Jesus' Prayer for Us - John 17

Can you still hear me okay? Good stuff. If you'd like to open your Bibles to John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

I'll just pray quickly if you don't mind again.

Father, we thank you that we can gather here as your people, open your word.

And we pray, Father, that there will be none among us, Lord, who has a hard heart, a heart that resists you.

But, Lord, that we would be sensitive and tender to what you have to say.

And, Lord, that we would not be those who just hear your word, but that we be those who obey and do your word.

Lest we deceive ourselves, Lord, into thinking that by just hearing it will bless us, Lord, but that we must obey and receive it, Lord, by faith.

I ask for your help and for the blessing of your Holy Spirit, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Amen.

I'd like to begin this morning by asking you a question.

If you could go back to any one event in the Bible to be there firsthand in the flesh and see something in the Bible, one event, what event would you choose?

Any event in the whole Bible, New Testament, Old Testament, whatever you want it.

This is a question that a friend of mine asked me.

And so he asked me, what would you choose?

Maybe have a think about it.

Would you go see Moses parting the Red Sea and bringing the Israelites out of Egypt?

Or would you see the walls of Jericho come crashing down, maybe?

Or David killing Goliath, walloping him in the head with a stone and then hacking off his head?

Or Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount, maybe?

So my friend who asked me this question, I think, actually had the best answer.

He said, of all the events, of all the things that I could go see in the Bible, go back in time and see,

the one thing I would like to see would be Jesus praying.

And some very flashy.

But wouldn't it have been amazing to be there and hear Jesus pray to his Father in heaven?

Well, the text that we have this morning in John chapter 17 is exactly that.

John 17 · chapter mention

It is a candid insight into the prayer life of Jesus Christ himself.

Consider this, of all the things that the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them,

in the New Testament, we only have record of them asking him to teach them one thing.

Jesus, teach us how to pray.

Not Jesus, teach us how to cast out miracles, teach us how to preach better, teach us how to pray.

I think that's very significant.

Because surely they saw that at the heart of Christ's ministry was his dependence upon God,

borne out in prayer to him constantly.

We read in Hebrews chapter 5 that Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears

Hebrews 5 · chapter mention

to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence.

If you picture Christ praying in your mind, do you see him crying with tears and shouting out loudly?

Because he was full of passion.

Imagine how incredible it would be to hear that.

And so here, as I said, we have in John chapter 17, not that we can hear with our ears,

John 17 · chapter mention

but that we can read with our eyes the very words of Christ.

This is God incarnate in the flesh, praying to God in heaven.

This is the longest prayer that we have of Jesus,

and it is made even more special and precious to us

because it is the prayer that he prays before he goes to the cross.

Judas says that they're in the upper room, chapters 13 to 17,

is Jesus' final teaching to his disciples.

He's preparing them for his departure,

and he's telling them all about what is going to happen,

and there's much that they don't understand.

Judas, at this point, has left them to betray Jesus.

They've just finished eating their Passover meal,

and this is just before they walk, as it were,

across the valley near the Garden of Gethsemane,

where Christ will then be arrested,

falsely tried, beaten and mocked,

and then executed by crucifixion at Calvary.

All of Jesus' life, all of his earthly ministry,

all of his miracles, all of his work,

has led up to this hour,

and this is what he prays.

So read with me.

We'll read through this chapter together.

You can either listen or follow along.

The whole of John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

When Jesus had spoken these words,

he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you,

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.

I glorified you on earth,

having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence

with the glory that I had with you

before the world existed.

I have manifested your name to the people

whom you gave me out of the world.

Yours they were, and you gave them to me,

and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything that you have given me

is from you.

For I have given them the words that you gave me,

and they have received them,

and have come to know in truth that I came from you,

and they have believed that you sent me.

I am praying for them.

I am not praying for the world,

but for those whom you have given me,

for they are yours.

All mine are yours,

and yours are mine,

and I am glorified in them.

And I am no longer in the world,

but they are in the world.

And I am coming to you.

Holy Father,

keep them in your name,

which you have given me,

that they may be one,

even as we are one.

While I was with them,

I kept them in your name,

which you have given me.

