son has granted them eternal life.

This eternal life “in Christ” is purposed toward the believer “knowing” the one true God.

Those who would believe were given to Christ. Christ gave them the word’s of life. They responded in faith!

2) JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS DISCIPLES

Only of those who have obeyed the words of Jesus does He pray for.

Notice the heart of Christ toward His accountability to the Father where he says, “I pray for those who are yours.” So much so, to say they were the Father’s, Jesus says they are equally His.

Since they are Jesus’ and Jesus is not of this world, it indicates that these disciples are neither from this world. Jesus said, “That is why I am coming to you Holy Father.”

Please don’t miss Christ’s mind toward the believer and his desires for them. There is a particular working of grace He wants them to have.

They were about (for a time) to be left alone like an orphan and to depend on their own resources. They had Him at their side for three years and was about to experience a different condition.

Jesus does something special for His children that he does not do for the wicked and unbelieving!!!

Jesus prays for four things:

1. For them to be kept

2. For them to be sanctified.

3. For them to be united.

4. For them to be with Him in glory.

(V11)

Due to the vast danger that was on every side of them, Jesus prayed for preservation against evil, falling away, false doctrine, crushing persecution, etc.

“Keep through thine own name”

In other words, “Keep them through thine own attributes of power, love, and wisdom.

God’s name signifies His character and attributes.

“That they may be one, as we are”

We know that the unity we can have toward each other will not be literally as that of the Trinity.

However, what Jesus is setting our aim at is that of close, intimate, unbroken unity of mind, will, opinion, and feeling.

Jesus is speaking of a GENERAL RESEMBLANCE.

Illustration: Resembling your your parents is often times a natural disposition, resembling God is NOT!

(V12)

“While I was with them…I kept them”

Jesus expresses to the Father how He kept them from all harm through the power of His name.

PERSPECTIVE: A fathers perfection is limited, God’s is NOT!

“…and none of them is lost”

“Kept” = I have guarded

Like a shepherd guarding his flock.

Jesus guarded them carefully. None of them perished.

“…but the son of perdition”

Judas’ name means ‘a person worthy of perdition, or only fit to be lost and cast away, by reason of his wickedness.’

This shows the hopelessness of those who live so close to the great light of the gospel and yet chooses to follow their evil bent will.

Matthew 23:15 “15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

What “fit” Judas for hell was not that he was given by the Father to the Son and then fell away from Christ, but rather was the only one who truly did not believe and therefore reveals he was not given to the Son from the Father.

John 18:9 “9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.”

(V13)

Jesus is saying, “I am coming to you because I am soon leaving this world. I am speaking this prayer where these men can hear me so they will be filled with joy and comfort.”

Jesus speaks of “His joy” in John 15:11 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

This comfort is only given to those who are confessing believers.

(v14)

Jesus is speaking here more fully of the disciples’ position.

“I have given them thy word” = I have given them the words of the gospel and they have received it.

Due to their receiving of the gospel message, they have and will continue to endure persecution, ill-treatment, and rejection.

All believers must expect hatred from those who are wicked.

This should never be a surprise to you.

Every Christian before you has faced in some form persecution.

Why would this be???

It all has to do with the message you have received, have made public, and are distributing into the world.

This message makes the world feel condemned.

Therefore, by you living in this world, your life equally brings the feeling of condemnation to them.

Also, if you all you receive is a “good word” from the world, you are hiding the gospel message!!!

(v15)

Why would Jesus pray for the delayed reception of His people into Heaven?

Jesus is saying don’t take them immediately out of the world.

Jesus knew that a quick collective removal would be bad for them and the world.

Illustration: Quickly removing the, would be like removing the lights from a landing strip.

Notice what Jesus did ask, “keep them from the evil.”

Keep them from the evil of the world.

Keep them from being spoiled and corrupted.

Don’t miss the GREAT WISDOM from Jesus’ prayer:

Let’s be honest. Every believer would rather be in Heaven than down here, correct?

Without trouble, conflict, persecution, rejection, and time to know your own heart, there would be a lack of growth in your love and appreciation of Jesus and heaven.

The world would be deprived from the teaching and example His children.

Philippians 1:21-26 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.”

Quote: “However much we ought to have our eye upon our rest, and make ready for it, yet we are not anxiously to long for it till God’s time come, nor to be weary of life because of any trouble, persecution, or inconvenience we meet with in his service.” (Francis Hutcheson)

Quote: “Eminent holiness is most seen by publicly winning a victory over evil, and not by a cowardly desertion of our post in society.” (Francis Hutcheson)

Can you imagine the DARKNESS that would be in the world if His disciples were taken up immediately.

QUESTION: Where is the only place believers can bring glory to God? IN THE WORLD! In heaven we will receive glory from God.

Quote: “Let us not be so eager for our wages and our rest, till we have finished our work and served our generation. When we have done so God will glorify us with himself for ever.” (Francis Hutcheson)

Conclusion

The death and resurrection of Jesus was soon approaching. What logically seemed like a time of loneliness and darkness approaching, was actually a life (here and eternity) where we would never be without Jesus. A life of being alone is an impossibility for those who put their trust in Jesus alone!