Jesus Prays For His Disciples

June 2, 2019 Preacher: Luis A. Cardenas Series: John

Topic: English Passage: John 17:11-19

In a Christian context, I think it’s a fairly common scenario, and you’ve probably had it happen to you. You open up to someone about a problem or a difficulty you’re facing, and at the end of the conversation they say to you, “I’ll pray about that”? … How does that make you feel? Do you find it reassuring? Does it comfort you?

The elders are currently reading and discussing a book together by Paul Miller called A Praying Life. The subtitle is Connecting with God in a Distracting World. All of us said we’d recommend it. It’s a very enjoyable and helpful book. It doesn’t give you some kind of rubric or manual for prayer. What it does is point you to the heart of prayer, which, as the author contends and defends with Scripture, is a heart of childlike faith.

The attacks we face to that kind of faith are cynicism and skepticism. Our post-Enlightenment, sophisticated culture has grown very accustomed to the laws of nature and science, but it doesn’t give much credence or authority to the realm of the immaterial or the spiritual.

And so, many times we’re skeptical. If someone offers to pray for you, you might think: Are they really going to pray? Or are they just saying that to make me feel better? And even if they do pray, what difference is it going to make? Is prayer only about making you feel better, or does it actually accomplishing something?

The word of God tells us that prayer works. God hears us when we talk to Him. But it also tells us that some prayers have a greater impact than others.

Coming at it from a negative perspective, Psalm 66:18 says “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

From the New Testament, we have a passage like James 1 which tells us that a man who asks from God must ask in faith without any doubting. “For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Later in James 4:3 it says “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

So, clearly we understand that some prayers will not be responded to favorably by God. There is a such a thing as a bad prayer.

But if there’s such a thing as a bad prayer, then I would say, it logically follows that there is such a thing as a good prayer, or a better prayer.

Psalm 34:15 says “The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.”

Proverbs 15:29 also says: “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

First Corinthians 12 talks about the gift of faith, and some people think that that could be tied to someone who, from our vantage point, gets his/her prayers answered favorably more than others.

The final chapter in James also points to this. There, we find the instruction for a sick person to call the elders of the church so that they can pray over him. And it says, “the prayer of faith will heal the one who is sick.”

And that is followed by the more well-known verse 16—“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Th Bible paints a connection between the righteousness of a person and the effect of that person’s prayers. All that is to say, you want people praying for you. And maybe more importantly, you want the right people praying for you.

Well, if the effectiveness of a prayer is connected to that person’s righteousness, who would be the best person to pray for you? You should know the answer. It’s Jesus, the spotless, Son of God. He is God’s perfect human representative. He is the Christ, the Messiah.

Jesus always did the Father’s will. That’s part of their love and their unity. And another aspect of that relationship is that Jesus’ prayers were always perfectly answered.

Back in John chapter 9, there is the story of Jesus healing a blind man. And when the Pharisees find out, they start looking for answers. And the formerly-blind man says to the confused and jealous Pharisees, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.”

A little later, in John chapter 11, Jesus shows up at Martha’s house after Lazarus died. And she says to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And then she adds, “Even now, I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

And maybe you remember Jesus’ prayer once they all arrive at the tomb. He said: “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me.”

The prayers of Jesus were always perfectly answered by the Father. So, if anyone was going to pray for you, you would want it to be Jesus. There was power. There was perfect unity with the Father.

John chapter 17 is what many refer to as the High Priestly Prayer. It is a prayer of Jesus that highlights his relationship to the Father, and to His disciples, and ultimately to His church.

The section we’re looking at today is primarily a prayer for the 11 disciples. And Jesus prayed it aloud so that they would hear it, so that they would be encouraged and strengthened by it.

Jesus is, as Hebrews calls Him, our Great High Priest. A priest is a mediator. It’s someone who stands in the middle between God and man in order to restore and enhance that relationship. And in the Old Testament, God ordained a priesthood to intercede for the people and to make a sacrifice for them.

