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“The Longest Prayer” John 17:1-‐8 June 4, 2017

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“The Longest Prayer” John 17:1-‐8 June 4, 2017 “The Longest Prayer” Screen 1 John 17:1-8 June 4, 2017 A few introductory comments about John’s Gospel. Wri;en in late First Century A.D. by John, one of the twelve. Ma;hew, Mark and Luke had already been wri;en. Include in Intro: The New American Commentary, Vol. 25a; p. 36,37,38 —> —> Today we come to one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible. It is the lonGest prayer in the Bible by Jesus, althouGh it only takes about three minutes to read it out loud. J. Vernon McGee believes that is a Good indicaIon of the lenGth of public prayers. “If you can’t say all you’ve Got to say in three minutes, then you’ve Got too much to say. I’ll be very frank with you. I think brief prayers, thouGht out, riGht to the point, are more effecIve than those lonG ramblinG ones we hear” (Thru the Bible, p., 38). It is also the longest in the scope of Pme it covers (Chapters 13-17). The Upper Room Discourse is like climbinG a staircase or like climbinG a mountain, climaxinG in this prayer. The New American Commentary, Vol. 25b; p. 185,186 ✦ MaUhew Henry said of this prayer, “It is the most remarkable prayer followinG Screen 2 the most full and consolinG discourse ever u;ered on earth.” ✦ MarPn Luther said, “This is truly beyond measure a warm and hearty prayer. Screen 3 He opens the depth of His heart, both in reference to us and to His Father, and He pours them all out. It sounds so honest, so simple. It is so deep, so rich, so wide. No one can fathom it.” !1 ✦ Philip Melanchthon, another Reformer said, “There is no voice which has ever Screen 4 been heard, either in heaven or in earth, more exalted, more holy, more frui[ul, more sublime than the prayer offered up by the Son of God Himself.” ✦ This is the prayer that John KnoX read over and over in his lifeIme. When he Screen 5 was on his deathbed, his wife asked him, “Where do you want me to read?” He replied, “Read where I first put my anchor down, in the 17th Chapter of John.” We have the record of many others who have read it over and over. ✦ Dr. Fisher, who was Bishop of Rochester under Henry VIII, had this read as the last porIon of Scripture just before his martyrdom (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, p. 38). ✦ This is the prayer that was read by Joseph Tyre Jones, Judy Walden’s and Jill Korizon’s Grandfather, on February 8, 1958, when he was openinG church services at Concord PrimiIve BapIst Church in Carrollton, GeorGia. When he had completed readinG the first verse of John 17, he commented how much he loved his family and what they meant to him. Then he Gently laid the Bible down, breathed his last breath and died. Judy and Jill’s mother, Mildred Taylor (Mr. Jones’ dauGhter) loved this prayer. I believe if we are GoinG to discuss the subject of prayer, there is no be;er example for us to study and discuss than this parIcular prayer. You see, this is really the Lord’s Prayer. What is recorded for us in MaUhew 6:9-13 is really a model prayer. – The Lord’s “Model” Prayer - This is indeed the Greatest prayer ever prayed and ever recorded for us (mankind). I am inPmidated by this message/prayer today! It’s HUGE and I am not… !2 >Pray and ask for God’s help< As we dive in this morninG, we will beGin discussinG this subject from John 17 and conInue in this passage for the next several weeks. We will only scathe the surface. My challenGe to you this morninG is that you will commit to be here every Sunday in June and to really listen and ask God what you need to apply to your prayer life based on what we learn. (Today is our introducIon to this prayer.) Let me make a few preliminary statements about this material: 1. I believe it is always fascinaInG to study how Jesus, God the Son, communicates Screen 6 *different* with God the Father. This material truly is a revelaIon to us of the communicaIon which, I think, constantly passes between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father (even today). This chapter is a “peek” into the “Holy of Holies” (Warren Wiersbe). We should always approach God’s Word as holy and especially these verses as we are privileGed to listen in as God the Son converses with His Father just before He Gives His life for our salvaIon. Jesus’ enIre