March 23, 2025
Morning Service

Over the last few chapters here in John, Jesus has shocked the disciples as he revealed the future to them, comforted them with words of hope, and promised them help was on the way with the Holy Spirit’s coming.  He stressed over and over that the foundational key to following Him faithfully was our relationship with Him.   We must believe in Him, trust Him, know Him and abide in Him in order truly be an overcomer.  Today, we will walk through Jesus praying for Himself, His disciples, and for us.  In this very revealing prayer, we see that this world is a tremendous spiritual battleground where Satan’s forces war against God’s authority and His plans.  The war is motivated by his bitter hatred for Jesus and that He stands for.  This battle is real for us today and we must be very aware of this as we go through our journey of following Jesus.  The true battle for our salvation is won through God answering Jesus’ prayer to strengthen Himself and us to withstand the attacks of our enemy and be an overcomer.  Notice the intensity in the moment Jesus experienced as He came to the Garden to pray knowing what lie ahead of Him in Matthew’s gospel.

Mat 26:38-39Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."  (39)  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

            This battle is real as the Son of God was in agony and anguish with what was about to happen physically and spiritually to Him and His followers in the next few hours.  This battle was won in this moment as Jesus chose to yield His will to that of His Father.  It was through this intense prayer that this was achieved.  How often do we enter prayer flippantly or nonchalantly just saying empty words out of habit to check the box that we did in fact pray?  God help us!  Prayer is the most powerful tool we have to change things we have no control over.  When we pray we engage in spiritual warfare with our enemy and it is very important that we do this as we see Jesus pray today; with resolve, sincerity, and humility.  First here in John, we hear Jesus pray for Himself.

 

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

            The war being waged for eternal life of all believers in Jesus came down to these final events of His death, burial and resurrection. He has finished all that He came to do and has successfully glorified His Father in doing it.  He now prays that His Father will glorify Him and strengthen Him to complete His mission.  This perfect plan of salvation once completed will bring glory to God for His wisdom, faithfulness, holiness, and love and eventually be made available to whoever believes in Him.  This moment in time actually does change the world forever and in order to complete this act of love, Jesus prays to His Father for the strength to do it.  In the moments that we face adversity, Jesus gives us the answer to the often asked question; “How am I going to do this?”  We will have victory through Christ who strengthens us and the power of our prayers coming before a God who loves us.

            Jesus now enters into the role that He now is filling for us as He sits by His Father in heaven; our Intercessor (Heb. 7:25).  Jesus intercedes for us to the Father with His constant presence in heaven being our Mediator, Advocate, Savior, and Friend.  He is watching over us and presents our requests to God assuring us that our prayers are heard and will be answered in God’s time.  First we see Jesus intercede for the men that surround Him at this moment.

 

John 17:6-19 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.  (7)  Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.  (8)  For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth 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)  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  (12)  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  (13)  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  (14)  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.  (15)  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  (16)  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  (17)  Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.  (18)  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  (19)  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

            In describing the disciples, He proclaims that they have “kept Your word,” meaning they have been obedient to it (a common theme the last few weeks).  He says they have both received His words and believed that He is the Son of God.  These are key foundational steps leading to our salvation.  His prayer is for them to be one, unified in their faith so tightly that they resemble the unity between Him and His Father; the strongest bond of all unions.  We are not unified by an organization or structure, but through the work of God in each of our lives drawing our wills into sync with His.  This aligning of our will to His is where true joy, contentment, and peace are found.  He prays that they will be “kept from the evil one,” not escaping his attacks, but persevering them.  He prays for them to be “sanctified” setting them apart for His use through the truth of God’s word just as He was.  He went to the cross for us and has called us to take up our cross up and follow Him (Matt. 10:38).  This truly becomes who we are, not what we do.

            Now we see Jesus look through time and He intercedes for us:

 

Joh 17:20-26"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in 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, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  (22)  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just 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 they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  (25)  O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  (26)  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

            Jesus prays for us as the ones who have believed in Him through the words of these disciples.  What does He want for us?  The theme here is easy to see, like He prayed for the disciples, “that they may be one just as We are one.”   He prays just as He taught over the last few chapters that we will believe in Him, trust Him, know Him and abide in Him.  It all begins and ends with our relationship with Jesus that unites us to walk together as we follow Him.  Through that relationship, unity and love we share as a body of believers, we are “made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You loved Me.”  It is through the love and unity of our faith as followers of Jesus that we are the “light of the world” putting on display that Jesus is indeed the Savior of the world.  He then prays that we will “be with Him where He is” referring again to the wonderful promise of John 14.

            In His prayer 2000 years ago Jesus prayed for us to walk as one as we follow Him.  He did not pray that we would be exempt from the battle with our enemy, but that we would persevere and overcome.  We are better together, so let’s be united in our goal to walk faithfully in the steps of our Savior and seek to bring glory to Him through our lives shining His light of love into this dark world.

 

Heavenly Father, help us all to use this wonderful, powerful gift of prayer you have given us to its fullest potential.  Thank You for hearing our heart’s cry and moving in our lives.  We fully submit our will to Yours this morning.