WEBVTT 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:23.280 Today's reading is from John chapter 17, verse 1 to 26. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:32.079 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:42.479 Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given His authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given to Him. 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:48.960 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:53.439 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:01:00.399 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:05.439 I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:10.000 Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 00:01:10.719 --> 00:01:24.719 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you, for I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them, and have come to know in truth that I came from you, and I they have believed that you have sent me. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:26.239 I am praying for them. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:30.959 I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.799 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:39.840 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:46.879 Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.680 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:58.640 I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction, that the script scripture might be fulfilled. 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:05.920 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:12.639 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:17.280 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:20.639 They are not the world, just as I am not of the world. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:22.560 Sanctify them in the truth. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:24.000 Your word is truth. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:34.319 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself, that they may also be that they also may be sanctified in the truth. 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:49.039 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just 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 have sent me. 00:02:49.360 --> 00:03:04.800 The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:16.159 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:23.439 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:33.599 I made no I made known to them your name and will continue to make it known that the love which with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.199 And so reads God's word. 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:36.400 My name is Mark. 00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:40.479 I'm one of the leaders here uh at uh City Church. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:45.680 Uh John 17, folks, I don't know if you picked it up in Abby's reading, but it's dense. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:49.520 Um, and we're we're only gonna go scratching around the surface of it. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:55.759 But you really like I know I say this every Sunday, but you need to have it in front of you, uh, or else you're just gonna be completely lost. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.240 Like, I've even done slides. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:00.479 Like that's that I know, right? 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.879 That's how that's how dense I think this is in order to try and uh pick it. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.919 And even at that, I'm just gonna skirt over the surface. 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.280 Uh, otherwise, we would be here um until uh until midday or beyond. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.920 If you need a Bible, there are a couple down there you can jump down and get them or look it up on your phone. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.399 You can go to Bible Gateway and look at John 17. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.680 We're using the English Standard Version of the Bible. 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:36.240 Um over the last couple of weeks, uh, I have asked uh some of you uh to basically stalk either your friends or your spouse and uh and record uh their their prayer life. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:42.800 So if you're in a couple, I've spoken to the other person uh and asked them to video uh privately your prayer life. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.920 We're gonna watch it nah, roll roll VT. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.399 Uh no, don't click the slide. 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:50.720 That was a joke. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.079 Because wouldn't that be awful? 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:00.639 Some of you, some of you there were looking at your spouse going, you what? 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:04.240 Got you. 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:17.120 It's not uh it's not uh April Fields Day is a Saturday, but that would be imagine, just imagine if we projected your prayer life, if we all got a glimpse into how you pray. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:23.360 Perhaps uh the video would be very short, uh, because frankly, it's non-existent. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.360 Uh that could be because you're actually not a follower of the Lord Jesus here this morning. 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.720 If that's true of you, we're very glad that you're you're here with us. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:33.759 And so you're wondering, well, why would you pray? 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:35.439 Whatever that is. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:42.399 But I suspect that even uh Christians fall into a pattern of prayerlessness. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:51.839 Or maybe actually uh what we would see uh projected onto the screen would be a kind of in case of emergency, break glass sort of prayer. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:59.040 You might be one of those people that when when the sun is shining and life's going well, you kind of like, well, I got this God, thanks very much. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:07.360 And you kind of forget about him, but as soon as the storm clouds roll in, you're like, Lord, what why has this happened? 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.920 Uh and you you run and you make those bargains. