Divine Intercession
Reading: John chapter 17 verses 1-19
Ill:
• One night a father heard his young daughter speaking,
• Although she was alone in her room.
• The door was open just enough;
• That he could see that she was kneeling beside her bed in prayer.
• Interested to find out what subjects a child would bring before God,
• He paused outside her door and listened.
• After tuning in to her speech he was puzzled to hear her reciting the alphabet:
• "A, B, C, D, E, F, G …" She just kept repeating it.
• He didn’t want to interrupt her,
• But soon curiosity got the best of him and he broke into prayer,
• "Honey," he asked, "what are you doing?"
• "I’m praying, Daddy," she replied.
• "Well, why are you praying the alphabet?" he asked.
• She explained,
"I started my prayers, but I wasn’t sure what to pray.
So I decided to just say all the letters of the alphabet and let God put them together however he thinks best."
Unlike that little girls prayer:
• This high priestly prayer of Jesus:
• Reveals the heart of someone who knows exactly what he wants to say.
Quote: The great British Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon;
"Some brethren pray by the yard; but true prayer is measured by weight, and not by length."
• The greatest prayer ever prayed is recorded in John 17,
• You can read it out loud in about six minutes.
Quote: Allesley Park;
“The longest prayer in the Bible is Solomon’s, it is 1,050 words in the King James Version, it can be reading ? minutes - Behold one greater than Solomon!”
• I would suggest long prayers should be for private;
• Short prayers for public gatherings.
This evening we are looking at the Lords prayer:
• I am referring to the one recorded here in John chapter 17.
• The other prayer often called the ‘Lord’s prayer’ is really mis-titled.
• The most well known prayer (piece of the Bible) which starts ‘Our Father’;
• Should really be called the disciples prayer, for they said, “Lord, teach s to pray”.
• And Jesus could never pray it himself;
• Because of the line; “Forgive us our trespasses”.
• Because he never trespassed the law of God and sinned!
So here in John chapter 17 we see Jesus praying ALONE to his Father;
• His disciples were not invited to unite with him in it;
• As we will see, it will be a prayer that they could not pray for themselves.
• It really is the greatest prayer ever prayed!
• There is not much length, but there is certainly a great deal of depth and weight!
• Quote: According to Dr. Herbert Lockyer, Sr.,
• There are 650 definite prayers recorded in the Bible;
• But not one of them can match our Lord’s "High Priestly Prayer" in John 17;
• Nor I would add, can any prayer recorded outside the Bible.
THE PRAYER MAY BE OUTLINED AS FOLLOWS:
(a). Jesus prayed for himself (verses 1-5):
• The gospels tell us that Jesus frequently prayed;
• But they hardly ever tell us what he prayed or how he prayed.
• This prayer gives us a glorious insight into the heart of Jesus.
“After Jesus said this, he looked towards heaven and prayed:
Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.
3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
Two things to note:
(a). a celebration.
4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
• Jesus came into the world with a purpose;
• That purpose was to do the will of the Father.
• The only way to glorify God the Father is to obey him;
• And Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father’s will!
• Ill: A child brings honour to their parents when they obey them.
• Ill: A citizen brings honour to their country when they obey it.
• Ill: A scholar brings honour to their teacher when they obey their teaching.
• Ill: Jesus brought honour and glory to the Father by his perfect obedience.
• Throughout his life Jesus had always obeyed the Father;
• Now at the end of his life he could say he had accomplished his goal.
• Although historically speaking he had not yet suffered on the cross;
• The outcome was never in doubt!
Ill:
• A famous painting from the First World War;
• Showed an engineer fixing a field telephone line.
• He had just completed the line so that an essential message might come through,
• When he was shot.
• The picture shows him in the moment of death;
• And beneath the picture there is the one word “through”,
• He had given his life, that the message might get through;
• Similarly Jesus gave his life that through him the way to God would be opened!
(b). A request:
Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.
• The cross was not to be the end;
• There was the resurrection to follow!
• This would be the vindication of Jesus.
Quote:
• “It was if God pointed to the cross and said; ‘that is what men think of my son’,
• And then pointed to the resurrection and said; ‘that is what I think of my son’.
Quote: I love the little song of praise in 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16:
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
Note: Jesus is glorified and seated ; “At the right hand of God.”
(a).
• To be seated at the right hand was to be seated in the place of honour.
• The right hand was used for fellowship and for eating.
• The left hand was used for more mundane tasks.
• Jesus has been given the place of honour in heaven.
(b).
• In the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Israel,
• It was the custom for two scribes to sit on either side of the judges of that court.
• The scribe who sat on the right hand side would write the acquittals.
• The scribe who sat on the left hand side would write the condemnations.
• Jesus has been given the seat of pardon.
• His ministry has been one of bringing pardon and forgiveness to men.
(b). Jesus prays for the disciples (vs 6-12).
Ill:
• In the newspapers and on TV recently;
• Was the story of a mother who left her two young children entirely by themselves,
• While she went off for a foreign holiday with her new boyfriend.
• It is hard to imagine that a mother could do such a thing!”
• In this chapter Jesus speaks about going away:
• But he will not leave his children unattended and in danger!
Jesus had two major concerns regarding his disciples:
• Their security (verses 6-12: "Keep them & protect them")
• And their sanctity (verses 13-19: e.g. verse 17:"Sanctify them").
(a). Their security.
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name— the name you gave me— so that they may be one as we are one.
12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Ill:
A climber in the Alps had come to a perilous gap in the ice:
• Where the only way for him to get across;
• Was to place his foot in the outstretched hand of the guide.
• Told to do this by the guide,
• The climber hesitated a moment as he looked into the gloomy depths below.