I have guarded them,

and not one of them has been lost,

except the son of destruction,

that the scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I am coming to you,

and these things I speak in the world,

that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them your word,

and the world has hated them,

because they are not of the world,

just as I am not of the world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world,

but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world,

just as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them in the truth.

Your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world,

so have I sent them into the world.

And for their sake,

I consecrate myself,

that they also may be sanctified in truth.

I do not ask for these only,

but also for those who will believe in me

through their word,

that they may all be one,

just as you, Father, are in me,

and I in you.

That they also may be in us,

so that the world may believe

that you have sent me.

The glory that you have given me,

I have given to them,

that they may be one,

even as we are one.

I in them,

and you in me,

that they may become perfectly one,

so that the world may know

that you have sent me,

and love them,

even as you loved me.

Father, I desire that they also,

whom you have given me,

may be with me where I am,

to see my glory,

that you have given me,

because you loved me,

before the foundation,

of the world.

O righteous Father,

even though the world does not know you,

I know you,

and these know that you have sent me.

I made known to them your name,

and I will continue to make it known,

that the love with which you have loved me,

may be in them,

and I in them.

What a prayer.

I think in all your life,

you'll never read a better prayer than that.

If you imagine for a moment,

that our prayers,

your prayers and my prayers,

are like pouring out water,

the Lord pouring out our hearts to Him,

this is a waterfall of a prayer.

This is the Niagara Falls of prayers.

Just a rush,

a torrent of glory.

Hearing God,

the Son,

pray to God the Father.

I don't know if you've ever been to a,

a kind of a famous city,

or a beautiful city.

I remember being a few years ago in Milan,

with Roxy on holidays,

and I weren't there for like,

a few days,

and there's just so much to take in.

You walk around,

you look at all the nice,

ancient buildings,

that are just so old,

and all the nice places to go visit,

and all the things to do,

and it's just,

you said to yourself,

we've got to come back here,

because there's just so much to take in.

And I would put it to you,

that this prayer is like that.

There's no way we're going to be able to cover everything that's in this prayer.

But I would invite you to go back,

and visit it,

and read through it yourself.

Because it is just absolutely wonderful.

So this morning,

it's not my aim,

as I said,

to unpack this entire chapter,

because there's so much here.

Instead,

it is my aim for us to walk through this prayer,

and see how Jesus prayed right before he went to the cross.

In particular,

I want to look at the petitions.

There are five petitions.

Five things that Jesus asked,

or requested,

of his Father in Heaven,

in this prayer.

And so I want to use that as a framework for us to go through this prayer.

There's more to this prayer,

than just the petitions,

but it's just a way for us to move through it.

So let's start with Jesus' first praise for himself.

Look at verse one.

One petition that he prays for himself.

Father,

the hour has come.

Glorify your Son,

so that the Son may glorify you.

What does the word glorify mean?

We don't really use that anywhere outside of church,

really.

Glorify.

To glorify someone means to lift them up on high.

It means to exalt them,

and honor them.

In the most basic sense,

it means to show how good someone,

or something is.

To glorify someone.

To exalt,

and to honor someone.

Put them in a higher place.

Say,

this is the man.

This person here.

Father,

Jesus prays,

glorify me,

that I may glorify you.

Exalt and honor me,

Father,

so that I may exalt and honor you.

And you'll notice,

just before Jesus asks this,

right at the start of verse 1,

he says what?

The hour has come.

As I said earlier,

Christ's ministry has been building up to this time.

Earlier in the Gospels,

we hear Jesus repeat this phrase,

my hour has not yet come,

my hour has not yet come.

This is the pinnacle of his ministry,

which is going to the cross,

dying for our sins,

rising from the dead,

and ascending to the right hand of the Father.

This hour,

the time for that,

has now come,

and Jesus knows it.

He knows he is about to go

to the cross,

and on top of the physical agony

of being nailed

to wood

and suspended

only by those nails,

he knows that on top of that,

he will suffer the wrath of God,

God's righteous anger

for my sin

and for your sin.

It is not Jesus' physical pain

that wipes away our sins.

