Within the following excerpt from the primary sermon, “The Prayer of Jesus,” Alistair units the stage for what’s to return as he preaches and teaches from this well-known prayer:
This morning, what I wish to do is present, should you like, a preview of John 17. We’re acquainted, I believe, all of us, with film trailers. You’ll be able to watch the trailer. It provides you a choice of photographs which can be there to be able to encourage you or discourage you from happening to view what’s there in the complete movie. And I would like us to method John 17 in that manner this morning.
There are about twenty-one prayers of Jesus which can be recorded within the Gospels, and in every of them save one, He begins by addressing God as His Father. The prize might be given to somebody who’s capable of inform me the exception, and it’s not a lot of a prize. In reality, I’m not doing a prize, ’trigger it may value me. The exception is Matthew 27, from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you ever forsaken me?” That may be a prayer of Jesus.
We now have seen, really, in our research in John 11 a kind of quick prayers—John 11:41: “And Jesus lifted up his eyes and stated, ‘Father, I thanks that you’ve heard me. I [know] that you simply all the time hear me, however I stated this on account of the folks standing round, that they might consider that you simply despatched me.’” After which, in 12:27, you’ll maybe recall Jesus prays, “Now could be my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? However for this function I’ve come to this hour.” So, there are a selection of prayers that we may think about, however John chapter 17 is the one lengthy prayer, steady prayer, that we’ve got of Jesus.
Prayer clearly performed an enormous half within the lifetime of Jesus. If, as John says on the finish of his Gospel, all of the issues that we all know of Jesus have been to have been recorded, then the fabric would have been intensive, virtually exhaustive. And for very clear functions, the Holy Spirit has recorded for us this specific prayer.
And you’ll discover that the prayer comes after “Jesus had spoken these phrases”: “When Jesus had spoken these phrases…” What are “these phrases” that He has spoken to the disciples? Nicely, all the phrases that He has spoken to the disciples, however significantly chapters 14, 15, and 16, the place Jesus has been instructing His disciples, making ready them for the truth that He’s going away, promising them that the Holy Spirit will come and that though they’re naturally fearful, they needn’t be, due to the ministry of the Spirit to them, amongst them, and thru them. And having spoken these phrases, supplied His instruction, it’s now accomplished in anticipation of His crucifixion, which awaits Him. And, intriguingly, in His personal consciousness of the upcoming desertion on the a part of His disciples, in that context, Jesus “lifted up his eyes to heaven.” …
The prayer, structurally, is simple. Within the first 5 verses, Jesus is praying for Himself. Then, from verse 6 to verse 19, He’s praying for His disciples. After which, as I hope you should have observed as I learn it, He goes on from verse 20 to the top to say, “I’m not simply praying for the disciples which can be right here, however I’m additionally praying for all those that will consider in Me by way of their phrase.” In different phrases, He says, “I’m praying for the believers in all time.” Subsequently, in case you are a believer this morning, you ought to be conscious of the very fact—we should always collectively concentrate on the very fact—that Jesus on this Excessive Priestly Prayer prayed for us. Prayed for us.
Now, we’ll work our manner by way of it intimately within the coming Sundays, however for now, simply an outline. Let me offer you 5 phrases that I wrote down to assist me: thriller, safety, sanctity, unity, glory.
