Parting Words-Part 13- Purposed Prayer

Matt Wood

Parting Words • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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In this passage Jesus prays for His disciples.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction-John 17:6-19

Last week we began to look at the prayer which Jesus prayed to the Father in His last moments with His disciples.

We saw that Jesus primary concern was that the Father would be glorified in Him.

We saw the authority given to Him of the Father over all flesh that He should give eternal life to those who believe.

Then we learned that eternal life is more than eternal existence but is the opportunity to know God and enjoy relationship with Him forever.

Jesus set a pattern for us of glorifying the Father and finishing the work that He was called to carry out and then ultimately He would return to His former glory alongside the Father.

Now in this second section Jesus prays for His present disciples. Notice now the substance of His praying for them.

We will separate the truths in this section of Jesus prayer into three sections. One dealing with that which has already been accomplished in the disciples, one dealing with what is now taking place, and one dealing with what they will face in the future.

With Jesus (Vs. 6-10) (Convinced and Confident)

Jesus first mentions that fact that He has manifested the Father’s name (nature/character) to the disciples.

This is one of the greatest ministries of the Lord Jesus while upon the earth and even as we consider the record of this ministry Jesus reveals to us the Father.

If you have a desire to know God, you must come to know Jesus Christ for it is He alone who reveals the Father to us.

As Jesus carried out His earthly ministry with the disciples by His side, they were able to see the true character and nature of God in Him.

In this same verse we have the truth that these who have believed are given to Jesus by the Father. They were the possession of the Father by creation and are now become the possession of Jesus through regeneration.

Jesus also says of the disciples that they have “kept thy word” meaning they have continued in it valuing and obeying it.

They are convinced now that Jesus is come from God the Father and that what Jesus has delivered to them is not His own but is from the Father Himself.

They now believe that Jesus is sent from the Father and that the ministry that He has carried out in the world is not of His own accord but is being carried out at the instruction of the Father.

Ultimately Jesus is praying for them in this portion of His prayer to the Father and He does not pray specifically for the world but for them because they are God’s chosen instrument for impacting the world in His absence as we shall see.

Ultimately these, because of their faith in Him, will glorify Him in the world.

Notice also in verse 10 how that once again there is an equality between Jesus and the Father that again confirms His deity.

This beginning section of Jesus prayer for the disciples is really centered around the fact that the disciples have been convinced of the truth that Jesus is come from God the Father and that they have believed and followed Him as a result.

Time of Transition (Vs. 11-13) (Unity and Joy)

Now there is a transition that is soon to take place for Jesus is preparing to depart to return to the Father.

Jesus now turns His attention to the needs of the disciples in light of this departure.

Though Jesus would be leaving the world the disciples would remain to carry on the work that He Himself had begun.

He first asks the Father to keep them through His own name. This means to guard or to watch over them by His power.

He also asks the Father to bring unity among them. There would be a temptation after Jesus departure for them to splinter from one another and to begin to drift apart each moving in his own direction and this is exactly what Jesus is praying the Father to prevent.

Jesus knew that they would need one another and that it would be vital for them to remain united in their purpose and desire to continue the mission that Jesus was leaving with them.

While Jesus was with them He was the uniting force that kept them together and caused them to remain devoted to the mission with the exception of Judas who was never truly committed to the cause but merely feigned faith.

Jesus also prays that they might have His joy fulfilled in themselves. This joy is what will sustain them as they continue to carry out the work Jesus has given to them to do.

This joy comes from knowing that they are doing the will of the Father and that because of this they can be assured of His protection and provision.

In the World (Vs. 14-19)

This section begins with Jesus restating the fact that He has given them God’s Word and that this has in turn created a distinction in them from the world which has made them the target of the world’s hatred.

Jesus then prays not for their deliverance from the world for He knew that it was they who would make a powerful impact upon the world.

Instead He prays to the Father for their deliverance from the evil in the world.

This is an important truth. We are in the world for a purpose that we might make an impact upon the world but we must yield to God that we may be protected from the evil that is in the world that we would not be corrupted by it.

Jesus also here prays for their sanctification- literally their separation unto God to be used by Him for His divine purposes.

This sanctification process would take place through the truth of God’s Word which would transform their lives making them usable vessels for the Father.

This then allows them to fulfill the calling to continue the mission which Jesus has begun. Just as Jesus had been sent from the Father to seek and to save the lost so also will the disciples now serve as His ambassadors pointing the lost to Christ.

Jesus now finally yields Himself to God to be used for the purpose of securing the redemption of all humanity by His death and resurrection.

He has devoted Himself fully to carrying out the Father’s will to the final detail.

Conclusion

The progression of the needs of the disciples which we can see Jesus praying for here is the same for the modern day disciple as well.

We must spend time with Jesus in order that He may reveal the nature and character of God to us and in order that we may receive the Word of God and believe it is true.

There comes a point at which we must transition into the world and as we do we will need to be unified in our purpose and desire to do the will of God and we will need the joy of the Lord to sustain us as we go out into the world to continue the mission of furthering the gospel.

Ultimately we must be in the world but not of the world if we are to have an impact upon the world. We must go forth as Jesus’s ambassadors.

We must let God work in our hearts and lives sanctifying us by the truth of His Word transforming us into usable vessels.

Jesus knew exactly what His disciples needed and He prayed for these needs that they might be successful in the mission He had given to them and if we are to be successful in carrying on the mission today our needs are the same.

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