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:15.439 Oh, you know, if you help me get through this, you know, I'll never do this again, or I'll always do this. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:19.120 You know it's an emergency break glass sort of prayer life. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:26.000 Or maybe if we projected some of yours, it would be it would be shopping list, divine butler sort of stuff. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:28.639 Lord, I need this, Lord, I need you to help me with this exam. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.759 I need you to get through this, I need you to work in this person's life. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:34.319 Request, request, request, request. 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:41.120 Going to make a confession, uh, something that's true of me, and I hope is true of some of you. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:42.399 You ever have the conversation? 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:43.680 This is a very Christian conversation. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:53.839 You have a conversation with somebody, somebody shares uh a need, and uh you say to the person uh towards the end of the conversation because it's what Christians should say, you say, Oh, I'll be praying for you. 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:54.879 Nope. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:06:59.920 I'd say nine times out of ten, I forget. 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:03.199 Is that just me? 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:10.000 There's a prayerlessness there this morning. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:24.160 Thankfully, we don't get to glimpse everyone else's in this room's prayer life, but we do get to have a sneak peek into Jesus' prayer life, and hopefully that's going to be much more encouraging. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:29.360 I don't draw the contrast in order to make you feel bad. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:51.439 I draw it in order to encourage you, because what Jesus prays here in this longest recorded prayer of Jesus in any of the Gospels, what he prays for here is, I think, what he prays for us still in his heavenly ministry in eternity. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:56.160 These are the sorts of things that Jesus prays for us. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:06.160 He prays for us, us mind wandering, falling asleep, praying, fickle followers. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:14.399 The prayer itself is so rich, we can barely uh plumb its depths this morning. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:23.920 But uh, in order to kind of just orientate ourselves briefly, this is where you can give me the next slide, uh, it breaks up into three sections, roughly. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:27.279 Verses one to five, Jesus prays uh for himself. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:31.439 Uh verses six to nineteen, he prays specifically for the disciples. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:38.799 Um, and then uh the final section, verses uh 20 to 26, Jesus prays for all believers. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:54.480 Now, in a little while, when we get there, basically what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take two and three up there and uh and blend them into one, because I think actually what he prays specifically for the disciples is also echoed in what he prays for us. 00:08:54.559 --> 00:09:00.159 So I'm gonna synthesize those into one group of prayers that he prays. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:06.480 But in terms of if you're following the structure, if you're taking notes, if you want to uh go back and read it for yourself, you can snap a picture of that. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.200 That's the rough, that's the easiest structure. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:10.720 There are more complicated structures. 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:16.960 Jesus is cycling around different things themes, but this is the the clearest way to orientate ourselves. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:22.399 Now, before we get into all of that, I want to note something super obvious. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:27.440 So pens at the ready, if you're taking note, here's a really obvious point. 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:30.320 Jesus prays. 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:32.799 Jesus prays. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:33.440 Wow. 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:36.639 You know, that's what that's why I earned the big bucks, right? 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:39.279 Because I get to make points like that. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:41.120 Jesus prays. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:53.120 I say that because before we consider what he prays for, just pause for a moment and consider the fact that he prays. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:54.720 I mean, why would he? 00:09:56.159 --> 00:10:02.240 He's about to assert and does assert in uh in verse two that he's been given all authority. 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.039 So why would he pray? 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:11.600 That's often the question that uh that that people ask as they're exploring Christianity. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:20.240 If God is sovereign, if he is the one that has all authority, why should we pray at all? 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:27.519 But here we have God, the Son, speaking to God the Father. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:29.360 Why? 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:34.960 Well, there are at least two reasons as we get into it. 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:40.080 The first reason why Jesus prays is he prays because he loves his father. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:44.240 He prays because he loves his father. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:50.480 Prayer for Jesus is an expression of both intimacy and dependence. 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:53.360 Note all the way through. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:56.000 Uh, the father is giving things to the son. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:00.480 There's a functional authority of the father over the son. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:05.120 And the son has this functional dependence upon the father. 