Jesus Prays for His Disciples, Part 2
John 17:11-19
If nothing else is apparent in this 17th chapter of John, this one thought is: Jesus loves His followers.
After the first five verse where Jesus prays for Himself and the finished work of the cross, He then turns His attention to the apostles and disciples who were with Him, and eventually all believers of all time. He is praying for them as High Priest.
Currently we are looking at verses 6-19 where we find Jesus praying for the disciples who were alive at the time He prayed the prayer. More specifically he is praying for the eleven Apostles gathered around Him.
Now, last week I told you there were three points to the message and we covered two of them. So let me quickly review and then we’ll look at the third thing.
First we looked at the subjects of His prayer. That’s verses 6 to 8In particular look at verse 8 and you find Jesus referencing the ones that the Father has given Him who are the disciples at that time particularly the eleven.
He is asking God to care for them, and He bases His request on two credentials. The first one is in verse 6. They have a right to the Father's care because after all they were the Father's to begin with. And so all He's really asking is that the Father care for His own which is consistent with the character of God, He always cares for His own.
Then He gives the second reason that they are to be blessed with the Father's care in verse 6, "... and they have kept Thy word."
They belong to You and they have kept Your Word.
So there are the Subjects of His Prayer.
Then we saw the reasons for His prayer in verses 9, 10 and just a little bit into verse 11. Why is He praying for them?
It’s almost a repeat, but He prays for them because they belong to God.
Then the second reason that He prayed for them is because the task of representing God would fall to them after Jesus left. It would be up to them to bring glory to God as Jesus did while He was on the earth.
Now then, tonight let’s look at
3. The Requests of His Prayer
verses 11-19
He’s established their right to divine welfare, and He’s given why they have the right to expect God’s care and what will happen, but what is it that He requests on their behalf, and what does He expect from them?
Before I answer that, I want you to notice what he doesn't ask.
verse 15
Did you get that? He doesn't pray that they be taken out of the world. That's what He doesn't pray for.
Now so far, we’ve discovered two things Jesus didn’t pray for. He doesn’t intercede on behalf of unbelievers. That’s in verse 9.
And now we find out He doesn't pray that Christians be taken out of the world. Jesus never prayed that His disciples would find an escape. He only prayed that they might find victory. Jesus never prayed that they might find a cop-out. He only prayed that they might be conquerors.
The kind of Christianity that sequesters itself away from the world is not the kind of Christianity that Jesus desires.
In fact, I would question if indeed it is Christianity at all. The life that is withdrawn from the world is a sad confusion of what Jesus intended for His own.
He says, I’m not asking You to take them out of the world.
Now a little balance is in order here. There are times when prayer and meditation and withdrawing into the presence of God are needed. But what is the purpose of the withdrawal? To be equipped to go into the world.
We withdraw into God's presence for meditation and prayer alone with God that we might be strengthened and empowered to go back into the world with an effective message.
Jesus never tells His disciples to abandon the world. Instead He tells us to win the world. Jesus Christ never attempted to establish a holy club, "Us four, no more, shut the door," isolated and stuck up in the boonies somewhere where nobody can touch them. Jesus Christ wanted a people who would move into the world and confront them with His claims and His truth.
So that’s what He doesn’t pray for. Keep that in mind. We'll come back to it in a little while.
Now, what does He pray for?
Four things. Now keep in mind, there is application to all disciples, but these requests were specifically for the eleven apostles.
First of all, He prays for
1. Oneness
verse 11
Now here’s the situation. Jesus is saying, “I am about to leave and they're going to be left here without My physical presence.”
Jesus was going to the cross and then He was going to ascend to the Father and they would be left alone in terms of the physical presence of Christ. But may I hasten to add, they would not be left without a supernatural care because Christ had already promised them that when He went away He would send the Comforter who would dwell within them.
But before the Comforter came, after the cross, there would be a period of time when He wouldn’t be there and the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be there.