It is his blood

shed for us

as a sacrifice

that he absorbed

and swallowed up,

as we said earlier,

God's anger,

righteous,

good anger

against our sins.

Jesus knew that on that cross,

he would be forsaken.

Do you know the only time

Jesus doesn't refer to God

as his Father

is on the cross?

He always refers to him as his Father,

except on the cross.

My God,

my God,

why have you forsaken me?

Jesus did not cease to be God,

but as a man,

Jesus was fully man,

was forsaken

by God.

So how is it then

that Jesus can say,

I am going to go to the cross,

I am going to suffer

physical agony,

I am going to

be the sole target

of the wrath of God.

How can Jesus pray

that he will be glorified

in that?

Sounds funny,

doesn't it?

the worst thing

that could possibly happen.

Being betrayed

by your friend,

being wrongfully accused,

being murdered,

and then God's wrath

being poured out on you

saying glorify me

in this.

The answer

to that

apparent contradiction

is in verse 5.

Father,

glorify me

in your own presence

with the glory

that I had with you

before the world

existed.

Jesus is looking

beyond the cross.

He is looking

beyond

his death.

He is looking

to the resurrection

and not just

to his resurrection

to life

but his ascension

into heaven.

Father,

bring me back

into your presence.

Glorify me

by bringing me

back

to heaven

from where I came.

Glorify me

as it were

into your presence.

This is exactly

what Paul refers to

in Philippians 2

as you might think of

that Jesus

humbled himself

by becoming

obedient

to the point

of death,

even death

on a cross.

Therefore,

God has

highly exalted

him

and bestowed

on him

the name

that is

above every name.

That is why

Jesus could pray

at this time

before it is all

about to go down.

God,

glorify me.

Bring me

through

this fire.

Bring me

through

what I have

to do.

Jesus knows

that the final

destination,

his final destination

is not the cross.

It is not

the grave.

It is heaven

itself.

Hebrews 12

says,

for the joy

set before him,

Jesus endured

the cross

despising its

shame

and is seated

at the right

hand of God

in heaven.

That is where

Jesus is right

now,

at God's

right hand.

Friends,

if God,

the Father,

brought Jesus

through the pain

and the suffering

and the spiritual

agony of the cross

and if he

raised him

from the dead

and brought him

all the way

back to heaven,

how will he not

also care for you

this week?

Is there anything

in your life

that God will not

be able to bring

you through?

Our boast as

Christians is not

in our own strength

as we've sung

this morning.

It's not saying

that we get better

as it were

at being Christians

but that we realize

more and more

our complete

dependence upon

the Lord.

He who did not

spare his own son

but gave him up

for us all,

how will he not

also with him,

with Jesus,

graciously give us

all things.

There is nothing

God will withhold

from you as his child.

Absolutely nothing

if you need it

at the right time.

That is what Jesus

prays,

glorify me

that I may glorify you

and he goes on now

to pray

for his disciples.

So having prayed

for himself,

Jesus now goes on

praying

for his disciples

who were there.

Let's read verses

6 to 9 again.

He says,

I have manifested

your name

to those whom

you have given me

out of the world.

They were yours,

you gave them to me

and they have kept

your word.

And skip down

to verse 9,

I pray for them,

I do not pray

for the world

but those whom

you have given me

for they are yours.

Jesus is praying

for those people

that the Father

has given to him.

He is not praying

for everyone

in the world,

that is what he says,

but rather

for those

who belong to him.

Now don't let that

get twisted in your mind

if you go,

I wonder do I belong

to God,

I wonder do I belong

to God.

Do you have faith

in the Son of God?

Do you trust in him?

You belong to the Lord.

But the Lord

in his love

made sure

that we would be saved.

By handing us over

to the Son

that he might lay down

his life

for his sheep.

Notice what he says

about his people,

his disciples.

In verse 6,

he says they have what?

They have kept

your word.

And again in verse 8,

I have given them

the words

that you have given me.

Jesus passes on

the message,

the word of God

to his people

and they have

received them.

This is the hallmark

of God's people

that they receive

the word of God.

That they believe it,

accept it.