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:09.120 Not that he's lesser in terms of value or essence or any of those things. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:10.960 It's still God speaking to God. 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.960 But yet there is both an intimacy and a dependence. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.919 Why do you pray as a Christian? 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:20.399 You pray because you love your father. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:24.320 You pray as an expression of intimacy and dependence. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:30.799 The second reason why he prays is there right at the very start of uh of verse one. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:37.600 You would skip right over it in your in your study, but it's worth just uh bearing in mind. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:49.200 Verse one, first sentence, when Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, when Jesus had spoken these words, what words? 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:58.559 Well, we've just been given uh three chapters of words of teaching the disciples about God. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:06.879 What God is like, the promise of the Holy Spirit, who's gonna come on the other side of the cross and resurrection, who's gonna teach and guide and comfort the disciples. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:10.799 He's been speaking at length to his disciples about God. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:16.559 And now he speaks to God about his disciples. 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:34.480 Brothers and sisters, this is the pattern of gospel ministry, this is the pattern of the Christian life, that we both speak to speak to others about God, and then we speak to God about others. 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:38.720 When he had said these words, he prayed. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.759 Both are required in Christian ministry and Christian evangelism. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:52.799 And so can I encourage you that if you are whichever one you major on, maybe you're maybe you're a great prayer warrior. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:58.799 You pray for your non-Christian friends, but you get all cotton-mouthed when you go to speak to them about God. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:17.519 Or maybe it is that you're uh you're a fervent evangelist and you want to share Jesus with your friends, but you forget in your prayer life, whichever one you aren't particularly given to, can you go away this morning? 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:21.919 Uh perhaps as an application point to try and emphasize the other one. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.159 We speak to others about God and then we speak to God about others. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:28.879 That's the pattern of our evangelism. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:34.159 So, with all of that said, what does Jesus pray for? 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.600 Don't need to move on yet with the slides, you can just leave it, uh leave it up there. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:39.360 Yeah, that's fine, just leave that. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:44.879 The first thing that Jesus prays for, as we've noted up there, is that Jesus prays for himself. 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:46.799 That's verses one to five. 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:52.000 And I'm not going to read all the verses because we'll be here, this is gonna be a long enough sermon as it is, okay? 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.840 So brains, brain switched on, take a slip of caffeine, let's go, right? 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.279 There is one central petition in verses one to five. 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.159 It's there in verse one and it's there in verse five. 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:04.559 It forms kind of bookends of this section. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:11.360 The one central petition, you see it there, you look down your phones, look down in your Bibles, it is glorify your son. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:17.440 Or verse five, now, Father, glorify me. 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:21.440 What's the central petition that Jesus is asking for in these first five verses? 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:24.559 He's asking to be glorified. 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:26.559 Now, what does that mean? 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:30.080 What does it mean when Jesus asks to be glorified? 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:40.320 Now, remember all the way back at the wedding at Cana, uh, when we looked at it all those months, probably about a year ago now. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:43.360 The wedding at Cana, Jesus turns the water into wine. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:45.600 Everybody's familiar with that, I presume. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:57.519 But one of the little phrases there is that we're told that the disciples glimpsed Jesus' glory and believed in him. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:03.679 That something about the miracle showed something about Jesus. 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:17.600 What that means is that there is a there's an there's a pulling back of the veil that happens when it when when Jesus performs a miracle that shows who he really is. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:26.879 Glorification is the full revealing of Jesus' true character, of his true nature. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:33.279 So, like on the Mount of Transfiguration, if you know your Bibles at all, the Mount of Transfiguration is there in Mark chapter 9, for example. 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:58.720 Jesus goes up on the mountain, and when it says that he's transfigured, basically what it has is that the the veil of uh of his flesh, of this uh of this worldly um uh you visage, this worldly um presentation that the that the Son of God was going about in is removed temporarily, and they see his glory, they see him for who he truly is. 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.799 That's what glorification is. 00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:05.360 It's the revelation of Jesus as he truly is. