His Prayer For Us

On the night of His betrayal and arrest, as the events of the Upper Room discourse concluded, John’s gospel tells us that Jesus stopped and prayed.  John 17 contains this prayer which is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in any of the Gospels.  The prayer is referred to the ‘High Priestly Prayer’ as Jesus intercedes for His disciples and ultimately all who would believe in Him.  Including you and me.

In this prayer we see His desire for His church and His people for all time.

Three priorities stand out that Jesus wanted His church to be unified on and known for.  It’s these three priorities that we as a church want to shape ourselves around.  Mainly, prioritising: His Word, His Love and His Mission.

Overall, the prayer seeks the importance of the continued unity of believers!  Jesus prays:

John 17:11 NKJV “Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.”

This oneness was not just for the close disciples, but for all believers of all time:

John 17:20-23 NKJV

(20)  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

(21)  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

(22)  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

(23)  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

What disrupts unity within the church?  

There are a number of things.  But, they are all eliminated if we have “The mind of Christ”. As our Corinthians study has hopefully been showing us.

As we look closely at Jesus’ prayer, we see the unifying priorities become clear.

Pursue His Word

Jesus prayed:

John 17:13-17 NKJV

(13)  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

(14)  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.

(15)  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

(16)  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

(17)  Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

When Jesus prayed for unity, it was never at the expense of truth.

And the final authority of truth is communicated in the Word of God. 

When Jesus says: “Sanctify them by Your truth”.

He is not praying that His followers simply read it to know about it.

Sanctify means to be set apart.

It’s often used to imply holiness, being set apart from the world and useful for God’s use.

Dwight L Moody said that the Word of God was not given primarily to increase our knowledge, but to guide our steps.

At Calvary we want to emphasize and prioritize the teaching ministry of the Word of God, and our obedience to it.

Peter tells the church the main method of growing as a believer is the Word of God and in growing in it, we will be able to be effective in Spiritual things:

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:2-5 NKJV)

Paul tells us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom 10:17).

He reinforces this truth with Timothy, and then explains the ultimate purpose of God's Word:

And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17 NKJV)

Why relegate God’s Word to secondary in our churches and our lives?

Jesus didn’t! His prayer reflects that!

Ultimately, we find that we are complete and equipped for His mission by obedience of His Word.

Pursue His Love

Jesus prayed:

John 17:26  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." 

This oneness and unity was wrapped up in Love.

In fact, true unity doesn’t work without the truth and love.

Jesus ultimately wants His church to be known for ‘love’.

Would people use that word to describe you?

Would they use that word to describe our local fellowship? 

As a church we want to cultivate an environment where our faith is built upon the love of Christ. 

The expression of our faith should be two things:

·       love for the body of Christ and

·       love as our witness to the world.

Jesus said:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 NKJV)

When we observe practically what service looks like in the Body of Christ, LOVE is the main foundation. 

This even applies to the domain of Spiritual gifts...

1 Co 14:1  Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts...

When Paul talks about the Gifts of the Spirit from chapter 12-14 of 1st Corinthians, we see sandwiched in between, the chapter focused entirely on LOVE, which prioritizes love above anything else. Nothing works as it should without it.

Our ultimate model of love is found in Jesus...

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  (Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJV)

How far does your love go? 

Finally,

Pursue His Mission

Jesus prayed:

John 17:18-21 NKJV

(18)  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

(19)  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

(20)  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

(21)  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

This reveals to us that the Great Commission is only going to be effective when we are founded upon His Word and Living out His Love by His Spirit.

Jesus last words before His ascension conclude with this priority for His followers:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV)

The Great Commission given by Jesus was His final instruction to the church, and should remain the priority of the church through all the ages. Even to the end of this current age.

This rates higher than any political objective or human cause.

Noticeably, this includes the concept of discipleship which comes through the instruction of His Word.

And what motivates us toward this mission?

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

(2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NKJV)

Let’s pray for unity in our church in alignment with what Jesus prayed for His church.

Let’s be intentional about His Word, His Love and His Mission.