So, in view of that, He prays for the Father to take care of them. And He reminds the Father that His beloved little flock that were given Him by the Father will be deprived of His personal care and be exposed to the world and it was now up to the Father to activate all the promises of 14, 15 and 16 and secure these believers.
Now notice that right in the middle of verse 11 Jesus references the “Holy Father”.
Those two words are extremely important because they set the scene for the rest of the passage.
Verse 11b “Holy Father. . .”
So what are we seeing here? Well, on the one hand we have the world. On the other hand, we have the Holy Father.
Jesus is drawing attention to the Holy Father for a very important reason. As best I remember, this is the only place in the New Testament where that phrase is used.
The holiness of God finds great emphasis in the Old Testament but it's not so emphasized in the New Testament. The New Testament deals more with the Heavenly Father with an emphasis on family and love.
But here the combination of holy and Father are put together for a very express reason. The power of the Holy Father is being set as a sufficient alternative to the influence of the world's system.
So He says “Holy Father” emphasizing His holiness. Now the word holiness, simply means to be set apart, or to be separated. So really He is saying “Separate Father”.
What does He mean? Separate from what? What is it that God is separate from? From sin, Holy Father, separate from sin, guard them. Guard them from what? Guard them from sin. Separate Father, keep them separate. That's all He's saying. And the holy is the whole emphasis of this passage. God is holy and separated from all evil.
He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity and canst not look upon sin. And here His holiness is emphasized because Christ wants Him to keep His disciples holy and separated from all evil.
So He prays Separated Father, keep them from the same thing that You're separated from. Guard them against the unholiness of the world.
For three years Jesus had kept them and now He commits them to the care of the Father with the prayer that the Father will fulfill His will and guard them from the unholiness of a polluted, godless, Christ-hating, persecuting world.
And notice, continuing in verse 11 He says, "Keep them through Your name."
Compare that with verse 12.
“I’ve kept them, by Your words, by Your power, by Your holiness, by Your love, by Your grace, by Your mercy, by all that You are, I have kept them, guarded them, according to the holy character of God. He has done it and He says -- Father, now You do it.
And so, Jesus prays that they be guarded from unholiness so they might not be defiled, being fouled up with the world, falling into worldly patterns, behaving in a worldly manner, guard them, don't let it happen, Father.
Why is that such a big concern? I mean, a little worldliness couldn't really be that bad.
Watch this. At the end of verse 11 there is this really heavy thought. Here’s why this is such a big deal.
Holy Father, keep them. Why? Next phrase: so that they may be one as We are.
Over and over again through the New Testament, we find this appeal for oneness. Paul said to the Philippians, "Be of one mind, of one love, of one accord." Peter said, "unfeigned love of the brethren.'
Unity is the cry of the New Testament for the church. Every member caring for the other member ... all of the unities that are prescribed in Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, constantly through out the New Testament, love for each other and oneness.
And here Jesus says, Holy Father, You've got to keep them from unholiness in order that they may be one.
Now watch this. That means there's only one thing that ever violates oneness. And that is sin. When anyone believer gets sucked off into the world, oneness is destroyed because we automatically, at that point, lose the unity of our testimony. And the sin of one affects the whole.
Every time a believer falls into worldliness, the unity is broken, the oneness is broken and you get friction, you get problems, you get a discontent Christian, and it all comes from unholiness.
So Jesus asks for them to be protected so the church can enjoy with God the same kind of relationship that Jesus enjoys with God.
And you know, to a large degree, His prayer was answered. You remember what it said in Acts 4:32, it says those early Christians got together and they were all of one mind and one soul. He prayed that they would be one in a holy separation in the world.
And they were. That’s what Jesus prayed for. He knew exactly what he was saying. A unity of love in holiness that separates us from the world is Jesus prayer. Jesus prayed for separated disciples.
The very dynamite of Christianity is its uniqueness. , And this is what Jesus wants, that we be one in a holiness, none of us slopping around being defiled in the system. So, Jesus prays for our united, holy separation from the world that results in a oneness with God like Jesus enjoys.
And I love this next verse.
