Matthew 6:9-13 - After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever. Amen.
The Sermon for This Week is: I Pray For Them - John 17:6-19 - I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were,
and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them,
and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own
name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them
is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to
thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest
keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes
I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
INTRODUCTION
1. We noted that one of the reasons Jesus’ prayer is “The Greatest Prayer Ever Prayed”
was because of the content of the prayer
2. A previous lesson examined that part of the prayer in which Jesus prayed for Himself (“Father...
Glorify thy Son”) - John 17:1-5 - These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest
me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had
with thee before the world was.
3. In this study, we shall consider the second part of the prayer...
a. In which Jesus prays on behalf of His disciples
b. In which He prays for those He would soon leave behind on earth
[As we closely examine this part of the prayer (John 17:6-19 – See Above), we note that Jesus
makes a threefold petition in behalf of His disciples...]
I. JESUS’ PETITION FOR HIS DISCIPLES
A. KEEP THEM IN UNITY...
1. Note this plea in verse John 17:11 - And now I am no more in the
world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me, that they may be one, as we are.
a. “Keep through Your name...”
b. “...that they may one as We are.”
2. Jesus’ departure would tend to scatter the disciples - cf. John 16:32 - Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone:
and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
3. While with them, Jesus had kept them together - John 17:12 - While
I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
4. With His departure imminent, it is understandable He was concerned they be kept in unity
5. The importance of such unity is explained later in John 17:20-26, and will be examined in our
next study - John 17:20-26 - Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them;
that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made
perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my
glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it:
that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
B. KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE...
1. This petition is found in - John 17:15 - I pray not that thou shouldest
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
2. Jesus knew that with His departure Satan would shift his efforts from Him to His disciples - cf. Revelation
12:1-6 - And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed
with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing
in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven
heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast
them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon
as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught
up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a
place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days. - Revelation 12:13-17 - And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman
which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,
that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from
the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to
be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3. Even so, Jesus does not ask for their removal, but their protection
a. Disciples need to be in the world that their presence might bless it - cf. Matthew 5:14-16 - Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are
in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven. - Philippians 2:15 - That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons
of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
b. The protection for which Jesus prayed is described in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation
taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you
to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it. - Romans 8:35-39 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As
it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C. SANCTIFY THEM...
1. This part of the petition is found in - John 17:17 - Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2. That is, to set them apart for a holy purpose
3. Jesus even mentions the instrument of sanctification: the Word of God!
4. Through sanctification by the Word, the other parts of His petition would be realized
a. The Word would keep them united in Christ
b. The Word would keep them from the evil one (even as it did for Christ when He was tempted by Satan,
cf. Matthew 4:4-11 - But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city,
and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,
He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee
up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth
him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt
fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came
and ministered unto him.)
[Thus Jesus prays for His disciples: 1) to keep them in unity, 2) to keep them from the
evil one, and 3) to sanctify them through the Word of God. In His prayer, Jesus also provides several reasons...]
II. WHY GOD SHOULD GRANT HIS PETITION
A. THE DISCIPLES ARE THE FATHER’S GIFT TO HIS SON...
1. Notice Jesus’ words in - John 17:6 - I have manifested thy
name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy
word.
a. “...the men which thou gavest me out of the world”
b. “thine they were, and thou gavest them me...”
2. J. W. McGarvey made the following observation:
a. “The Father is possessor of all humanity as the Creator.”
b. “The Son by gift from the Father possesses the believing portion of humanity as its Redeemer.”
B. THEY RECEIVED GOD’S WORD...
1. They kept His Word - John 17:6b - thine they were, and thou
gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
2. They knew that all things God gave Jesus came from God - John 17:7 - Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
3. They received the words Jesus gave them, and believed He was sent by God - John 17:8 - For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou
didst send me.
C. THEY ARE A JOINT POSSESSION OF THE FATHER AND SON...
1. Jesus’ prayer was for those who were both the Father’s and the Son’s - John 17:9-10a
- I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;
for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine;
2. The Father would naturally have a similar concern for the disciples
3. For they are not only the disciples of Christ, but children of God!
D. THEY GLORIFY CHRIST...
1. Jesus was glorified in His disciples - John 17:10b - and I am glorified
in them.