Colossians and Hebrews tell us that that old covenant system was merely a shadow of something greater. The real substance of our relationship with God is now Jesus Christ. He is our Great High Priest. And as the Priest, Jesus intercedes for His disciples.

Before we start looking at this prayer a little more closely, I want to remind you how important it is never to lose the flow of where you are in a passage. You always want to keep in mind the immediate story of the book, and the greater story of the entire Bible.

In the immediate context, in terms of Jesus’ earthly ministry, this is the night He will be betrayed and arrested and beaten and ultimately crucified and buried. That’s important to understand.

Equally important, though, is that you understand where we are in the larger story—the story of God’s redemption. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And it was all very good, until Satan deceived us and sin entered the world. And then the world went dark. Spiritually, there was no more light.

We had a darkened world, filled with darkened, wicked people. They’re not as wicked as they could be, but they no longer live for the glory of God. They live for their own glory.

But through the course of history God gave the world glimpses of His light, and He gave His people a promise that one day the true Light would come. That Light, we know, was Jesus. John 1:5 says “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Verse 9 says “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

Jesus identified Himself in John 8:12. “I am the light of the world.” But very soon, that light is going to be taken away. We sing the lyric “Light of the world by darkness slain.” Jesus is going back to the Father.

So, how will this dark world know about the true Light? If Jesus, who is the exact representation of the Father’s nature, is leaving earth, how will the world know the light of God? … That task will be left to His disciples. This group of 11 men who will be known as the Apostles. That will be their job. They will be eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ.

And on that night, are they ready for the task? No, they’re not. They’re weak. They’re selfish. They’re confused. They’re in way over their heads. On top of that, once Jesus dies, they will be heartbroken.

And so, Jesus’ words to them that night in the Upper Room were aimed at preparing them for what was to come—not just for His death, but for their mission in this world of darkness. And it’s a mission they will accomplish without Jesus physically by their side anymore.

Maybe you remember John 14:18, where Jesus says: “I will not leave you as orphans.” Why did he say that? Because they were going to feel like abandoned orphans.

The thought of continuing the work of Jesus, without Jesus physically being there, would have been an overwhelming task. It’s a daunting task.

And so, Jesus prays for them. He encourages them. He gives them promises, even through His prayer. What does Jesus promise them? What does Jesus pray for? … That’s what we’re going to look at today. Let me read it first. And I’ll be reading from verse 6 to verse 19.

John 17:6-19

These disciples heard Jesus pray for them. And what I’d like to do today is arrange our time around 4 desires that Jesus has for His disciples. And we see them in this prayer. 4 desires. This is what Jesus wants for His disciples. This is what Jesus is praying for.

Verses 6-10 highlight the idea that Jesus has passed something along to these men. He gave them His light. That light was the truth of God, which He taught, and it was also the character of God, which Jesus demonstrated.

So, these men are not the ultimate source of the Light, but with Jesus gone, they will be the light of the world. And that light will extend to all who believe. They will take the Light of Christ into a world of darkness.

So, what does Jesus pray about for them? What does He want for them?

Number 1, Jesus prays for their protection. He prays for protection. Look with me at verse 11. Jesus starts by talking about the shift that’s about to occur. John 17:11a

Again, Jesus is leaving the world, but the disciples are going to stay. These sinful, selfish, weak men are going to stay behind in a darkened, sin-filled, fallen world. Spiritually, it’ll be like leaving lambs in a den of wolves. So, what do the need? They need to be protected. They need to be guarded. That’s Jesus’ prayer: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which You Hv given Me.”

The Father gave the Son authority and truth. And Jesus is praying that they stay in that truth revealed by the Father in Christ.

It’s the Father’s holiness that compels Him and enables Him to keep the disciples. Jesus is praying for their protection. That word “keep” is used 16 times in John’s gospel. Twice it’s used literally to talk about saving or hanging onto something, like wine or perfume.

Eleven times, it’s used with the idea of observing or obeying. This is the main way John uses the word. The followers of Jesus are called to keep Christ’s word, to keep the commandments.