earthly life was a life of prayer. He beGan His public ministry by GoinG to a solitary place to pray. (40 days in the wilderness – MaUhew, Mark, Luke) ThrouGhout the Gospels, He was always GenG off by Himself to pray. Oien He would Go up to a mountain to pray all night. (E.g. MaUhew 14:23 – before he would walk on water) I believe He is sIll our Great intercessor. He prays for you and me EVEN TODAY! * Whoever studies His prayers will be blessed. Turn and read: Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the u;ermost (“completely” or “at all Pmes”) those who draw near to God throuGh him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. *He always lives to intercede for them.* !3 2. God always hears and answers (*really think about this*) Jesus’ prayers just Screen 7 the way He prays them. God answers our prayers too, but not always the way I/ we pray it – someImes He says NO! (God can answer our prayers with a “NO”, “YES”, “WAIT”. Charles Stanley adds a fourth – “HAVE AT THE PAIN” – based on: II Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more Gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. But personally, I only see three possible answers to prayer.) Sometimes God may accomplish what I ask by a completely different method or at a completely different Ime. NOT SO WITH JESUS. See: Screen 8 John 11:41-42 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus liied up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standinG around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When and how Jesus asked the Father for thinGs in prayer always came about just as he asked (the prayer in Gethsemane is unique because Jesus’ prefaces it, “If it be they will…”) – the only prayer he ever prayed prefaced with this phrase. MenPon Luke 22:31-32, too. Now the verses! Read verses 1-8) <This is a confirming prayer and a circular prayer.> Screen 9 to Screen13 “The Holy of Holies” John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, . Screen 14 ➡ Said what?—all that he had been speakinG about in Chapters 13-16, which is commonly referred to as the “Upper Room Discourse.” VERY POWERFUL (John 14) !4 Note with me that Jesus continues to reach back (within the prayer in Chapter17) to Chapters 13-16 (read it in your quiet time)in a circular type fashion, as is common in the Book of John, to further develop and expand on his teachings there. There are two possible places that the Greatest prayer could have been prayed: Screen 15 1. In the Upper room (*most take it to be here*) 2. As he was walkinG across the Kidron Valley to Gethsemane. (I believe it was outside. It could have been here. See John 14:31 “Rise, let us Go from here.”) John 17:1 (connued) “he lied up his eyes (looked) to heaven, and said, (prayed) Obviously, His eyes were opened (we can pray with our eyes open today…). Here John records the posture / Gesture of prayer. To pray with one’s eyes open was typical for the Jews of the 1st Century (Gaebelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p. 161). Jews prayed OUT LOUD then. He prayed out loud for the benefit of the disciples – so they could hear it; and later record it; and apply it to their lives. “Father” - Jesus beGins his prayer the same way he had beGun the “Model Prayer” from MaUhew 6:9 BUT when Jesus said “Father,” it was different than when you and I say “Father”. Jesus was / is God’s only beGo;en Son. –in a unique way- Jesus was / is literally part of the Father. “Pater” (Greek) means “a nourisher, protector, upholder Screen 16 (“StronG’s”). Jesus referred to the Father from an inmate and eternal knowledGe of Him… “the hour has come” - There are two ways that the Bible speaks of Ime: Screen 17 !5 1. ChronoloGical Ime (“Kronos” – Greek) Ime in a straiGht line. [recorded history] 2. Concrete or reality (“Kairos” – Greek) a special Ime characterized by some special siGnificance; a Ime of fulfillment; a Ime when a decision must be made. (e.G., the “Imes” in which we live [“opportunity”] – “uncertain Imes”) When these two Imes meet—you have a criIcal hour. In “chronoloGical Ime,” you will have a “concrete or reality” Ime. E.G. kairos kairos kairos kairos N.T. kairos (ChronoloGical) | | | | | CreaIon The Fall The Flood The Exodus Jesus’ Birth This is the occasion for Jesus to offer this prayer! The Gospel of John can be divided into two divisions: Screen 18 1.
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