Jesus criticized

the Pharisees,

he said,

who rejected Jesus,

he said,

my word finds

no place in you.

So that when the word

was preached,

when Jesus was preaching,

they rejected

what he had to say.

Thereby rejecting

Christ himself.

But Jesus says

this is a hallmark,

this is what the people

of God do.

That we receive

the word of God

and we obey it.

It's not just to believe

it or accept it

in some sort of

theoretical sense.

I think there are a lot,

there are a lot of people

in the world

who think that Jesus

is a good teacher

and they agree with him

and they don't mind

being associated with him

in some loose sense

and they're a fan.

There are theologians

who would absolutely

wipe the floor

with any of us

in this room

about the ins and outs

of the Bible,

theology,

what Jesus taught

and yet they don't

believe what he thought.

So to receive

the word of God

means that you

personally take it

and live your life

according to it.

Jesus isn't looking

for fans,

he's looking for disciples.

He doesn't call us

simply to give

a mental assent

and say,

yes, that sounds good,

but rather to say

that is true

and I believe it.

The word of God

and the people of God

are inseparably linked

and Jesus said,

this is who I'm praying for,

those whom you have given me

who have received your word

and he goes on to pray

three things

for his disciples.

As Alex has mentioned earlier,

he prays,

keep them,

Father,

keep my people

in your name,

secondly,

protect them,

thirdly,

sanctify them.

So keep them,

protect them,

sanctify them.

Now,

these petitions

or requests

that he is praying,

he is praying

in the first instance

about the disciples

that are with him,

his disciples at that time.

But as you go on

into verse 20,

he says,

I do not ask for these only,

referring to the disciples

who are with him,

but also for those

who will believe in me

through their word.

That's you and me.

So we don't read this

and kind of go,

oh, this is a prayer

about the disciples

who died long ago

and who were in heaven.

Yes, it is,

but it is also

about you and I.

He said,

I'm not asking

just for them,

I'm asking for all

of those people

who will come.

Isn't that cool?

That Christ prayed

for you

and for me

before he went

to the cross

for us.

Let's look again

at verses 11 and 12.

I am no longer

in the world,

they are in the world,

and I am coming to you.

Holy Father,

keep them in your name,

which you have given me,

that they may be one,

even as we are one.

While I was with them,

I kept them in your name,

which you have given me.

And skip down to verse 15.

I do not ask

that you take them

out of the world,

but that you keep them,

protect them

from the evil one.

They are not of the world,

just as I am not of the world.

Sanctify them

in the truth.

Your word is truth.

So he's praying,

keep them,

protect them,

sanctify them.

When Jesus was

with his disciples,

he protected them.

He guarded them

and he kept them safe.

And clearly the disciples

needed his protection

because of all

the spiritual opposition

from a non-believing world

and from the devil himself

that he would experience.

but he's not just praying

for their protection

from the devil.

He is also praying

that the Father

keeps them

in his name.

Now what does that mean?

What does that mean

to keep them

in his name?

If you really,

if someone was a Christian

and said,

what does it mean

that you believe

in Jesus' name?

Why don't you just

believe in Jesus?

It kind of sounds odd

when you kind of look at it.

The idea is that

we are kept,

Jesus is asking

that we be kept

faithful to who God is.

God's name being

his expression of who he is.

This is my name.

This is who I am.

That we would be kept

faithful to the Father.

Jesus knows

that he is about

to be publicly executed,

that his disciples

will be scattered

like sheep,

as he says,

that they will abandon him,

that they will be scared

and confused.

He knows how weak they are,

just like you and I,

and he prays

that the Father

would protect them.

I mean,

ask yourself,

why didn't,

why didn't the disciples

just give up

on their faith completely

when Jesus died

and go,

well,

he's dead.

That's it.

I feel a fool.

Why did they persevere?

Why is it that

the early church

was not completely

wiped out

by the Roman Empire?

Why did it,

like,

last?

Think of it.

I was trying to

someone there

whose daughter

is studying marketing.

It wasn't marketing

that kept the early church

going.

It was the truth

of God

and God

protecting his people.

you and I

are in this building

this morning

because God

has kept his people

down through the ages.