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:12.879 And so Jesus is praying to the Father and saying, Father, the hour has come, take away the veil. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:20.080 Take away the veil completely, so that they will see how I truly am. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:28.960 Jesus is asking for the full character of God to be put on display. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:39.519 There's another, there's an incident in the Old Testament that we've alluded to when we've been talking about this, where Moses up on the mountain says to God, Show me your glory. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:48.480 And God responds and says, I will cause all of my goodness to pass before you. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:17:00.879 And so he passes over Moses and declares the Lord, the Lord, the gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:04.799 He declares his character, he reveals his character to Moses. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:11.440 Jesus is saying, Show that to everyone. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:17.680 Show my character, my goodness, my wisdom, my faithfulness, my steadfast love. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:21.519 Put it on display, Father, for all to see. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:32.480 This, of course, uh would be somewhat egocentric if it were not true, if Jesus were not truly God. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:43.920 And so, again, if you're here this morning and you're not a follower of Jesus, and one of the questions is bubbling around your head, one of the questions that you've been asked as a Christian, or one of the assertions it's made, has been Jesus never claimed to be God. 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:53.200 Jesus is claiming to be God here because he thinks that he deserves divine glory. 00:17:53.920 --> 00:18:01.119 He thinks that in the veil being removed, they will see a divine character. 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:07.119 Jesus understands understands himself to be God, and this prayer is evidence of it. 00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:12.960 When will glory happen? 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:18.240 When will the glorification, this veil being removed, when will it take place? 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:25.920 When will all of the goodness, love, mercy, and justice of God be revealed to the world? 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:28.720 Well, Jesus gives us the answer. 00:18:28.880 --> 00:18:30.640 He says that the hour has come. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:40.720 I'm not going to belabor this too much, but for those of you who are new and haven't followed the John series, the hour in John's gospel is a reference to Jesus' death on the cross. 00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.519 So back to the wedding in Cana in Galilee, back in chapter two. 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:53.599 He looks at his mum uh and uh and says, Woman, don't do that on Mother's Day, um, woman, what is this to do with me? 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:55.440 My hour is not yet come. 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:59.920 The hour is the hour of full glorification. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:02.079 That is the hour of his death. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:06.720 So when Jesus says, the hour has come now, well, when is it? 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.400 It's the night before the crucifixion, the crucifixion. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:18.319 The full display of the character of God happens at the cross. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:34.559 Jesus is praying and asking his father that at the cross people would behold the love and the justice and the mercy and the wisdom and faithfulness of God. 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:43.680 Jesus said to Nicodemus back in John 3, he said, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, don't worry about that. 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:52.880 But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so when the Son of Man is lifted up, that's him, I will draw all men to myself. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:59.119 Jesus is saying, Father, lift me up now. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:09.279 It's amazing, isn't it, that that lifting up that draws all men to himself is lifted up upon a cruel cross. 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:13.440 That's just the paradox of Christianity, isn't it? 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:17.839 This is the this is the coronation of the Son of God. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.599 And his throne is a rugged cross. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:25.839 Glorify me now. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.480 Why does Jesus want to be glorified? 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.519 Again, I said a moment ago that it's not egotism. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.880 And we get the answer again in verse one. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:39.039 Father, the hour has come. 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:40.400 Glorify your son. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:41.440 Why? 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:44.480 That the son may glorify you. 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.480 Now remember what glorify means. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:51.839 It means to reveal, to reveal the character of, to pull the veil away. 00:20:52.160 --> 00:21:08.000 So the son is saying, Father, glorify me, that is, reveal my character so that as they see my character, who I truly am, that on the cross they will see the character of God. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:16.799 That He will reveal the glory, the love, the majesty of the unseen Father. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:20.960 Friends, how do we know what God is like? 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:30.240 We do not look and contemplate a sunset, nor gaze into the face of a newborn baby. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:37.599 We do not lose ourselves in lofty metaphysics, nor in obscure philosophy. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:53.920 We see the glory of God most fully, most beautifully, most clearly in the grind and blood and horror of the crucifixion in history. 00:21:58.079 --> 00:21:59.680 How does the cross bring? 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.279 Glory to the Father. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:08.640 Well, here we finally move on to verse 2, 25 to go. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:15.279 How does the cross bring glory to the Father? 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.440 Let's try and follow the logic here. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:24.640 Let me remind you of the verse, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:30.000 And this is eternal life, that they know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:37.200 I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do, and now, Father, glorify me in your presence. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.640 What has the Father done? 00:22:38.720 --> 00:22:40.559 Well, the Father has done two things. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:46.559 If you want to know who a sinner is, it's you. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:47.680 Right? 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:49.920 So murder time, it's me. 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:56.319 He has given sinners as a gift to the Son. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:59.039 That's the first step of the logic of what's going on. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:07.759 And then he has also simultaneously given the Son the authority to give those sinners eternal life. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:22.079 And the Son gives sinners eternal life when they come to know, that's verse three, when they come to know the only true God. 00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:28.319 Now that knowledge of the only true God is not just an intellectual knowledge, it's a personal, relational knowledge. 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:32.160 And how do they come to know what God is truly like? 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:36.640 Well, they do it when they see the character of God revealed at the cross of Jesus. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:41.039 How do you come to personally know the Lord Jesus? 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:43.200 How do you come to personally know God? 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.519 Behold the man upon the cross, my sin upon his shoulders. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:51.759 You look at the cross and you see him. 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:56.799 And in faith, like the centurion, you cry out, surely this was the Son of God. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:00.880 And in doing so, you receive eternal life. 00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:03.200 And the Father is glorified. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:10.480 Thus, the Father and the Son are glorified in their salvation of sinful people like you and me. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:15.599 Now, in a moment, we're going to move on from this section. 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:21.279 And we're going to see how it is that Jesus prays for his people. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:24.960 But you need to realize something as we make this transition. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:29.279 And again, this is another reason why Jesus' prayer here is not egotism. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:38.720 Everything that Jesus is about to pray is based upon and grounded in the cross and resurrection. 00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:46.880 None of these prayers come about except by Jesus' death for you and resurrection to newness of life. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:53.759 The cross is the basis for everything that he is about to pray for you now. 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.799 Jesus prays five things for his people. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:02.799 You can bring up the next slide. 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:03.759 There we go. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:04.480 You see them. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:06.480 We'll go through them in a second. 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:08.640 There's no second, there's no third slide. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.160 Once that's done, we're done, okay? 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:12.559 So another slip of coffee. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:18.079 Before we look at these five things, I've got a little hidden sixth. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:21.279 Um I'm like a I'm like an album that you used to get. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:22.880 There'd be a hidden track at the end. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:25.519 I've got it at the start for you there. 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:31.200 Before we ask, uh before we look at these five things, let's just see something else wonderful. 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:32.400 In fact, I could give you two. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:34.160 One of them I haven't written down. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:37.599 Everything that Jesus prays here, he's already talked about. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:43.279 Everything that Jesus prays here, he's already talked about in the upper room discourse. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:48.000 Remember, after he had said these things, he looked, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and he prayed? 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:53.200 He's praying in stuff that he's promised to do. 00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:55.759 He's promised to give them joy. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:04.000 He's promised to keep them, to unite them, that the Father and the Son would come and make their home in the life of the believer. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:11.599 You go back and read the Upper Rim Discourse with these five things in mind, you say, oh, he's praying about stuff that he's already promised to do. 00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:13.920 Those are great prayers to pray. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:22.079 Pray these prayers, folks, because God has promised to answer them in his Son, his crucified, risen, and ascended Son. 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:31.039 The second thing is that before we look at any of these petitions, you need to consider who it is that Jesus is praying for. 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.440 Who are Jesus' followers? 