Skip to content Christ's Prayer for Unity and Sanctification in John 17 Aug 22 · 12 min ...more
Christ's Prayer for Unity and Sanctification in John 17
August 22, 2025 · 12 min
Discover how John 17 emphasizes Jesus' prayer for our sanctification, unity, and glorification.
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The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning as we look at a truly great chapter of the bible. Chapter 17 of the gospel according to John. Verse0:22 17 of chapter 17, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Now the prayer that Jesus prays in this chapter is the culmination of his final conversations0:34 with his disciples before the sham trial in his crucifixion. The fact that his parting interaction with them is for them to hear his prayer to the0:46 father on their behalf is frankly truly remarkable. And remember this, that Jesus is our example. And, you know, he left his disciples in the care0:58 of his father. Alright? I believe this. I believe this shows us, number 1, that we should make more use of prayer. You know, I over the last many years, I've kind of developed this1:09 this, this, I I won't say a habit, but a a desire rather to to pray for family and friends when we when we part company because we don't know if we're gonna see them again on this1:21 earth. And and I think we we entrust them to the care of the father. Now biblical scholars call this the high priestly prayer of Jesus. I1:33 like to refer to it as the lord's prayer because this is the lord praying for us. Now remember over in, in the in Luke chapter 11, he taught his disciples how to pray.1:45 And and so I think that's the disciples' prayer. Right? This is the Lord's prayer because he's praying. And he prayed for his disciples, including us. Alright? Look at John 17 20. I do not pray for these1:57 alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. That is us, the church. So keep this in mind as you're reading this chapter.2:09 This prayer is for you. Alright. In this prayer, which by the way is the longest recorded prayer in the Bible, Jesus prays for his and his and the father's glorification. He prays for the protection2:21 of his followers, believers. He prays for the sanctification of his followers. He prays for the unity of his followers and ultimately their glorification. Let's2:33 begin verse 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. As you have given him authority over2:45 all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have2:56 sent. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. Now notice again, Jesus's purpose. This is it. I3:08 have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do. Jesus's purpose was to glorify the father. So let me ask you a question. If this is Jesus, if this was3:20 Jesus's purpose, what should be our purpose? To glorify the father. Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. And how do we enjoy him forever? We3:32 enjoy him forever through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. Alright. Verse 5. And now, oh, father,3:43 glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They3:55 were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now what is the dividing line between those who are God's and those who are not? Alright. Here it4:07 is. They have kept the word. It's the word. Verse 7. Now they have known that all things which I which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you4:19 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. Now let's look at what Jesus had regarding his disciples4:31 and what he said regarding you and me. Verse 9. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. Now first,4:43 notice this Jesus is not praying for the world. We are not all God's children. We are all God's creation. He created all of us, but we're not his children.4:55 We only become his children when we believe in his word. Jesus is praying for those who have received the word of God. Verse 10. And all mine are5:07 yours and yours are mine, and I'm glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I have come to you. Holy father, keep through your name those whom you have given me that they5:19 may be 1 as we are. Now here, he asked the holy father unique adjective speaking to the character of the father. Jesus prays the holy father will keep or preserve5:31 believers in and through the righteous character of God. He prays to preserve them in this fallen world because as we see this as we'll see this in just a moment,5:43 he doesn't want the father to take us out of the world. He wants us to be here. Alright. He wants us to be here because this is where our mission is located. I know we5:55 wanna get to heaven, and I'm I wanna get there as fast as anybody else. But, you know, I was thinking about that a while back. I was praying, Lord, come quickly. And Jesus is actually not praying6:07 that. Jesus is asking if the father would preserve us from the evil 1 so that we might do the work that we've been left here to do. Alright. Verse 12. While I was with them in the6:19 world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me, I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the6:31 world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. He wants us right. Get this. Get this. Jesus wants you to have joy6:43 on this journey that we call life. Now despite the potholes and the detours and the accidents, he prays that our joy might be fulfilled, and it's his joy. Alright. Verse6:55 14. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Now are you seeing this reoccurring theme here in the book of7:07 John? The word. The word is what separates us from the world. Verse 15. I do not pray for them that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil7:19 1. Alright. Again, repeating myself, but it's not He doesn't wanna take us out of the world. He wants to keep the world out of us. We must remain in this world because7:30 we have a mission to advance his kingdom. But to accomplish that mission, we have to be sanctified, sanctified, meaning we have to be set apart for the purposes of God. Now7:42 verse 16, they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. How are we sanctified? Here it is again. The word, the word of God. Verse 18.7:54 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself. I set myself apart for your purposes, father. Myself that they may also8:06 be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be 1 as you father are in me and I in you, that they8:18 also may be 1 in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. Jesus is praying for the unity of believers. And the glory, verse 22, and the glory which you gave8:30 me, I have given them that they may be 1 just as we are 1. I in them, you in me, that they may be made perfect in 1, that the world may know that you have sent me8:42 and have loved them as you have loved me. You see, the unity of believers as we're unified, that is a testimony to the world that Jesus is real. You know,8:53 when we can get along from different backgrounds, different, you know, different, you know, we can come from different countries. We can come from, different,9:06 ethnic backgrounds, different economic backgrounds, but we're unified. How does that happen? It only happens through the cross, through Jesus Christ.9:19 And the glory which you gave me, I've given to them. Oh, and let let me alright. Let me go back to verse let me go to verse 24. Father, I desire that they also whom you have gay who you gave me may9:31 be with me where I am that they may behold my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Jesus prays for our coming glorification.9:43 In believing in believing in Christ, we are justified. In following him through the Holy Spirit, we are sanctified. And what is yet to come? It's our glorification when we join Jesus9:56 in heaven. Verse 25, oh, righteous father, the world has not known you, but I've known you. And these have known that you sent me. See, we know the father through the son. And I10:08 have declared to them your name and will declare it that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I and them. What a wonderful, encouraging chapter.10:20 The lord Jesus Christ himself has prayed for you, and he is praying for you, and he will be praying for you as he sits at the right hand of the father making intercession for us. Father, we thank you10:32 for this word this morning, and we thank you for the word. It is the word that sanctifies us and sets us apart. And your desire for us is to be in this world on mission. And10:44 so I pray father that through your word and through the Holy Spirit, we would be sanctified. We would be empowered and prepared for the work that you've called us to. Thank you, father. Thank you,10:56 lord Jesus, for making intercession for us. We pray all this in your name, lord Jesus. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining this morning. Until next time. Keep standing on the word.11:10 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,11:22 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at f r c dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus
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