May 6, 2018
Morning Service

This morning Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in His Name.  We have been given access directly into the presence of God through Jesus.  He has also given us the access to develop a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.  God is no longer considered distant or uncaring but is now as close as the mention of His Name.  In fact with the Holy Spirit living inside of us, God is always with us.  Jesus then warned the disciple of what was about to happen to them; they would be scattered leaving Him alone.  He spoke these things to remind them when they occur that they could have peace knowing that in His words; “I have overcome the world.”

 The entire chapter 17 is Jesus praying to His Father.  It is broken up into 3 sections; Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples and for future believers (us).  From this prayer we can learn that the world we live in is a tremendous battleground where Satan’s forces and Christ followers are at war.  Satan and his forces are motivated by bitter hatred for Christ and those who follow Him.  In this passage Jesus prays for His disciples, present and future.  He prayed that God would keep His chosen followers safe from evil’s power by setting them apart and making us pure, holy and unified in the truth.

Jesus prays for Himself

 John 17:1-5  Jesus spoke these words and lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that Your Son also may glorify You,  (2)  even as You have given Him authority over all flesh so that He should give eternal life to all You have given Him.  (3)  And this is life eternal, that they might know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  (4)  I have glorified You upon the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.  (5)  And now Father, glorify Me with Yourself with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

·        Jesus knows what lies ahead of Him; the betrayal, the trial, the torture, the cross, the sins of the world, death, and His resurrection.  He has completed the work He was sent to earth for so far successfully which was proclaiming the words of eternal life to all who were given to Him to believe.  The toughest part of His journey still lies ahead of Him and He asks that His Father would glorify Him to fulfill His mission so He can return the glory back to His Father.

 

Jesus prays for His disciples

 

John 17:6-19 “I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.  (7)  Now they have known that all things, whatever You have given Me, are from You.  (8)  For I have given to them the Words which You gave Me, and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from You. And they have believed that You sent Me.  (9)  I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.  (10)  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I am glorified in them.  (11)  And now I am in the world no longer, but these are in the world, and I come to You, Holy Father. Keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are.  (12)  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those that You have given Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  (13)  And now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they might have My joy fulfilled in them.  (14)  I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  (15)  I do not pray for You to take them out of the world, but for You to keep them from the evil.  (16)  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  (17)  Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth.  (18)  As You have sent Me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.  (19)  And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth.”

·        Jesus has invested heavily in these men who will now have to carry on the mission without Him there to guide them.  They have been taught all they need to succeed and have believed His words as truth.  Jesus asks His Father to keep these men and care for them.  He also asks that they be kept in unity just as the He and His Father are in unity.  He knows they will face the hatred and persecution from the world as He did and He prays for their safety.  He does not pray for them to be removed from the world and the tribulation but to help them through it.  I love verse 16 where He says “They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.”  He prays that they be sanctified (set apart) by God’s Word which is Truth, making them different from the world.

·        We likewise need to pray for all believers to be unified in the faith and sanctified by the Word of God.  We should not pray to be removed from the trials, but pray for the help we need to be overcomers of them thus bringing glory to God.

 

Jesus prays for future believers

 

John 17:20-26  “And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word,  (21)  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  (22)  And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one,  (23)  I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.  (24)  Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.  (25)  O righteous Father, indeed the world has not known You; but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent me.  (26)  And I made known to them Your name, and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

·        His first thought of us is that we would be in unity.  Unified just as He and His Father are.  This unity in us will reflect to the world that God is real and His message of salvation is true.  We shall be known to the world as we love as we have been loved.  We are to do things that build unity not destroy it.  We should avoid gossip, exhort one another, work together in humility, give generously of our time and money and above all exalt Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Find your spiritual gift and use it within the church to exhort one another and glorify God.

·        His next thought is that we be allowed to be with Him and see Him in His glory.  We know this will happen because Jesus promised it back in chapter 14.  His desire is to be with us one day; isn’t that comforting?  An answer to the question on why would God go to all this trouble is He desires to be with us as a Father with His children.

 

·        His final prayer for us is that we would “know” God.  That knowing is that we would have a relationship with Him.  It is not that we do wonderful miracles, fast for days or pray for hours.  It is simply that we would know, love and trust Him as our God.  Thanking Him for all He does for ask and asking Him in Jesus Name for all the things we need in this life.  We are to “Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.”

 

When I read this chapter, I realize just how much Jesus cares for us.  He desires for us to succeed in what He has created us to do and find peace, joy and contentment in it.   He also desires to one day be with us.  We shall be His people and He our God.  Jesus prayed for it and we know prayer = results.

 

Lord, thank You for the example that Jesus left for us to follow.  Please grant to us all that He prayed for us.  In Jesus Name we pray.