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The Disciple Maker’s Prayer. Part 1: What God Gave His Son John 17:1-8. The Location of the Prayer. John 17 The Upper Room? The Garden of Gethsemane? “Holy of holies” of the Gospels Like Moses at the burning bush - holy ground A remarkable prayer
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The Disciple Maker’s Prayer Part 1: What God Gave His Son John 17:1-8
The Location of the Prayer • John 17 • The Upper Room? • The Garden of Gethsemane? • “Holy of holies” of the Gospels • Like Moses at the burning bush - holy ground • A remarkable prayer • Contains none of the things that take so much room in our prayers • All spiritual requests!
The Progression of the Prayer • An Easy Outline • Prayed for Himself – vv. 1-5 • Prayed for His disciples – vv. 6-19 • Prayed for you and me – vv. 20-26 • Why did Jesus pray this prayer? • Was He preparing Himself for the sufferings that lay ahead? • What did Jesus have on His mind? • His disciples – in 26 verses He mentions them 46 times!
What would you give to the person who truly does have everything? • A gift fit for a king • We wonder what we can give to the person who has everything • What about a gift for One who has only to speak and angels appear by the thousands? • What about a gift for One whose word can create a hundred million galaxies? • What would God give His Son?
What God Gave His Son • Glory to Reflect - vv. 1, 5 • Authority to Save - vv. 2-3 • Work to Do - vv. 4, 6a • Men to Build Up - vv. 6,b-7 • Words to Declare - v. 8
I. Glory to Reflect 1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. • Divine Timing - “Father, the hour has come” • From past eternity • Jesus lived on a “divine timetable” • “My times are in Thy hand” - Psalms 31:15
Shared Glory • “glory” - used eight times in this prayer • From the human point of view, Calvary was a revolting display of man’s sin • From God’s point of view, the cross revealed the grace and glory of God • Relationship of Son and God the Father was inseparable • For the Father to glorify the Son was for the Son to glorify the Father • Jesus’ burden was the glory of God the Father
Restored Glory • John 17:5 • His preincarnate glory with the Father • The glory that Jesus laid aside when He came to earth to be born, to serve, to suffer, and to die • So much had been veiled when the word became flesh! • Jesus restricted himself “to walk on earth as a man” – Philippians 2:7
Restored Glory • There is a glory beyond the brightness of the noonday sun • before which the angels shrink (Isaiah 6:2) • which blinded Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:3) • which laid the apostle John prostrate (Revelation 1:17) • This was the glory that Jesus put aside when he came to earth • The Lord Jesus is asking that the glory he shared with his Father might be His again
II. Authority to Save 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Extent of the Authority • He has been given “authority over all flesh” • over the fish of the sea • over the beasts of the earth • over the fowl of the air • “Authority over all flesh,” refers primarily to all human flesh • “Have dominion” - Genesis 1:26‑28 • What would this have meant to us ? • Miracles of Christ • God intended people to exercise this same authority! • But Adam sinned and we lost that authority
Purpose of the Authority • “Eternal (everlasting) life” • 17 times in John’s gospel • God’s free gift to those who believe on His Son • John 3:15-16, 36; 6:47; 10:28 • Authority to give eternal life to those whom the Father gave to the Son • From the human viewpoint, we receive the gift of eternal life when we believe on Jesus Christ • From the God’s viewpoint, we have already been given to the Son in divine election
What is “eternal life”? • Knowing God personally • Not just knowing about Him • Having a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ • We cannot know the Father apart from the Son - John 14:6-11 • Not enough simply to “believe in God” • this will never save a lost soul from eternal hell • “The devils [demons] also believe, and tremble” - James 2:19 • Not something we earn • A gift we receive by admitting we are sinners, repenting, and believing on Jesus Christ
III. Work to Do 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 6 I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.
The Nature of the Work • Glorification - v. 4a • The Father answered His Son’s request and gave Him the glory • Because He has been glorified in heaven, sinners can be saved on earth • Manifestation - v. 6a • Christ has given eternal life to His own people, but He has also given them the revelation of the Father’s name
Jehovah - The great “I AM” Exodus 3:11-14 • “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger” John 6:35 • “I am the light of the world; he who fallows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” John 8:12 • “I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” John 10:9 • “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep” John 10:11
Jehovah - The great “I AM” Exodus 3:11-14 • “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies” John 11:25 • “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” John 14:6 • “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” John 15:1 • John 8:58, Jesus said, “Truly, Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am”
Completion of the Work • Which is correct? • John 17:4 • “I have finished the work which You gave Me to do” • John 19:30 • ‘So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit’
Completion of the Work • Two works • John 17:4 - Reproduction • John 19:30 - Redemption • Satan has tried to obscure this truth of the finished work • Satan does not want you to see that Jesus had finished the work of turning these men into disciple makers • Satan also does not want you to see that each of us has been commanded to do the same thing – Matthew 28:18-20
IV. Men to Build Up 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
IV. Men to Build Up • They came out of the world • The world had failed to recognize Jesus • But certain men and women (anthropoi), have been given to Christ The ones who have accepted the truth about the Father • They belong to the Father • We were God’s before we were Christ’s • All people belong to God by virtue of the fact that he is creator. • They keep the Father’s Word • They know that all things come from the Father • “I can do nothing apart from the Father” • John 5:9; 30 • John 8:28 • John 15:5 • John 11:41-43 • John 13:3
V. Words to Declare 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. • Words that disciples hear • Words that disciples receive • Words that disciples know • Words that disciples believe
V. Words to Declare • How many others heard His words, but did not receive them? • Pontius Pilate? • Caiaphas? • Herod Antipas? • None of them heard, or received, or knew, or believed • But what He said was true! • Peter, James, John, and the others believed and lived His words in their lives!
What God Gives Us Through His Son! • Glory to Reflect • Authority to Save • Work to Do • Men to Build Up • Words to Declare