HONOR JESUS

JANUARY 12, 2014 

·         This prayer differs from all other prayers that we know of that Jesus offered.

·        Jesus petitions the Father with requests and pleas that only He could offer as our Great High Priest. 

·        Jesus came from the Father: V3, V8 (2), V18, V22, V25 = 6 times

·        The Father gave to Jesus: V2 (2), V4, V6 (2), V7, V8, V9, V11, V12, V22, V24 = 12 times

·        Jesus and the Father are One: V11, V21, V22, V23 (2), V25 = 6 times

·        Charge for disciples to be united: V11, V21, V22 = 3 times 

“This is a word and a deed offered up at a particular time and place in the presence of His disciples, but it is also a continuing priestly intercession for all His people for all time.”     The Preacher’s Commentary 

“The purpose of the petition is to be noted; namely, the Son’s glorifying of the Father. No taint of selfishness corrupted His prayer. Not for Himself, but for men, did He desire His glory. He sought return to that serene and lofty seat, and the elevation of His limited manhood to the throne, not because He was wearied of earth or impatient of weakness, sorrows, or limitations, but that He might more fully manifest by that Glory, the Father’s name.”

Expositions of Holy Scripture (Alexander MacLaren) 

·        This prayer has three main divisions

1. V.l-5 Christ prays for Himself

2. V.6-19 Christ prays for the disciples then alive

3. V.20-26 Christ prays for those who should believe 

HONOR JESUS FOR COMPLETING GOD’S WORK (JOHN 17:1-5)

1 These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee, 2 even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. 4 "I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do. 5 "And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.     NASB 

Verse 1:

·        Here, we see the Lord LIFTING UP HIS EYES TO Heaven when praying. 

“As He speaks, the clock is striking the hour that was set way back in eternity, because He was the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. It was arranged back there; now ‘the hour is come.’"     J Vernon McGee 

Verse 2:

·       This verse speaks of the work that the Father appointed Christ to do.... to give His life for the elect!

·       The recognition of this work was the glory that Christ received IN, BY AND FOR His sufferings.

o   He must be glorified IN His sufferings for sin by the Father accepting the atonement for sins.

o   He must be glorified BY His sufferings by the Father raising Him from the grave.

o   He must be glorified FOR His sufferings by the Father setting Him at His right Hand in Heaven.

Verse 3: 

“To know Him means to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. When we move on in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to the place of assurance. Anyone without the assurance of salvation is either unsaved or is just a babe in Christ. They need to move on to the place where they know that they are saved.”     J Vernon McGee 

Verse 4: 

”Christ does not die as a disappointed man, but as the successful messenger,…”

Robertson’s Word Pictures 

Verse 5: 

“With thine own self (para seautōi). “By the side of thyself.” Jesus prays for full restoration to the pre-incarnate glory and fellowship enjoyed before the Incarnation. This is not just ideal pre-existence, but actual and conscious existence at the Father’s side…”

Robertson’s Word Pictures 

·        Seven reasons why Jesus’ requests should be answered:

1. His relationship with God, His Father.

2. V.1 His hour had come.

3. V.2 Christ had authority ever all flesh.

4. V.2 Christ would bestow eternal life on the elect.

5. V.3 Christ would give the elect knowledge of the Father.

6. V.4 Christ had glorified the Father.

7. V.4 The work was finished.

HONOR JESUS THROUGH OBEDIENCE (JOHN 17:6-8)

6 "I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy word. 7 "Now they have come to know that everything Thou hast given Me is from Thee; 8 for the words which Thou gavest Me I have given to them; and they received them, and truly understood that I came forth from Thee, and they believed that Thou didst send Me.     NASB 

Verse 6:

·        It is beautiful to see Jesus, as He comes to the Father in prayer, to present the elect along with Himself.

·        This is the fulfillment of the type which Aaron presented as the first High Priest of Israel. 

Exodus 28:29

29 And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.     NASB 

·        We are back to the great doctrine of election.

·        He wanted His disciples to know about it.

·        Perhaps the reason we know so little about this doctrine is that it existed between the Holy Trinity.

Verse 7: 

“He had not given them property or money or an automobile, but the Words of the Father. Jesus testifies here that these disciples believed that He came from the Father. They knew who He was.”

J Vernon McGee 

Verse 8: 

“I have given - them the words - I have delivered thy doctrine to them, so that they have had a pure teaching immediately from heaven: neither Jewish fables nor fictions of men have been mingled with it.

And have known surely - Are fully convinced and acknowledge that I am the promised Messiah, and that they are to look for none other; and that my mission and doctrine are all Divine,…”     Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible 

HONOR JESUS THROUGH UNITY (JOHN 17:20-23)

20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. 22 "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.     NASB 

·        There are seven things that Christ prays for and asks for all those that have believed in Him:

1. That they would be preserved.

2. That they would have joy.

3. That they would be kept from evil.

4. That they would be set apart.

5. That they would be unified.

6. That they would be with Him.

7. That they would see Him as He is.

·        We can see here what we are to pray for ourselves and for others.

Verse 20:

·        Jesus thought of us in His love before we were born.

·        He looked to the future, from things seen to things unseen, and beheld them who were yet to believe.

·        He doesn't refer to their obedience, works, steadfastness, or even love; but simply to those that have believed Him.

Verse 21:

·       Bible pictures all believers who are members of the church that is being called out as forming one body.

·        Each member of the body is different from each other member, which is evident even in this class, yet them, and us, are all members of the same body. 

“This prayer has been answered. The church is an organic unity. Believers are one in Christ, for the church is one body. The minute any sinner trusts Christ, that sinner is put into the body of Christ. If believers would manifest that union to the world, the world would be more impressed with Christ. Too often the world sees believers hating each other which may well be one of the reasons they will not accept Christ.”

J Vernon McGee 

Verse 22-23:

·        So our future glorification is a thing already accomplished in the mind of God, although it is presented here for our faith to lay hold of and enjoy even now.

HONOR JESUS NOW AND FOREVER (JOHN 17:24-26)

24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world. 25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; 26 and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them. "       NASB 

Verse 24: 

Psalms 16:11b

In Thy presence is fulness of joy; In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.     NASB 

Verse 25:

·        This is very solemn, for Christ not only left the world without recourse to His intercession, but He turned the world over to the justice of His Father.

·        "…the world has not known Thee," is a statement of the guilt of the world, and for that the world will be judged with the justice of a holy God who is jealous for the honor of His Son!

·        Christ says "O righteous Father," not "holy Father," for it will be from the righteousness of the Father that the world will be judged.

Verse 26:

·        The last thing mentioned in this prayer is that the love of God might be in our hearts and in our lives.