But here, Jesus’ prayer is aiming at what’s behind us keeping the commandments. And that is the protection of God. We will keep the commandments—we will keep the faith—because God keeps us.

Jesus, here, is not praying for a complete physical protection for the disciples. He’s already told them some pretty bad things are going to happen. And from history, we know that most of them will die as martyrs. They’ll die an agonizing death.

Jesus is praying for their spiritual protection. Keep them in Your name. Don’t let them defect, the way Judas did. Don’t let them walk away from the faith. Now, we’re all called to keep the commandments, but it is God who keeps us.

God is the One who gets us saved, and He’s the One who keeps us saved. That is so important for you to understand. You can’t take credit for your Christian life, unless you want to talk about all your failures. God sustains you.

You were dead in your sins, and God made you alive. But even after being made alive, you’re still being pulled at by this sinful world which is appealing to your sinful desires. And apart from the power of God, you would be pulled right back to your life apart from Christ.

We keep the faith because God keeps us. That’s the beautiful combination of human responsibility and divine sovereignty.

You see it also in Philippians 2 where we’re instructed to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Why? Because it is God who is working in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

God gives us the desire and the ability to follow Christ. To borrow the words from First John, we love because He first loved us. God loves His children. And God keeps His children.

Some people call this doctrine “once saved, always saved.” And that is a factual statement. The key, though, is that not everyone who says they’re saved is actually saved. Some people are out there saying they prayed a prayer when they were 8 years old, and now they can live in immorality and blatant sin, because they can’t lose their salvation. That’s not how it works.

Another name people use for this doctrine is the perseverance of the saints. And that’s a good way to talk about it, because a true disciple will persevere in the faith and He’ll be preserved by God.

Nobody can lose their salvation, but we might be deceived about their salvation in the first place, like the disciples were with Judas. When someone abandons the faith, either in doctrine or in practice, it’s because they were never saved to begin with. According to First John 2:19, they give evidence that they were never really of the faith.

You need to have this doctrinal fact solidified in your mind: Nobody can lose their salvation. They might be deceived about their salvation. They might be grieving the Spirit with their sin. They might not feel an assurance that they’re saved. But salvation cannot be lost.

And that security is rooted, ultimately, not in some kind of impersonal, spiritual law. It’s rooted in the character and work of God. A lot of people know that salvation can’t be lost, but they might not think about why it can’t be lost.

What is the means of our spiritual protection? It’s the character of God and the intercession of Jesus Christ. The security of salvation is not rooted in us. It’s rooted in the faithful love of God.

You might think, “If salvation can’t be lost, then why is Jesus praying that they won’t lose their salvation?” Because that’s the means by which we are protected. 

Listen to this verse; it’s so important to understand the role of Jesus Christ. It’s Hebrews 7:25. It says—[Jesus Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Jesus saves us forever because He intercedes for us. That’s what He does for His disciples.

But for the eleven disciples around Him, imagine the comfort this would have been for them! If Judas defected, one of their own, couldn’t one of them defect? Is that a possibility? Should they be afraid of that? Not anymore.

Jesus, whose prayers are always perfectly answered, is praying that they would be protected spiritually, that they would remain in the faith.

In verse 12, we’re told that Jesus protected them while they were with Him. Jesus guarded them. They all made it through, except for Judas, whom Jesus knew would betray. He was a devil from the beginning.

And so here’s Jesus, through His prayer, assuring His disciples that they will be protected spiritually as they go out into a dark world. They will keep the faith. They will be victorious spiritually because Jesus is praying for their protection.

Secondly, Jesus is praying for their unity. That’s what he wants for them. He prays for their protection, and He prays for their unity. This is the end of verse 11. John 17:11b.

The unity Jesus wants is a result of their protection. If they’re saved, then they are all united spiritually. And as they continue walking in faith, they are united practically as well. This is what it talks about in 1 John 1:7—If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another.

