A Prayer Like No Other

A Prayer Like No Other

(A Night Like No Other – Part 11)

#147 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”

We return to our series in the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus… The Apostle John records a great deal of information about the final night, leading up to the crucifixion of Christ… It has been a long night, and it’s nowhere close to being over…

It is next to impossible to accurately sort the details in chronological order. No gospel-writer gives all the details, and they were not concerned so much with the order of events, as they were with the content…

John 17 records what has been referred to as “The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus”... This is the longest prayer offered by the Lord that is recorded in the Bible… We gain a great insight into our Lord’s heart, and what was on His heart, just hours before going to the cross…

Let’s prayerfully listen in on our Lord’s prayer that night –

John 17:1–26
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Our prayer-life needs to be informed by God’s Word… There are many recorded prayers in both the OT and NT that will help equip you in how to pray. Jesus taught a “model prayer”, recorded in Matthew 6:9–13, and Luke 11:1–4 that certainly equips us in how we ought to pray. But, there is no prayer in all the Bible, like the prayer of Jesus recorded here in John 17…

Let’s think it through… We begin with –

1. Jesus’ Prayer for Himself, the Mission and God’s Glory

Now, follow me closely… There is a sermon in every verse of this chapter, and we will spend more time on some verses than on others, but let’s glean all we can in the short time we have together…

• His posture for prayer

John 17:1
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,”

We often “bow our heads in prayer”... Jesus prayed “looking up”, and then spoke directly to the Father… This is not to say that Jesus never “bowed” to pray – He certainly demonstrates the humility that we should all demonstrate, but there is something about in the way He prayed that demonstrates what we see next – and that is –

• His intimacy in prayer

John 17:1
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,”

Jesus demonstrates here, what He taught us in the model prayer – that we are to address the Father (Matthew 6:9–13)…

C.H. Spurgeon
“And herein he sets us an example: in all times of tribulation let us fall back upon our sonship, our adoption, and the fatherhood of our great God. To our Father let us go, for to whom else should a child so naturally fly?”

• His focus in prayer

We are going to see what Jesus is focused on when He prayed… (What do we focus on?)

There is at least a three-fold focus in Jesus’ prayer for Himself. First, Jesus addresses His –

• Readiness

John 17:1
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,”

Jesus acknowledges that “the hour” – the hour for the very purpose of His coming … is here – and He is … ready!

• Motive

John 17:4–5
4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus came to this earth for the purpose of carrying out His assignment from the Father, and He was motivated to glorify the Father in all He was about…

What does it mean to “glorify” God? In short, it is to honor God, to speak accurately of Who He is – want sincerely that which He desires – and to do faithfully His will – which all reflects or magnifies Him…

David Guzik
“The Gospel of John has emphasized the glory of Jesus throughout its record. John was careful to record the many ways Jesus referred to His own glory in this prayer.

• The life of Jesus was a manifestation of God’s glory, and the disciples beheld this glory (John 1:14).
• The miracles of Jesus manifested His glory (John 2:11).
• Jesus only ever sought the glory of His Father (John 7:18, 8:50).
• The revelation of glory is the reward of faith (John 11:40).
• Many times Jesus spoke of His coming passion and crucifixion as His coming glorification (John 7:39, 12:16, 12:23, 13:31).
• God the Son seeks to glorify God the Father (John 12:28).
• God the Father glorifies God the Son (John 13:31–32).

Jesus is our Mentor in this, so we have to address the question; Is it my motive, do I seek to live my life – all for the glory of God?!...

And notice, Jesus is here looking forward to being … reunited with the Father in glory – the state He shared with the Father in eternity past!

• Mission

John 17:2
even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

There is no clearer claim to being God-in-the-flesh than this!... Only God has authority over the eternal destiny of “all flesh”, and Jesus has been given that authority from the Father!... Only God can give someone eternal life, and Jesus is the One Who gives eternal life!

David Guzik
Jesus has “authority over all flesh” – “even over those who reject Him, or are … ignorant of Him, even if they do not know it or acknowledge it, Jesus has authority over them”…

This is why we can pray with confidence, and share the gospel with boldness! Jesus will give eternal life to “all whom (the Father) has given Him”!

John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Eternal life is … knowing God – The One True God! It is not merely knowing about God, but knowing God! This is experiential knowledge; personal and intimate!...

The verb “know” is in the present subjunctive tense – which indicates that our knowledge of God is ever-growing in our experience!... Do you know God better today than you did five years ago?... That is the desire of the Lord, for you to know God, and be ever growing in your relationship with, and knowledge of God!

2. Jesus’ Prayer for the Eleven, Their Faithfulness and Maturity

Beginning in verse 6, Jesus turns His attention to interceding for His disciples… Surrounding Him were the 11 who had been with Him from the beginning… This is a lengthy section, and it provides some great insight to our Lord’s heart for His disciples.

Let’s begin … Jesus prayed –

John 17:6
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”

Stop there for a moment… There is already a lot here… Jesus has “manifested” the Father’s Name to the disciples… The idea is that Jesus just didn’t speak the Name – He demonstrated the Name!... What Name? Which Name might Jesus be talking about?... How about the very Covenant Name – Yahweh!... The “I AM” Name of God?!... After all, Jesus demonstrated that He is The I AM in the flesh on several occasions!

