PRAY FOR ME THAT I MAY BELIEVE
John 17:1-21
In this text, Jesus prepared His disciples for His return to heaven. He first prayed to the
Father for Himself, then for his disciples.
His prayer for Himself was that He be glorified so the Father would be glorified. Jesus did
not mention His crucifixion, but that was in view because it was the way to His glorification
to return to heaven.
After Jesus said this, he looked toward 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.
There ought to be prayer before action. You and I cannot tell what tomorrow will bring. Jesus
knowing all things, prayed to the Father for what He knew would take place. If we want to
imitate Jesus we should be constantly in prayer.
From time to time we need to review with the Father our purpose for being on earth.
Jesus's purpose for descending from heaven and becoming man was to grant salvation to all of
God’s chosen. He was given all power over the human race. He only exercised the power
according to the will of the Father. Jesus defines for us the essence of eternal life. Eternal
life is to know the Father and the Son.
There are lots of man-made gods. But there is only one theos, supreme divinity. No man-made
god can have any power or can create anything. The work Jesus came to do was to make known
the Father and Himself to His chosen. To know the Father is to acknowledge, worship and, obey
his commands and accept the Son as savior.
Jesus honored the Father with His death on the cross which provided atonement for the sins of the world.
Jesus requested the Father to glory Him with His resurrection and return to the heavenly
throne seated at His right hand. Jesus spoke in the presence as if the crucifixion and resurrection
had already taken place. The work of Jesus exists in all time. Time is relevant to God's creation.
THE REVELATION FROM JESUS
John 17:6-8
6 "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.
The work of Jesus was for His chosen, not the entire humanity. It is the Father who chose all
who He will draw to believe in Him. No one can come to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father.
To be chosen is by God's divine election and not by ourselves. Jesus gave credit to the Father
for all the work He did on earth. To imitate Jesus is to give credit to the Father for all we have and all our
Accomplishments.
The Word of God convicts us and draws us into obedience. Jesus came as a teacher and preacher.
He spent three and a half years revealing the Word to His disciples and those who followed Him.
He taught His disciples everything the Father gave Him.
All believers are ambassadors of Christ. It is our job to teach and proclaim the Word of God
to our families and everyone we come in contact with. It is not our job to convince anyone
of the truth of God's Word. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. It is our job to be a testimony of
the truth.
Jesus is the Word and it was His job to bring His disciple into a belief in Him. The 11 disciples
were the apostles who started the church of Jesus Christ. Our confidence in Jesus is enhanced
by their testimony and sacrifices.
PRAY FOR ME, LORD
V: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.
Prayer is our first line of communication with the Father. It is our job to pray for those around us.
Prayer is so important that Jesus gave us a promise; If you ask the Father in His name we will be
given what we ask.
Notice Jesus' prayer was for believers and not the world. Jesus claims us as His. He paid the
ransom for all believers with His shed blood on the cross. The Father gave all believers to
Jesus to pay the ransom. Jesus has a vested interest in us. It is because of our faith that
Jesus is glorified. Every believer ought to honor Jesus in praise and worship. It is Jesus'
prayer to the Father that we receive our protection.
The ultimate goal for believers is to become one with Jesus. One in His love. One in His
forgiveness. One in His tolerance. One in His obedience to the Father. One in His power
and authority. One in His joy and peace.
THANK JESUS FOR SAVING ME
V: 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.
13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
Our temporary position is here on Earth. Our permanent residence is heaven with the Father.
It is Jesus who keeps His arm of protection around us 24/ 7. He not only protects us from
the evil of the world but also from the adversary of the world, Satan, and his demons. We are locked
in the salvation of Jesus and we cannot get out. We may stray from time to time, but Jesus
got a hold of us.
Jesus' death on the cross was no surprise, but His joy. It was the finishing touch of His ministry.
We have joy because we are confident that we have a place He has prepared for us in Heaven.
The hatred of this world is expected, but victory is ours because Jesus has overcome the world.
We have the Word of God to remind us of His abundant grace and mercy.
JUST VISITING, HEAVEN IS MY HOME
V15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
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.
We have mountains to climb and valleys to travel that God will not remove. As long as we are
here on earth our protection is guaranteed. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death I have no evil to fear because God is with me.
We are not of this world. We are set apart from the world with the truth that is Jesus Christ.
Being ambassadors for Christ our mission is to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth.
By teaching the Word of God, others that have been chosen will be drawn to Christ by
the Holy Spirit.
Our purpose is to bear much fruit by abiding in Christ so others will be encouraged in the Word.
John 15:7-8
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR PRAYER
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