So, spiritually, the disciples are united in Christ eternally, but as they continue in holiness, they experience a practical expression of that unity. And that unity will strengthen their witness in the world.

Jesus wants a united church, first of all, because it’s effective, and secondly, because it reflects the glory of God. He wants them to be one, just as He and the Father are one. There is equality, but there is also submission and love.

Jesus is strengthening the disciples’ assurance about their future. They are going to be protected and they are going to be united.

Let’s move on to the third request. This is the third desire Jesus has for the church. And this comes in verse 13. Look at it with me. John 17:13.

What does Jesus want for the disciples? He wants them to have joy. Jesus prays for their joy.

Again, think about what that must have meant for the disciples. Joy is a topic Jesus had mentioned numerous times in the Upper Room Discourse. But maybe the disciples thought of it simply as a possibility. But now, Jesus is making it a guarantee for them. He’s praying for their joy. And that prayer will be answered by the Father.

But here’s the important question: how does that joy come? What is the source od that joy? Look again at verse 13. “These things I speak in the world that they may have my joy.” Even though they’re going to be in a dark and sinful world, the source of their joy is the word of Christ, which the Holy Spirit is going to bring to their remembrance, according to the promise of John 14:26. The word brings the joy.

And you can see the same idea in verse 14 which starts with “I have given them Your word.” It’s the word of Christ that brings the joy of Christ. The disciples are going to need joy because this world will be full of sorrow. Look at the rest of verse 14. John 17:14

The world, the sinful system enslaved to Satan, is going to hate them. The world still hates Christ’s true followers. And because of that opposition and that animosity, the disciples of Jesus need joy. And it’s a joy that comes from the word. The word reminds us of what’s true. It reminds us that this life is not the end. And more than that, it’s the word that unites us to Christ Himself, in whom we have joy and rest and life.

You know, I know that we all have various seasons of sadness or difficulty. And that burdens me. But what burdens me even more, and it frustrates me too, is that when people are in that situation, when life is especially difficult for whatever reason, some of them stop coming to church. They cut themselves off from corporate worship, from the expression of their unity with the church, and from the reception of the word of God.

I heard an interesting question this past week in a sermon by Steve Lawson. I think it was based on something he had read from the Puritans. He asked: If you had one hour to enrich or enliven your soul, what do you think would be more profitable—an hour of quiet study in the word of God, or an hour with a man who had spent multiple hours already studying to feed you with the word?

Those aren’t mutually exclusive, but the point it’s getting at it is the importance of corporate worship and sitting together under the word of God. The New Testament says so much more about corporate worship than it does about personal devotions.

Folks, when you feel the burdens of living in a sinful, fallen body and a sinful, fallen world, don’t stop coming to church. That’s what you need most. You need the word of God and the encouragement and the unity of the body of Christ.

Being at church is part of how God protects us. It’s part of how God unites us. And it’s part of how He brings us the joy of Jesus Christ. This world is only going to get worse. Things are going to get more difficult. But God is with us.

And verse 15 repeats the idea of God’s protection. He preserves us, even though we’re going to go through serious trials. John 17:15.

The prayer is: “Father, they have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of Light. Keep them out of the domain of Satan. Keep them out of the slavery of sin. Help them walk in accordance with their new identity, in accordance with who they really are. Their life is hidden with Christ.”

John 17:16

We don’t usually say it like this, but Jesus was an extra-terrestrial, right? He is not from this earth. He doesn’t have an earthly origin, and His kingdom is not of this world. Well, in conversion we became citizens of that kingdom. And so now, we are not of this world. We are aliens and strangers. We are exiles. This isn’t our real home. So, we are supposed to look different than the world.

And this brings us to Christ’s final request for His disciples, His fourth desire. Jesus prays for their protection, He prays for their unity, He prays for their joy, and lastly, He prays for their sanctification. He prays for their sanctification. This is from verse 17. John 17:17

What does that mean? What does it mean to be sanctified? The verb means to make something holy. And the basic idea of the word is to set something apart. In the Old Testament for example, there were shovels and pots and pans that were set apart for use in the tabernacle. They were sanctified. They were holy. They were set apart for a specific purpose.