Verse 12
Talk about security! Jesus says -- I haven't lost any of them. And I like his anticipation. Some smart aleck would have said, “But what about Judas?”
So the Holy Spirit, anticipating that thought, includes this direct reference to him.
Listen: Judas is not an exception to the keeping power of Jesus. Jesus didn’t succeed except in the case of Judas. It’s not that He tried, but He just couldn’t hang on to Judas.
Understand the construct of this verse. In English we read it as no one was lost except Judas. That’s not the correct rendering. It’s “None of them is lost” period.
But the son of perdition is that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Did you get it? Judas was never given to Christ as a love gift. He was a son of perdition, foreknown by God and designated for hell by his own will
He's making a clear transition -- None of them is lost. And then to answer the skeptic -- But the son of perdition is lost, not because I couldn't keep him, but because the Scripture had to be fulfilled.
So, you see what He's saying? He's saying -- The Father's will was accomplished in the case of the eleven, and it was also accomplished in the case of the one. Judas never was saved.
Aren't you glad to know that Jesus wasn't surprised by what Judas did? That Jesus was not a victim, aren't you glad to know that? Aren't you glad to know what it says in John 10, that Jesus said No man takes My life from Me, I lay it down of Myself?
And so, He says -- I'm praying for their oneness. Father, I've kept them one and, now Father, you do it.
Here’s His second request.
2. Joy
Specifically, he prays for them to have joy in this world.
Verse 13
He prays for them to know joy in this world. That’s nice, isn’t it? I mean, it could have been miserable in the world. In fact, that’s the way a lot of Christians choose to live their life. But understand, it is not God’s plan for your life. And that is underlined here by Christ’s request on their behalf for joy.
Now the key to the whole 17th chapter is found in this verse. Notice what Jesus says: “I'm going to come to You and talk to You and I'm going to intercede for them and I'm going to have a lot to say, but I'm saying this right here in John 17 before I leave. Why?
"That they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves."
Here we discover why Jesus prayed this prayer. It’s to bring us joy.
Now to understand what He means, we need to have His perspective of joy. What was His joy? Some say it was returning home to heaven; others say it was being obedient to God; still others say it was finishing the work. Here’s what I think.
It hink for Jesus, joy was resting in the care of the Father for Him. Christ's joy was in knowing that the Father cared for Him. And Christ wanted us to have the same kind of joy He experienced so He prays this prayer to show us that the Father also cares for us.
In fact, I think that’s why He prayed this prayer out loud and it was recorded in Scripture. So every Christian in every age could know of the Father’s care for them.
And I'll tell you something, if you're a Christian that doesn't have any joy, it’s simply because you doubt the love of God for you.
When we finally come to understand the kind of love God has for us and His ability to care for us and provide for us and His desire to do it, there's no reason to be anything but joyous.
Instead what do we do? We want to whine around about how difficult life is and we have it so bad and blah, blah, blah instead of rejoicing in the love and care and grace of God.
And Jesus is saying Father, since the greatest joy I’ve ever known is the love we share, I’m praying this out loud in space and time, right here in front of My disciples, and to be written for all disciples, that they might also understand how much we love them. And the joy He mentions simply comes from knowing His love.
Here’s the third request:
3. Protection
Verse 14-15
When you receive the Word of God, you are automatically set apart from the rest of the world.
And who is the prince of this world? Satan. So, naturally, immediately you become the enemy of the world. The world hates anybody that isn't part of the system. If Satan hates God, and God loves you and you love God and live His Word, then by association, you are the enemy of the devil.
Therefore, Satan will be actively operating against you. And it may break out in open persecution or it may break out in temptation that begins little by little to peel away your effectiveness and attempt to get you to go AWOL and aid and abet the enemy..
Never think that you can live like the world and think it's fun and it won't hurt you. You're falling right into Satan's trap. You're believing His hypocrisy and you're going to find yourself set in opposition against God whom you claim to love when you do the thing that Satan wants you to do.
And so, in recognition of that, Jesus prays for their protection.
