THE
PASSIONATE PRAYER



OF JESUS


FOR UNITY

That His People Be "One"


- John 17:1-26 -
(Sometimes referred to as His High Priestly Prayer)

Intro

  1. Jesus, The very Son of God Was A Praying Person...He believed in Prayer....in talking To His Heavenly Father - Lk.11:1
  2. The very first recorded instance was at His own baptism - Lk.3:21
    - He was now "about thirty years of age" - Lk.3:23.
    - We can be sure that He often prayed.
  3. He often prayed in connection with His work and times of debate with men or in regard to important matters before Him - Mk.1:35 (see verses before); Lk. 5:16 (verses before); Lk. 6:12 (verses before and after); Lk.9:18 (context); Lk. 9:28-29f; Lk.22:41-45 (context).
  4. And, He taught others to pray and how to pray - Lk.11:1-4; Mk.11:25; Mtt. 21:22. But this lesson will zero in on what is sometimes referred to as His "High Priestly" Prayer...His Prayer to His Heavenly Father found in John 17.


Body

The Setting Of This Memorial/Monumental/Meaningful Prayer - Jn.1:1-4
A. His "finished" work on earth - Mtt.5:17-18; Lk.24:44.
B. Now He would be "glorified" in Heaven as He previously had been 17:4; Phil.2:6
C. A Mutual glorification of the Godhead - Rev. 3:21b.

II. Jesus First Prays For His Chosen Disciples/Apostles - Vs. 9, 6ff19.

  1. In this section of His prayer He acknowledges His Father - 6.
  2. He declares that He had "mainfested Your name" to them -6,12
    - Jesus always kept His Father before people - Jn.7:16-17,29, etc.
  3. He thanked His Father that these disciples came to know that He was sent by the God of Heaven and that in the Godhead there was complete unity - 7-8,10
    - They belonged to the Father as honest-hearted men (Mtt.13:23,16) of the Jews' religion, they were first Jesus' "disciples" and then He called them to be His apostles - Lk.5: 27,30, Jn. 1:35fff, etc., with 6:13.

    D. He makes the claim that He had given them (only) "Your words" - 8,14
    - T    hat they "received them".
    - That they "believed" them.
    * We must unreservedly believe what God says; no questions asked.

    E. Now He prays for them - 9a,11
    - That they might "be one" ; (illustrated by Jesus and His Father) - 11b
    - That they might be "kept" since they "have kept" "Your word" - 6b,11-12
    * "except the son of perdition" -- Scripture fulfilled - 12:b; Ps.41:9.
    - That they might have Jesus' "joy"- 13
    - That God would "keep them from the evil one" 15b
    * The reasons for His prayer on their behalf - 14-16
    * They would be alone/without Him by their side "in the world" -18; 16:5-6.
    - That they might be "sanctified" "by Your Truth" - 17,19

    III. His Prayer Turns to "Those who will believe In (Him) Through Their (the
    Apostles) words" - 20
    A. Think of it, Jesus personally prayed for us as believers!
    - And He still does - Heb. 7:25; Rom.8:27
    - This is one of the great blessings Christians have.
    B. Jesus prayed for the unity of believers - 20-21
    - Illustration: The very unity of the Godhood - Jn.10:30
    - Question? Is God divided? No! Then believers are not to be - 1 Cor. 1:10
    - There is no excuse nor explanation for the divisions in the church or religious world.
    - Denominationalism on the very face of it is wrong; it promotes division, not unity.
    * Jesus did not pray for us to have a 'church of our choice'; that we could all have our own religious beliefs, traditions, views whatever they are -Mtt.15:9.
    - Friends, the "words" Jesus gave to His apostles does not bring about denominational divisions as we see today.

    IV. He Also Now Prays For "The World" - 21b
    A. By "the world" viewing God's people being united they might also "believe."
    - Division gives "the world" reason to mock, scorn and reject.
    - Unity could cause "the world" to take a second look, believe and be saved.
    B. Let none of us set forth any conflicting teachings that divide.
    - Since God's word is"truth" all else taught by men must be "false" - Mtt.7:15.

V. Jesus Further Prayed For His Chosen Disciples And For Believers - 22- 26
A. He desires the same glory for them; being united on earth in their mission they would have "glory" by being part of God's great plan of the ages, and ultimate glory in Heaven above later - Eph. 3:21, 3-5.
B. He prayed that they might have God's "love" in them - 26
- This was a constant theme of Jesus - 13:34-35;14:15, 21,24;15:9-14.
- A great need today to "love" as God loves.
Conclusion
- What A Large Prayer!
- What A Powerful Prayer!
- What Obligations It places upon us!
- What Hope It Instills!
- What A Great Platform For Unity - God’s “Word”! ; It and It alone!
- Help Make His Prayer A Reality In Your Life; Reject/Deny Error; Embrace the Truth -
Jn. 8:32; 12:48

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