It wasn't because

the disciples

were smart

or because

they were good

at strategy,

anything but.

it was because

they were led

by the Lord

and protected.

God answered

this prayer

of Jesus

and he keeps

his people

faithful to himself.

He gives us

the strength

each day

to carry on.

it was just

a wonderful

assurance

and comfort

as a Christian

to know

that nothing

in all existence

can separate us

from the love of God

in Christ Jesus.

Nothing.

That God

keeps his people.

If you think

of what Christ said,

my sheep hear

my voice

and I know them

they follow me

I give them

eternal life

and they will

never perish

and no one

will snatch them

out of my hand.

That's Jesus

talking about you

and me.

No one will snatch

them out of my hand.

My Father

who has given them

to me again

is greater than all

and no one is able

to snatch them

out of the Father's hand.

It's almost as if

Christ's hand

and the Father's hand

holding us secure

never letting us go.

So Jesus prays

that the Father

would keep them

and protect them

and then in verse 17

he prays that the Father

would sanctify them.

Sanctify them

in the truth

your word is truth

as you sent me

into the world

so have I sent them

into the world

and for their sake

I consecrate

or sanctify

is another way

of translating that

I sanctify myself

so that they

would be sanctified

in the truth.

Jesus is praying

that we would be

made holy.

That's another word

we should define

regularly

and remind ourselves

what it means.

What does it mean

to be holy?

It means

to be set apart

for God

and his purposes

and to be

like God.

So something is holy

as much as

it is set aside

for God

and reflects

who he is.

that is what

Jesus says

I am about

to set myself

apart

at the cross

for this one

purpose

to do the will

of God

I am going

to do this

so that my people

will be holy

that they will be

saved

and sanctified.