2. He is glorified when sinners become saints, for it is only by His blood and transforming power that
such is possible
3. If Jesus’ petition was not answered, then Jesus would not be glorified!
E. THEY NO LONGER HAVE CHRIST ON EARTH...
1. Jesus was going back to the Father, leaving the disciples on earth - John 17:11 - And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own
name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
2. He had preserved them all while on earth, save Judas as foretold - John 17:12 - While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them
is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
3. Now leaving them, He wanted them to have His joy fulfilled in themselves - John 17:13 - And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in
themselves.
F. THEY ARE HATED BY THE WORLD...
1. Because they are not of this world - John 17:14-15 - I have given
them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world,
but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
2. Just as Jesus was not of this world - John 17:16 - They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world.
3. Following Christ had put them at odds with the world!
G. THEY ARE BEING SENT INTO THE WORLD...
1. As Jesus was sent into the world by His Father - John 17:18a - As
thou hast sent me into the world,
2. So Jesus was sending His disciples into the world - John 17:18b - even
so have I also sent them into the world.
a. A world which hates them
b. A world under the influence of the evil one
c. A world which rejected the Son of God
H. JESUS WAS WILLING TO SANCTIFY HIMSELF FOR THEM...
1. For their sakes, He was willing to sanctify Himself - John 17:19a - And
for their sakes I sanctify myself,
a. To set Himself apart for a holy purpose (the meaning of sanctification)
b. Which He did by presenting Himself as the Lamb of God, to offer Himself for the sins of the world -
cf. John 1:29 - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world.
2. That His disciples might also be sanctified by the truth - John 17:19b - that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
[On the basis of eight reasons , Jesus prayed for His disciples, that His Father might 1) keep
them in unity, 2) keep them from the evil one, and 3) sanctify them through the Word of God. Before we close
our study, consider...]
III. HOW JESUS’ PRAYER RELATES TO US TODAY
A. JESUS HAS THE SAME CONCERN FOR US...
1. That we be kept in unity - cf. John 17:20-21 - Neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all
may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
2. That we be kept from the evil one - cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 - But the Lord is faithful, who
shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
3. That we be sanctified - cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 - For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
B. WHAT WAS TRUE THEN REMAINS TRUE TODAY...
1. Disciples are the Father’s gift to the Son - cf. John 6:44-45 - No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
2. Disciples have received God’s Word - e.g., 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - For this cause
also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe.
3. Disciples are a joint possession of the Son and the Father - cf. 1 Corinthians 3:23 - And
ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
4. Disciples glorify Christ - cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 - Wherefore also we pray always for
you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure
of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Disciples no longer have Christ on earth - cf. Acts 3:21 - Whom the heaven must receive until
the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
6. Disciples are not of the world, even hated by the world - cf. 1 Peter 2:11-12 - Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. - 1 Peter
4:4 - Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of
riot, speaking evil of you:
7. Disciples are sent out into the world - cf. 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 - I wrote unto you
in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous,
or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
8. Jesus sanctified Himself for disciples today as well as those then - cf. 1 John 2:1-2 - My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
CONCLUSION
1. Jesus prayed for His disciples because...
a. They received the Word - John 17:8a - For I have given unto them
the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them
b. They believed the Word - John 17:8b - and have known surely that
I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
c. They kept the Word - John 17:6b - thine they were, and thou gavest
them me; and they have kept thy word.
2. If we desire Jesus’ prayer in our behalf today...
a. We must receive the Word - cf. James 1:21 - Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity
of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
b. We must believe the Word - cf. Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
c. We must keep the Word - cf. John 8:31 - Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him,
If ye continue in my word, then are
ye my disciples indeed;
3. Otherwise, we will not...
a. Be kept in unity
b. Be kept from the evil one
c. Be sanctified by the Word of God - John 17:17 - Sanctify them through
thy truth: thy word is truth.
Jesus still prays for His disciples today (cf. Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.). His concerns are
still the same. Are we doing our part by receiving, believing, and keeping His Word...?
Prayer:
Mark 16:15-16 - And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned. - Lord I truly thank
You for giving the opportunity to present these words to my brethrens. I pray that You will keep them in Your blessings and
accept them into Your heart - this I pray in the name of Thy Son, Jesus, the
Messiah, Your only begotten son which Ye sent to save mankind from themselves. Amen
Peace
be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace
be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. - Ephesians 6:23-24
This sermon is in the Public Domain - Free for all to use with the only requirement:
That it never be used for profit.