In your notes is a chart showing the many times, just in the Book of John, where Jesus manifested the Name of God!

The “I Am” Statements of Jesus in the Book of John

• Jesus prays about what they have

What do they have?... They have knowledge, they have God’s Word, they have faith… they have assurance of belonging to the Lord.

John 17:7–9
7 Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;

The disciples have the truth. They are growing in the truth, and here Jesus reiterates in His prayer on their behalf that all of this has come from God! And notice something that is vital to understand… Even in the last sentence, Jesus reiterates that the salvation of these eleven is because the Father has given them to the Son… That is the truth about salvation that is lost on many… Salvation is the sole work of God!

• Jesus prays about what they do

What do they do?... They glorify the Lord!

John 17:10
and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

The greatest privilege in the life of a disciple is to glorify the Lord! Jesus simply declares that all of these disciples are truly His, because the Father has given them to Him. Jesus and the Father share all things – but the point here is that Jesus then affirms that these disciples have truly glorified the Lord!... Again – that is the greatest privilege … and responsibility of a disciple!

• Jesus prays about what they need

Now this is important… We gain great insight into how we can intercede for others as well… What did the disciples need, for which Jesus prayed?

• Security and Unity

John 17:11–12
11 I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

The disciples are secure! Jesus prayed for that. They proved to be united, even long after Jesus left this world – why? – because Jesus prayed for that!...

Unity is a gift from God, and needs to be protected and guarded… Jesus prayed for that… We too should make it a matter of concern…

But, before leaving this point, we need to think about the end of verse 12… Judas’ betrayal was no surprise to the Lord… Jesus knew all along, and He declares here in His prayer that Judas’ betrayal was predicted / prophesied long before.

(Psalm 41:9, Psalm 109:8, Acts 1:20)

The immediate context of the treason of Ahithophel against King David proved to be a prophecy of the ultimate act of treason by Judas against the Son of David…

• Joy and Protection

John 17:13–16
13 But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

The very concept of joy is very interesting to me… It is more than an emotion. It is a positive emotion for certain, but joy has its roots in … purpose, not mere feelings!

There is joy when one is experiencing the fulfillment of a God-given purpose in their lives! Jesus lived His life in that joy!... Even though His purpose for coming to the world in the first place, was to go through a great deal of sorrow – what characterized His life … was joy!...

Jesus wants His disciples to … walk in that same joy – His joy!...

We get a hint, here in His prayer, of how that joy is … fed. It is with the truth of God’s Word! God’s Word not only informs us – it transforms us and teaches us to live the Spirit-filled life that is in Christ!

• Sanctified in Truth

John 17:17–19
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

To be sanctified is to be “set apart” – set apart for God’s purpose!... The idea of sanctified speaks to purpose. God has a purpose for the lives of His disciples. Their purpose is fulfilled as they grow in the Word…

Disciples are equipped by the Word for the fulfillment of God’s purposes for them!... God’s Word … matures the believer, because it is truth, and the Spirit of truth is feeding, equipping, and sustaining the disciple with all the graces that are needed for the fulfillment of God’s purposes for them!

Not to get too far ahead on this point – but you and I need God’s Word in our lives … every day – throughout the day!... You can’t live biblically, without thinking biblically – and you won’t think biblically unless your nose is in the Bible!

In fact, it is at this point that Jesus turns His focus to the disciples that have yet to come – to those future believers, which includes us today!

3. Jesus’ Prayer for Us — Our Unity, Impact, Security, and Love

John 17:20–26
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Interwoven throughout Jesus’ prayer, we see many truths for which Jesus prays to be a reality in our lives… We’ll cover these quickly, but spend time thinking on these things this week…

• Jesus prays for our unity

John 17:21–23
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

Jesus had already prayed for those disciples who were with Him about this matter, and now He repeats this request for future disciples as well!

Our unity is not a result of … conformity … or “sameness”. Listen carefully – we don’t have to be “alike” to have unity! The Father and the Son are not “the same”, and Theirs is a perfect unity!

Our unity is found when we have a unity in spirit – in heart – in purpose – all for God’s glory! And that is what Jesus prays for us to know and maintain!

• Jesus prays for our witness

John 17:21–23
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

How we live will have an impact upon the world!... The big question is, does the world see … the Authentic Jesus in us?...

• Jesus prays for our future

John 17:24
Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

Our future is secure – because Jesus prays for it here, and is about to go to the cross and … pay for it there!... Jesus wants His disciples – all of them, to know and experience … heaven! And praise be to His Name, we will!

• Jesus prays for our supply

John 17:25–26
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

There are at least three, wonderful things for which Jesus prays – things for which we are always in need of supply, and what are they?

• Truth: We are supplied with the knowledge of truth. We know the truth about Jesus – Who He really is, and what He came to do!
• Assurance: We are supplied with assurance of His love! That love … sustains us!...
• Love: We are well supplied!

Questions to Consider in Community Group:

• What specifically do we learn from Jesus’ prayer for Himself in John 17? How might this inform us of what we should pray about for ourselves?
• What major theme stands out to you about Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, whether those with Him then, or those to become disciples later?
• What specifically in Jesus’ prayer encourages you the most, and why?
• What specifically in His prayer, do you want to pray for others?
• What are some “take aways” you see in our text that was not emphasized?