Well, Jesus wants His disciples to be set apart in the world. They should reflect the Holy Father in their conduct, and they should be devoted to the task they’ve been given. They should be focused on the mission.

When you came to Christ in repentance and faith, you were sanctified positionally. You were declared holy. But the process in this life of looking more like Christ is also called sanctification. That’s talking about practical sanctification. You look and act and think more like your new identity in Christ. That’s what Jesus wants from us.

And notice again, what is it that brings about that change? How do we mature? How do we grow spiritually? We are sanctified in the truth. Where do we get that? Again, from the word of God.

This book is the truth. It’s the whole truth. It’s nothing but the truth. And it is God’s instrument to sanctify you and equip you.

A lot of you know the passage in Ephesians 4. Jesus gives pastors and teachers to the church so that they can teach so that we can be built up in the faith and equipped for ministry.

Second Timothy 3:16-17 says the same thing—All Scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There’s that word again—equipped. You see, sanctification is not just about becoming a kinder person, or a more generous person, or a person who sins less, it’s about equipping you for a task. It makes you more like Jesus, and Jesus lived with God’s mission in mind.

Look at verse 18. John 17:18.

The Father sent the Son into this hostile, sinful, darkened world, for a purpose. And He sent Him with an authority. And in the same way, Jesus sends out His disciples. They go with the derived authority of Jesus. We go out in Jesus’ name. And we go out with a mission—a mission to proclaim the truth of Christ in a fallen world, and to live out that truth. We are following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.

We are here to help other people follow Christ. Here’s the way Mark Dever has put it: “If you’re not helping other people follow Christ, then I’m not so sure what you mean when you say you’re following Christ.” Did you get that. It doesn’t make any sense at all to say that you follow Jesus Christ if you’re not living your life trying to help others follow Christ. That’s the task Jesus has sent us to do.

And as our Master, Jesus has laid out the path for us and He is the One who makes all that we do possible.

Let’s close with verse 19. John 17:19.

ESV says “consecrate.” But it’s the same verb. Jesus sanctifies Himself. He sets Himself apart. How? Well, it doesn’t mean He makes Himself more holy in terms of His life. He’s always been perfectly holy.

What it’s talking about is that He completely devotes Himself to the task God has given Him. He only ever does the will of the Father. And on that night it will mean getting arrested. And on the next day it will mean dying on a cross. That was Christ’s mission.

And Christ’s mission on the cross was not simply about expressing His love. It was about actually accomplishing something. His death—His sacrifice—accomplished our redemption. It paid the price of the sin of every single person who would ever come to faith. It provided forgiveness and reconciliation.

And that’s not all. Jesus’ death is also the means of our sanctification. We are saved by the blood of Jesus, and we are sanctified by the blood of Jesus. His blood brings us freedom from the punishment of sin, and it gives us freedom from the power of sin. The power of His death and His resurrection enable us to walk in newness of life.

Another thing that makes this statement remarkable is that it reminds us that Jesus isn’t thinking simply about Himself. He’s thinking about His disciples. He’s thinking about the result. “I am dedicating Myself to what God has ordained for Me, so that God’s people will be dedicated to what the Father has ordained for them.”

Christ’s sanctification is active. Notice that. He sanctifies Himself. Our sanctification is passive. We are sanctified by God. He changes our hearts. He changes our desires.

This is the great encouragement to the disciples of Jesus Christ, and it should be an encouragement to you too. Jesus Christ is praying for you. He is interceding for you. And by virtue of what he has done and by virtue of what He continues to do, He is equipping us for the mission we’ve been given.

We will be protected spiritually. We will be united eternally. We will be given joy. And we will be sanctified daily. That’s Christ’s prayer. And the Father will answer those prayers perfectly.

So now, in the confidence of God’s faithfulness, let’s do our part to cultivate these things in our life and to commit ourselves to the mission God has laid out for us.

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