Sermon Tone Analysis

We’re beginning to wrap up our time in the Gospel of John today.

In our journey through the Gospel we have encountered Jesus in various ways: teacher, healer, provider, protector, guide, sustainer, and source of life.

In our text today, Jesus is offering up a prayer for those who follow Him, not only for his immediate disciples but those who would come to believe through them, and so vicariously this prayer is for us as well.

Our text will begin referring to some words Jesus has just spoken.

The closing verse of chapter 16 reads:

Hear the words Jesus prayed for you and for me:

These are the words of our Lord, thanks be to God.

I do not normally read an entire chapter to preach on, but this is truly one prayer.

Jesus, in this prayer recognizes the purpose for which he came.

Whereas in the past he has said, “My hour has not yet come...” now he says, “the hour has come”.

The moment is upon us and so we now are able to see what the hour is.

To put this in context: The passover meal has been eaten, Jesus has announced that one would betray him, that Peter would deny him, and that all the disciples would scatter.

John does not give the details of location as the other Gospels do, instead he focuses on the words of Jesus.

Immediately following this prayer, in the Gospel of John, in chapter 18 is Jesus arrest.

So we can imagine that his prayer is taking place in the garden of Gethsemane.

However, this is not likely the prayer Jesus said privately, but in in Jewish tradition it was likely said aloud and available for his followers to hear.

It is a prayer that you an I need to hear as well.

We need to hear of the unity between God and Jesus, as was mentioned in the prologue of John in chapter 1.

There is within this prayer the knowledge that those who received the words that Jesus gave - are those whom God has given to Jesus, children of God!

This points us back to the opening of John chapter 1, verse 12.

We need to hear what it means to be Jesus disciples:

And how others will know that we are Jesus’ disciples:

So here in lies a question.

How, as Christians can we demonstrate this unity in a pluralistic society?

How, do we as Christians, live out our faith when there are those in our communities with whom we vehemently disagree?

These people are not only in our communities, they’re in our churches, and perhaps in our own families!

Divisiveness seems to be the theme today.

As we begin (or perhaps better put - continue) in our political season towards what have been deemed mid-term elections.

We’re going to see our two major political parties seeking our attention, seeking to sway our beliefs, seeking to get us to side with them.

Tim Keller, Pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church wrote an editorial piece in the New York Times titled, “How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System?

They Don’t.”

In that article he speaks of a friend who “realized that thoughtful Christians, all trying to obey God’s call, could reasonably appear at different places on the political spectrum, with loyalties to different political strategies.”

I’ve posted the article on our facebook page.

Years ago upon moving to a new call I sat down with another pastor, and was very surprised to have her ask me my views on very divisive issues.

We were both pastors.

We were both Christians.

We were both opinionated.

We both held strong convictions.

We both had a good grasp of the Scriptures.

Yet we both disagreed on many of those issues and here we were sitting in a grocery/cafe in a very small town in full public view.

Imagine the conflict that could have arisen.

Imagine the scene we could have created.

The conversation was deep, rich, and enlightening.

Both of us gained a deeper understanding of one another and I believe the issues at hand.

I don’t know that either of us were swayed in our opinion but I do know that our relationship was better for having that discussion.

We were able to come together around some of those very issues though often for decidedly different reasons.

In this prayer, Jesus does not pray for the world, though we know that he came that the world might be saved through him.

He does however make several references to the fact that we - his disciples and followers seeking to glorify God - are “not of the world” but we are indeed, “in the world.”

As we seek to be unified, perhaps the best verses we could apply come from John’s first epistle letter, 4:7-12

Beloved, let us be one as Jesus and God the Father are one.

Beloved, let us love one another.

AMEN.