Opening story... Robert Putman, a Professor at Harvard, wrote a book called Bowling Alone.
In it he documents the decline in community life over the last four decades. He got his title from this “trivial yet telling example”: the percentage of adults who belong to a bowling league today is only about ¼ of what it was in the 1960’s. That statistic alone might just be saying something about bowling. But here are other statistics:
The percentage of people who volunteer in a political campaign-stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, going door to door- is today about 1/2 what it was in the late 1960’s. The percentage of active membership in local clubs & organizations, like PTA is 1/2 what it was in the 1970’s. People are visiting one another less frequently, having friends over less frequently. In short, every objective measurement of participation in community is declining. Why? Some blame TV. Others blame dual career families. There are probably a number of factors involved.
The point is there are forces in our society which are pulling people apart and isolating them and making it more difficult to come together in community. Those forces affect Christians as well as non Christians. Our society is becoming more and more fragmented. Could it be that we are getting farther and farther from God? We are a people in need of prayer! (1)
John 17 is, indeed, the Lord’s prayer. It is not a model prayer for us to learn, it is his own, a prayer Jesus himself prayed. And this is the longest recorded prayer of anyone in the New Testament.
There are three clearly defined sections, and that’s not just a preacher’s observation.
Jesus prays for himself in verses 1-5
He prays for his disciples who are with him in verses 6-19
Finally, he prays for future disciples who will believe in him through their message, in verses 20-26
Let’s remember that this is the very end of Jesus’ ministry and his final words to the eleven disciples who remained with him. He has emphasized over and over again a singular command for them to keep throughout chapters 13-16, and that is that they love one another. He has promised that after he goes away, he will send them the Holy Spirit to be with them and guide them into all truth. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He will empower them to speak the words of God when they face persecution and even death for Jesus’ sake. Jesus promises that he and the Father will come to dwell in them and that through the Holy Spirit they will do even greater things than he did. (14:11-14). Jesus promises his disciples that he is going to his Father’s house to prepare a place for us and that he will come again and receive us to himself that where he is there we may be also. Then, after his instructions to them, Jesus prays this prayer recorded for us in John 17.
Now, I don’t know what you think about God’s power in your prayers, but if ANYONE has powerful effectiveness in prayer, it is Jesus. Hebrews 5:7 says that he was heard because of his reverent submission, or piety. In John 11 we saw that Jesus prayed just before he raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, to life again. If I could get anyone I wanted to pray for me, I’d choose Jesus, wouldn’t you? Well, John gives us some really good news here. Jesus Christ, the Son of God has prayed specific things for you and me if we are Christians today. These are things we can rest assured God will answer and grant us. There’s no question about it. By the way, not only did Jesus pray for us here, he is still praying for us even now. Romans 8:34 says that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. In fact, Romans 8:26-27 tells us that the Holy Spirit is also interceding for us according to the will of God! As a Christian, a member of the family of God, we are on the Lord’s side and he takes care of his own! Do you believe that?
If you don’t then I have to wonder if you are truly a disciple.
But notice something else. There is a down side to this prayer in John 17 that we must realize. Notice who Jesus does not pray for... Jesus did NOT pray for ANYONE who will not believe in him. Did you get that? JESUS DID NOT PRAY FOR ANYONE WHO WILL NOT BELIEVE IN HIM. That needs to sink in. Judas was among the disciples of Jesus, but he was lost. Jesus even mentions this in his prayer. He was the son of destruction. Judas may have looked like a true disciple, but ultimately he did not believe. He did not keep the faith, if he ever had it in the first place. 1 Cor. 15:1-2 tells us
1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. Let me ask this question: Can you believe in vain?
It appears that there are two dangers here: the first, is not to believe, the second, is to believe in such a way that you do not ultimately hold fast the gospel. Either of these is deadly. The believer Jesus is praying for in John 17 is the believer who stays the course. Not the “Judas” disciples who turns away never to return, but the “Peters” who may fall but get up and come back. Jesus prays for these. In fact, in Luke’s gospel Jesus says to Peter: 22: 31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." 33 But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." 34 Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."
Now, did Peter’s faith fail? Did Jesus prayer that his faith may not fail receive a NO? Not at all! Peter’s faith may have been weak, but it did not fail. Peter came back. How? It was faith. What about you and me? What is our faith like? Is Jesus praying for you in this last part of John 17?
You see, Jesus knows us. He knows his sheep. He prays for us. Jesus knows those who will remain faithful and those who will not. He knows what kind of hearts we have. He knows which ones of us have weak faith and will stumble, but will return. He knows which ones will fall away and never return. John describes what he calls a sin unto death. He is the only New Testament writer to use that language. In 1 John 5: 16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that is not unto death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not unto death. There is a sin that is unto death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that is not unto death. 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Jesus knows us. And for those who will continue in the faith and not sin unto death, Jesus prays for us. What did Jesus specifically pray on behalf of those who would believe on Him through the message of the apostles? What important matters does Jesus call on the Father to help his people accomplish? This must be very important. It is the final hours before his betrayal, surely what he prays for will be of the highest priority. So what is it?
First: Jesus prayed that we who believe in him would be one. Unity!
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Why did Jesus pray we would be united as one? What does our unity do for the world?
Two things: First, it convinces the world that Jesus was sent here by the Father, and second, it lets the world know that the Father loves them as he loves Jesus. Our unity brings God glory because it shows God working in us better than anything else we do!
Perhaps that is why Jesus kept commanding his disciples to love one another.
Perhaps this is why Paul wrote Eph. 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Now look at the second thing Jesus prayed for:
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 wants us to be with Him and see Him in His glory! Jesus prayed that this would happen! And hear this... it will! For all who are faithful, we will see Jesus and be with Him forever in glory! It is sure, and secure.
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
We are going to be like Jesus in His glory some day! If you believe and follow Jesus Christ in obedience to His words you are truly His disciples and you will see Him and be received into glory with Him. To be true disciples of Jesus, we must follow His priorities. What does Jesus say is most important? Why?
Think of it... how is the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit possible? Answer: God is love. Whatever distorts or distracts us from this priority is sin. No matter how righteous it may seem or biblical it may sound. If we are to be like God, we must be unified through love.
Closing story...
Could it be that selfish ambition and conflict between Christians is undermining our ability to reach the lost in America? Could it be that our message falls on deaf ears because unbelievers see in Christians the same selfish motives they have?
Dieter Zander, the pastor of the first GenX church in America spoke at a conference about reaching people in the age of relativism. He cited a Barna study that asked people to use single words to describe Jesus. They responded, "wise, accepting, compassionate, gracious, humble." Then he asked them to use single words to describe Christians, they said, "critical, exclusive, self righteous, narrow and repressive."
Zander responded to this by saying, "There is a difference between knowing the good news and being the good news. We are the evidences! How we live our lives is the evidence. (2)
1 & 2 illustrations are from Richard Tow’s lesson on John 17:10-23.