He says, “The world's going to hate them but I'm not asking You to take them out. I've got to have them. They've got to be here. I only pray, verse 15, "that You protect them.”
Listen, God does guard us. Satan can never take us out of the hand of God. And yet, isn't it sad and isn't it strange that so often, even though we're secure and God guards us, we willfully decide to play around in the world?
So, Jesus prays that the Father would guard them from the evil one.
So, Jesus prays for oneness in the world, joy in the world, protection in the world. Here’s the last one:
4. Sanctification
Verses 16-19
Now remember where we started. We can have oneness with each other and with God only when we are holy. Sin is always the violator of unity.
Here he gets down to the practical applicationof how to make that happen. Verse 16: "They are not of the world," same as verse 14, "even as I am not of the world." Just a reminder, we're different, we've got to sever all connections with the godless system. We need to be different. We need to stick out and be oddballs, separated from the world.
Now you say -- How can I ... how can I be that? I
How do we do that? The answer is in verse 17. Jesus says, "Sanctify them, (make them holy) through Your truth."
Listen: There's only one way to be holy, only one way to be separate from the world, that's through the truth. The world's full of lies, the truth separates us.
Where do I find the truth? What's the next part of the verse say? "Thy Word is truth." Jesus leaves know room for misunderstanding or debate.
You know how you become holy? Only one way. Through the truth of the Word of God. That's it.
The tool that God uses to make us separated is the Word of God. That's why it is so important that you as a Christian be in the study of the Word of God on a daily basis so that the Word of God can constantly be purifying you. When you stay away from the Word of God, it is a disaster.
Now, notice the statement -- Thy Word is truth. That's a classic statement. There are people who would argue with that statement and say the Bible isn't really true only parts of it are true. But that statement is a classic statement concerning the accuracy, the inerrancy and the perfection of the Bible.
Notice that statement doesn’t say, “Thy Word contains truth”, but “Thy Word is truth.” This is truth. It doesn't just contain the Word of God; It is the Word of God.” Anywhere you open it, it's truth. The absolute, inerrant, accurate, total revelation of God.
And holiness comes from knowing and acting on the Word. And if you want to be holy as Christ prayed that we might be holy in a oneness of holiness, we must be in the Word as individuals. Why is that so important?
Verse 18
How does He send us? To be holy and set apart. Father, You sent Me here, set apart from men, undefiled, not touched by sin, to confront the world, Father, that's the way I want to send them, holy, undefiled, without blemish.
We have this divine call to holiness. And in answer to the prayer of Jesus Christ, we must must radiate holiness. As an individual, I gain it through the Word. And then as we all grow in the Word, there becomes a oneness of holiness that stands as a testimony in the world.
Then notice verse 19
Now, what does Jesus mean? For their sake I sanctify Myself? Well remember, sanctify, means to set apart. Did Jesus set Himself apart? Sure He did.
He set Himself apart to do what? The Father’s will. And He's saying, Father, I set Myself apart and commit Myself to do Your will so that they might be set apart to do Your will also.
Did you realize that we could never do the will of the Father if Jesus hadn't accomplished the Father's will on the cross? Could we be holy? Set apart unto God without the cross? No. Could we be set apart at all without Christ being set apart? No.
That's why Hebrews says, in Hebrews 10:10, "For by one offering has He sanctified," or set apart, "all believers." Once for all He died and set us apart. And if He hadn't been willing to set Himself apart, obediently to the Father's will, we would be unable to do it.
And so, Jesus is saying -- Father, I've got to get to the cross and I'm willing to do it, I've got to set Myself apart that they may be set apart.
And so, Jesus prays for four things. He prays for a holy loving oneness in the world. He prays for them that they might know full joy in the knowledge of the care of a loving Savior and a loving Father. He prays for complete protection from Satan. And lastly, He prays that they may be set apart by knowing and acting on the Word.
And then says: "All of this is going to be possible because I'm going to be set apart at the cross, accomplishing Your will, making possible their setting apart."
I trust and pray that in your own life the prayer of Jesus Christ for these things is being answered.
Let's pray.