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:40.400 Verse 6 I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:47.599 Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:55.279 This is fundamental for your understanding of who you are. 00:26:57.279 --> 00:27:01.119 Yours they were, and you have given them to me. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:12.079 Before you ever ask who am I, you must ask, whose am I? 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:19.119 Believer, brother and sister, you belong to the Father. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:29.839 You've belonged to the Father since before the ages began, and his and he gave you as a love gift to his son. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:32.960 Before you ever ask, who am I? 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:35.680 Ask whose am I? 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:38.319 You belong to the father. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:40.400 Now what does he pray? 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:41.759 He prays five things. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:44.799 First, Father, guard them. 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:47.119 Verses 11 to 15. 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:55.759 He says that I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world. 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:57.839 I am coming to you, Holy Father. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:00.000 Keep them in your name. 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:02.000 That is, guard them. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.599 So why does Jesus pray for his disciples in this way? 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:07.119 Well, because he's leaving. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:12.480 And again, just note such loving concern here. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:14.960 Remember the context. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:20.720 Jesus is about to, this is meaning, this is the last section of teaching. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:26.079 We're about from next week to go into the arrest, the betrayal, and the crucifixion of Jesus. 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:28.079 It's all about to kick off. 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.960 And what's on Jesus' heart? 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:34.880 It's not, Father, I don't really want to do this. 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.599 Or Father, could you could you make it hurt less? 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:48.000 Now, yes, he will, he will fall down on his knees in Gethsemane and say, Father, if it is possible, take this cup, cup of suffering, cup of judgment, take this cup away from me. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:56.559 But here, right before his crucifixion, his heart is not for himself, it is for his people. 00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:59.119 Saying, Father, I'm leaving. 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:01.680 Please look after them. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:06.000 Such love, such concern. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:12.559 He says also that the believers are no longer uh part of the world. 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:13.279 Why? 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:16.720 Well, and as a result, the world hates them. 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:26.720 There's opposition from the world, and also from we're told the evil one, the evil one being uh the devil. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:28.319 We believe that the devil is real. 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:30.960 We don't see the devil under every rock. 00:29:31.119 --> 00:29:35.279 Um, some Christians do, we don't tend to, but he is a real foe. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:40.880 Peter tells us that he prowles around like a like a ravenous and roaring lion. 00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:52.640 And Jesus is praying, in light of those foes, keep those who are yours, preserve them to the end. 00:29:54.640 --> 00:30:00.319 These are not trivial prayers, and so we should not make our prayers trivial. 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:08.400 These are big foes, big enemies against the people of God, and so we should pray big prayers. 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:13.759 How does the Father uh keep or guard the believer? 00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:16.079 He keeps them, verse 11. 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:18.960 Uh Jesus asks, in your name. 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:22.480 We're thinking, you know, nobody's kept in mark. 00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:24.319 What does that mean? 00:30:24.640 --> 00:30:26.559 Keep them in your name. 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:35.920 Well, the uh the name here in this context, in the ancient context, is a uh is a is shorthand for character or essence. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:55.920 So he's saying, Father, keep these believers faithful to opposition, through opposition, rather, I should say, by helping them to cling to who you are, to your revealed character, to your goodness, your faithfulness. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:57.599 Help them to persevere in faith. 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:00.960 And this plays out in the experience of the believer, isn't it? 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:11.759 It's one of the things that happens when you face trial and suffering, is one of the things if you're maturing as a believer that you should do is be thinking, well, God is good. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:15.440 You know, in the same way that the moon is always rhind, right? 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:16.960 Is the moon always rind? 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.880 Yes, right? 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:21.759 Do you always see the moon is rhind? 00:31:22.640 --> 00:31:22.960 No. 00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:25.759 Is sometimes the moon completely hidden from you? 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:26.559 Yes. 00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:28.319 But is the moon always rind? 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:30.079 Yes. 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:31.200 Yes. 00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:34.480 In the same way God is always good. 