• Seeing the man’s hesitation, the guide said,
• "Have no fear, sir, that hand never yet lost a man."
• It will be a reminder that every true Christian is secure in Jesus Christ.
• We have a spiritual security in him that no-one and nothing can ever destroy.
• That might sound too good to be true;
• But when you think about it, salvation itself, is too good to be true!
• Our personal relationship to the Father through Jesus Christ is unchanged & unchangeable,
• Even though our fellowship with Him may change from day to day.
• Our union with Christ is secure,
• No matter what may alter our communion.
Ill:
• My children are my children for ever.
• Their behaviour may change the closeness of that relationship.
• Their behaviour may bring sadness or heart ache;
• Or may cause apparent distance between them and myself.
• But the fact is they will always be my children;
• Nothing will ever alter that fact!
Notice: Twice Jesus prays for his disciples (vs 9 & 12):
9”I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours”.
• Now I am aware that in the context of these verses:
• Jesus is specifically praying for his 11 disciples.
• But every Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ.
• This gives us a similar relationship to the Saviour as the disciples had in that day.
• Christ prayed for the 12 disciples while on earth;
• And he continues to pray, to intercede for his disciples now in heaven!
• The prayers of Jesus Christ were perfect and therefore answered!
Notice: We are the Father’s gift to the Son (vs 9).
“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours”.
• Notice that Christ is not praying for the lost world, here;
• He is praying for those whom the “Father has given" to him.
• As I understand it; the church prays for the lost world (1 Timothy 2: 1; Matthew 5:44),
• And the Saviour prays for the church.
• The point I want to make from this verse is:
• Every believer is the Father’s special "love gift" to the Son,
Notice: God is glorified in believers (vs 10) "I have been glorified in them”
ill:
If you and I were praying this prayer, it would go like this:
“Father, at times I have been glorified in these disciples,
but there have been many times of failure, and heart-ache and despair, in fact for every high spot there has probably been two or three low spots that were such a let down and disappointment, so at times I have been glorified in them”.
Yet notice that there is not:
• One word about the failings of the disciples in this prayer!
• There is no mention of Peter’s impetuous speeches,
• Or James and John wanting to burn up a Samaritan village,
• Or arguing as to who was the most important!
This prayer is so reassuring to every Christian:
• When Jesus Christ presents His church to the Father in glory,
• He will say, "I have been glorified in them."
• Therefore surely the opposite is true; if any believer should "lose there salvation”,
• "God would also lose His glory.
• The very glory of God is at stake in our safety and security.
Quote: Someone asked the great financier, J. P. Morgan,
• "What is the best collateral a person can give for a loan?"
• And Morgan replied, "Character."
• God’s character is the best collateral we can have;
• And that character insures that our eternal salvation is secure in Christ.
(b). Their sanctity: “Sanctify them" (vs 17):
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”.
Ill:
• Question: What does it mean to be "sanctified?"
• Answer: In both the Old and New Testament, the word "sanctify" means:
• "To be separated from sin and devoted wholly to God."
• Many examples of this in the Bible:
(a).
• God sanctified the Sabbath Day (Genesis chapter 2 verse 3); that is,
• He set it apart for His own purposes.
(b).
• The tabernacle and the Temple were called "sanctuaries";
• Because they were set apart by God’s presence.
• Quote: Exodus chapter 25 verse 8:
• "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.
(c). The people of Israel were sanctified.
• God sanctified the people of Israel as His own possession.
• Exodus chapter 31 verse 13: “Who sanctifies you”, or “Sets you apart as holy”
(e).
• He sanctified the priests to serve in His courts.
• Quote: Leviticus chapter 21 verse 8.
“Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy—I who make you holy.”
Note: all Christians are:
• "Sanctified in Christ Jesus".
• We have been called by His grace, purchased by His blood, and in dwelt by His Spirit,
• We have been set apart from the common things of this world;
• And are devoted to God’s exclusive use.
Ill:
• Think for a minute about the Church at Corinth.
• 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2 calls them:
“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy (K.J.B.: “Saints”), together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours”.
• When Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, he called them "saints" (K.J.B);
• And declared that they had been "sanctified in Christ Jesus".
• Yet the lifestyle and behaviour of the Christians at Corinth:
• Was anything but ‘saintly’ or ‘holy’:
• Some of the believers in Corinth were living in total disobedience to God.
THERE IS A THREEFOLD ASPECT TO SANCTIFICATION:
• All Christians have been sanctified once and for all in Jesus Christ;
• That happened at conversion – our position.
• Christians are also being sanctified as they obey the Word of God.
• As they walk in step with the Spirit - that happens in the present, day by day.
• In the future we shall be forever sanctified;
• Free from the hindrances of sin.
Notice the means of sanctification: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”.
Ill:
• Just as the wire carries electricity to the light bulb,
• So God’s truth carries God’s power to our lives.
We are sanctified in and through God’s truth:
• God has given us three expressions of his truth:
• The Word of God – which informs us and gives us understanding.
• The Son of God – Jesus Christ – in our relationship with Christ we get the desire.
• And the Spirit of God – who enables us to apply what we read and desire.
• These three expressions of truth work together in our lives to sanctify us.
• To make us more holy. Sanctified, set apart for God’s use and for God’s glory.
Quote:
• Jesus Christ is truth-a Person I can love.
• The Bible is truth-a book I can learn.
• The Holy Spirit is truth;
• A Person who lives in me to enable me to live what I learn in the Word about Jesus Christ.
In other words, the whole of the inner person can be controlled by truth.
• Jesus Christ the truth can capture the love of my heart.
• The Bible can instruct my mind,
• And the Spirit can enable my will to obey the truth of God.
• Heart, mind, and will can be controlled by truth, and this truth sanctifies us.