We talk

a lot

thankfully

about Jesus

dying for our sins

Jesus died

so that you

could be

completely

forgiven

of all your sins

and he died

to make you

holy

to make you

like him

because when we

get to heaven

we will be

perfectly

sanctified

and that is

the process

that we are

going through

that Jesus

sanctifies us

and you will

notice the means

by which

he sanctifies us

that he sanctifies

us through

his word

God's word

is his primary

way of making

us holy

he uses other

things like

baptism

and the Lord's

supper

and fellowship

with other

believers

and prayer

and our

circumstances

he uses all

things for the

good of those

who belong

to him

but God's

word is how

he shapes us

by the renewal

of our mind

we can't

mature as

Christians

apart from

the word

of God

do you kind

of feel

like lately

you've just

kind of been

you know

put it into

neutral

and kind of

freewheeling

in your faith

and it's

kind of

gotten boring

even

do you feel

that

I've felt

that

where you

feel a bit

sort of like

a half boiled

kettle you know

there's nothing

going on

you're not

fired up

are you

in the

word

regularly

I'm not

saying like

you need

to read

six chapters

of the

bible

every day

you need

to know

we need

to know

who God

is

and to be

reminded

of who he

is and

what he

has done

and the

best way

to do

that is

through his

word

that God

will renew

us

and help

us

it's like

that cliche

you know

if you call

tech support

my laptop

is not

working

the first

thing they

always ask

or my

computer's

not working

is it

plugged in

so there's

no point

in hyper

spiritualizing

or problem

saying

I just

feel strange

in my

faith

or I

feel really

distant

from the

Lord

well that's

maybe because

the Lord

hasn't moved

maybe you

have

you know

it's like

saying like

I feel like

no one can

hear me on

the mic

because you're

far from

the mic

there's nothing

that mystical

about it

I've done

that where I

hyper

spiritualize

you kind of

go maybe

it's just a

season I'm

going through

and the Lord

is like no

just read

my word

maybe that's

just me

but we need

the word of

God

there's just

no substitute

for it

I mean

you wouldn't

not eat

for three

days would

you

I definitely

wouldn't

I love

eating

but if you

came into

church next

Sunday and

you were just

like ashen

faced and

just worn

out and no

energy

what's wrong

with you

and you go

I've been

getting plenty

sleep

and then we

eventually

discover you're

just not

eating

it's a pretty

easy fix

anyway I've

labored the

point but

it cannot

be emphasized

too much

that we

need the

word of

the Lord

so he

prays we

be sanctified

in the

truth and

we have

the truth

in the

Bible

we read

then in

his fifth

and final

petition of

Christ in

this prayer

he prays

that all

of his

people would

be unified

look at

verse 20

I do

not ask

for these

only but

also for

those who

will believe

in me

through their

word that

they may

all be

one

just as

father

you are

in me

and I

in you

that they

also may

be in

us

so that

the world

may believe

that you

have sent

me

he says

I have

given them

my glory

that they

may be

one

even as

we are

one

perfectly

one

Jesus

desires

that all

his

people

his

entire

church

throughout

the

ages

would

share

in the

very

unity

of

the

father

and

the

son

our

unity

with

everybody

in this

room

with other

believers

and the

churches

across the

world

it reflects

the unity

within

the

triune

God

himself

and

Jesus

says

I am

praying

for their

unity

so that

the world

would look

at my

people

and believe

that you

the father

sent me

the son

so that

non-Christians

would look

at us

and say

those people

really love

each other

Jesus

must be

there's

something

there's

something

legit

about that

Jesus

is the

real deal

because

those people

seem to

have nothing

in common

except

Jesus

and they

love each

other

in a way

that is

unique

Jesus

says

by your

love

for one

another

they

shall

know

that

you

are

mine

I

certainly

underestimate

that

you

think

there'd

be

something

fancier

like

the

preaching

of the

word

of

God

which

is

absolutely

essential

or

something

else

but

Jesus

says

no

it's

your

love

for

your

brothers

and

sisters

I have

a friend

Clodagh

and before

she was

a Christian

she was

on

McCurtain

Street

and she

was going

to a gig

or something

and she

said she

remembers

looking across

the street

of people

coming out of

Corp Baptist

Church

and she

looked across

the road

and she

was with

a lot of

her friends

having a good

time

and she

looked across

the road

and she

looked at

them and she

said I

could just

see there

was something

different about

them

they

they

they

they

just

looked so

happy

to be

together

and she

said that

that was

a starting

point for

her

in seeking

out

Christian

fellowship

so we

should not

underestimate

how much

our love

for one

another

is a

witness

to those

who come

in and

see

the fact

that God's

people today

you and

me

grow in

maturity

and that

we love

one another

is the

fact

is proof

that the

Lord is

answering

his

prayer

and it's

not an

artificial

unity

it's a

unity around

the truth

of who

Jesus is

a unity

in his

word

that we

must seek

to actively

live out

and exemplify

for the

world around

us

Colossians

3 says

this

as a

picture of

this unity

bear with

one another

and forgive

one another

if any of

you have

any grievance

against

someone

forgive

as the

Lord

forgave

you

and over

all these

virtues

put on

love

which binds

them together

in perfect

unity

I'll finish

by reading

from

Philippians

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

just to

fix our

eyes

on Christ

before we

draw to

a close

Philippians

Philippians 2:2–11

chapter 2

verses 2

to 11

Paul says

this

complete

my joy

by being

of the

same

mind

having

the same

love

being in

full accord

and of

one mind

do nothing

from selfish

ambition

or vain

conceit

but in

humility

count others

as more

significant

than yourselves

let each

of you

look not

only to

your own

interests

but to

the interests

of others

having this

mind among

yourselves

which is

yours

in Christ

Jesus

who

though he

was in

the form

of God

did not

count

equality

with God

a thing

to be

grasped

but

emptied

himself

by taking

the form

of a

servant

being born

in the

likeness

of man

and being

found

in human

form

he humbled

himself

by becoming

obedient

to the point

of death

even death

on a cross

therefore

God has

exalted

him

highly

and bestowed

on him

the name

that is above

every name

so that at

the name

of Jesus

every knee

should bow

in heaven

and on earth

and under

the earth

and every tongue

confess

that Christ

Jesus

is Lord

to the

glory

of God

the Father

and all

God's people

said

Amen

thank you

Kevin

we're going to

stand together

and sing in

response to

that

go

to the

man

das

los

to do

and

to what

do

the

the

God

the

he

and

oh

to