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:36.799 You do not see the full goodness of God. 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:40.720 Sometimes his goodness is hidden from you, but God is always good. 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:43.119 In the same way that the moon is always round. 00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:53.839 And in doing that, that are that arouses in the maturing believer a sense of, okay, well, I'm gonna, I know I am gonna keep on persevering, I am gonna keep on persisting. 00:31:54.000 --> 00:32:04.559 And it is the Father by His Spirit who helps you to be kept in his love, to be guarded against all manner of opposition. 00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:08.559 Secondly, it's Father, delight them, father, give them joy. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.240 Verse 13. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:22.400 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have joy fulfilled in themselves. 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:30.799 All the way through the upper room discourse, as I've already noted, Joe, um, he has been, uh Jesus has been pointing out to the disciples that joy is coming. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:40.000 The sorrow, the labor pains, as we saw last week, will last for a moment, but then your sorrow will turn to joy, and that joy will never be taken away from you. 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:43.759 And so Father, and so Jesus says, Father, may that be true. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:47.519 Bring that joy about in their lives. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:33:02.480 Because he has been raised from the dead, and because he has been raised from the dead, we can know that fullness of joy, even despite suffering. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:08.720 Because, as I said last week, our joy is not based in circumstance, but in a person. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:15.920 This is the mark of kingdom people enduring joy, even in suffering and trial. 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:19.359 Jesus prays that you may have joy. 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:21.839 So can I encourage you? 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:23.839 Rejoice this morning. 00:33:25.759 --> 00:33:30.240 Third, he prays, Father, sanctify them. 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:32.640 Verses 16 to 19. 00:33:34.559 --> 00:33:37.599 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:39.519 Sanctify them in the truth. 00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:41.119 Your word is truth. 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:54.160 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate, same word, I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth. 00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:55.200 So, whatever. 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:58.799 So you're all wondering, well, sanctify is a bit of a bit of a Christian, Christian Ease word. 00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:01.200 So, what does sanctify mean? 00:34:02.400 --> 00:34:13.840 Well, there are some senses in other parts of the Bible where sanctify uh has this idea of progressively becoming more holy, killing sin, becoming more like Jesus. 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:17.760 That is the process of sanctification, right? 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:22.239 That's not the sense that Jesus is going for here primarily. 00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:23.360 How do we know that? 00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:27.519 Because he's just said that he sanctified himself. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:30.960 So has Jesus just become progressively more holy? 00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:34.960 Jesus had he was a good guy and all, but he had a few things to work on. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:36.159 No, right? 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:38.320 It's not what Christians believe. 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:44.719 So, what does he mean saying, well, I've sanctified myself, so you guys sanctify yourself? 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:57.920 Do you know in the in the old sacrificial system, back in the in the old testament, you know, in the temple, and they were uh you know, killing lambs and goats and bulls and all of those things and and burning them on the great sacrificial altar. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:05.199 Uh, obviously, when you're when you're burning things on an altar, what what what collects at the bottom is lots of ash, right? 00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:10.400 And so from time to time you need to shovel out the ash. 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:12.320 It's very practical. 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:23.360 And in the Old Testament, the shovel that you used to shovel out the ash from all of the dead carcasses was said to be sanctified. 00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:25.440 What does that mean? 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:28.559 It means that it isn't used for anything else. 00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:32.000 It was set apart for one task. 00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:39.360 It was set apart, it was dedicated to the Lord to the task of shoveling out the ash. 00:35:39.679 --> 00:35:45.920 When Jesus says, I have sanctified myself, I have consecrated myself, he says, I have set myself apart for this one task. 00:35:46.079 --> 00:35:47.199 What is this one task? 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:49.760 It's the cross and resurrection, isn't it? 00:35:50.719 --> 00:36:04.880 And so when Jesus is praying for his disciples, he's saying, I'm praying that they may be set apart, that they may be distinct, that they may be dedicated to the Lord alone. 00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:06.320 How? 00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:07.760 How is this done? 00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:11.840 Well, again, Jesus tells us, sanctify them in the truth. 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:14.480 Your word is truth. 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:21.440 How do we find our lives conformed more and more to the will and plan of God for us? 00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:29.840 Well, by the word of God, as it takes root in our lives, by its sanctifying power. 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:32.800