“Who Is It You Want?” [Matt's Messages]

“Who Is It You Want?”

Life in Jesus’ Name - The Gospel of John

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

November 3, 2024 :: John 18:1-27  

The next few weeks of sermons are going to feel a bit like we’re in the wrong season.

If you’ve been in church a lot over your lifetime, the next several weeks are going to feel like we’re leading up to Easter not to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This last section of John is all about Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, and the amazing miracle that came afterwards. We often talk about it in February, March, and April. 

But I think it’s good that we’ve reached this point in November. Because this is something that Christians should be the most thankful for. And it IS what Christmas is all about. This is WHY the Word became flesh. So, we’re going to lean into it over the next several weeks. Seeing what our Lord went through so that we are more thankful and more worshipful than ever before. And that we enjoy life in Jesus’ name.

In John 18, we’re in the night before the Cross. Jesus has met with His disciples, washed their feet, given them the Farewell Teachings, and prayed the Real Lord’s Prayer, His great prayer of consecration. Praying for His glory to be restored (and one day seen), for protection for His disciples, and for their unity and oneness because of His oneness with God the Father.

And now, Jesus is finished talking and praying and is ready to be arrested.

And you’ve probably already caught that this arrest is unlike any other arrest ever. Right? Did you hear how strange it was when Keagan read it to us?

I’ve never been arrested before, but I can imagine what it feels like. I’ve been stopped for speeding before. And I know how nervous I felt then. I feel nervous when I’m not speeding and I pass by a state patrol car!

But Jesus doesn’t act nervous. He doesn’t act scared. And He knows that He’s going to get something much worse than a ticket.

Jesus doesn’t act like a criminal. He acts like a king!

Let me show you what I mean. Let’s start again in verse 1.

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.”

We know it, from the other gospels, by the name “Gethsemane.” It’s on the east side of Jerusalem.  It’s night time. Probably past midnight, so we would consider it Friday morning. It’s cold and dark. 

And Judas knows where they will be. Remember Judas? He had slipped out into the dark back in chapter 13. Because He was going to be betray Jesus. He has been one of the twelve. Think about that. He has been in the inner circle of Jesus. Jesus washed his feet just a few hours ago. Jesus had given him a piece of bread dipped into the dish. They were that close.

Judas knows where Jesus would normally be. He knew He would be in the garden. Jesus loved to take His disciples to the Olive Garden. And not just for the breadsticks. Sorry, couldn’t help it. But He did! This was a regular meeting place in this grove of olive trees. Jesus prayed here. Jesus loved this garden.

You know there are a lot of gardens in the Bible. Sometime, trace the gardens from Genesis to Revelation. A lot of important things happen in gardens. 

Everything was lost in a garden, wasn’t it? Now, everything get fixed in a garden! As Jesus gets arrested in a garden.

Or does He? I mean who really is arresting whom here?! Look at verse 2.

“Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.”

This is serious. They have tactical gear. And there are a whole lot of them. The Greek word here translated “detachment” is a “speiron” or a Roman “cohort” which is a unit of between 200 and 600 soldiers! Now, even if they didn’t all 600 go on that mission, there were at least 200 soldiers with Judas and some of the Jewish temple guard. And they are marching up the hillside in the darkness with their torches and lanterns gleaming off of their swords.

Why so many? I think they are afraid of Jesus. They are afraid that He is so popular. They saw the crowds as Jesus came riding in on Sunday on that donkey. And they are afraid that Jesus is plotting to overthrow the government.  He thinks He’s king of the Jews! What if He raises an army? So they come ready. Or so they thought.

And what does Jesus do? Does He run? Does He bargain? Does He send out an emissary to meet them and negotiate?

No! He steps out Himself, towards them and asks the first question! Look at verse 4.

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’”

And that’s our title for today: “Who Is It You Want?” The ESV has, “Whom do you seek?” Who are you looking for?

Jesus doesn’t sound like a criminal, does He? No, He sounds like a king.

“State your business. Who are you after? You are obviously here for someone. Who is it?”

Notice that John emphasizes (in verse 4) that Jesus knows all that is going to happen to Him. We’ve seen that again and again in the Gospel of John. Jesus is going into this with His eyes wide open, and in fact, is choosing it for Himself. That’s why He takes the initiative, and puts them on the defensive.

“Who is it you want?”

Today, I have five descriptions of Jesus to try to capture what I see about Him in these first 27 verses of chapter 18. And here’s the first one.

#1. UNDAUNTED KING.

Jesus is an undaunted king. He’s not afraid. Not of them, at least. He’s not scared. He’s not running away. Even though He knows what’s coming and has prayed fervently and desperately that the Father would take it away.  But He knows it’s coming. And He chooses it. He chooses to come to it.

We’re going to see this the next several weeks. Jesus is regal! He is in charge. He is not helpless here. He is not caught up in some trap that He couldn’t get out of. If He just said the word, a legion of angels would have wiped out this puny cohort of Romans. But He doesn’t call for help. He calls out, “Who is it you want?” And they answer in verse 5.

“‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am he,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”

Did you ever notice that?! I remember when I first saw this clearly. Jesus says, “I am he,” and these 200 men retreated and fell backwards! Maybe the first row jumped backwards and they all dominoed over?! I don’t know. I do know they would have been ashamed. I see them all climbing back to their feet. Picking up their torches that had fallen when they had fallen. Maybe they’re all in defensive posture. This guy is undaunted.

200 plus men outnumbered by One. (Cf. David Garland.)

But what a One!

Notice this happened when Jesus said what? “I am He.” You know what the Greek is there? “Ego eimi.”

We’ve seen it again and again in the Gospel of John. It could be simply translated, “I am.” He’s said “I am” seven times in this Gospel with something after it to tell us how amazing He is:

“I am the Bread of Life.” 

“I am the Light of the World.”

“I am the Gate for the Sheep.”

“I am the Good Shepherd.”

“I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.”

“I am the True Vine.”

But a few times He’s also said it without anything after it.

“Ego eimi.” “I am.” And that could be translated, “I am he.” It does mean that. But I’m sure it means more than that or why would these guys all fall down?

Remember when He said it in John 8:58? He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.”

#2. UNVEILED DEITY.

For just a second, even if they couldn’t see it, the could hear His divinity. Here was God the Son confronting them.  Not just an undaunted king but an unveiled deity. Look at verse 6 again. “When Jesus said, ‘I am he,' they drew back and fell to the ground.’” He sure doesn’t act like a criminal. He acts like a king. Like the King of Kings. 

But that isn’t the end. They don’t all go home with their tails between their legs. No, Jesus asks them the same questions again. Verse 7.

“Again he asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ ‘I told you that I am he,’ Jesus answered. ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go’” (vv.7-8).

This isn’t over. In fact, it’s just beginning. Jesus is getting arrested here. He is going to the Cross.

But His followers are not. Notice what Jesus has done. He has focused their attention on Him and Him alone. “What name is on the warrant? What name is on the warrant?” 

“Jesus of Nazareth.”

"Alright, I’ve told you that’s me. Let these other 11 guys go."

And apparently they do. They go free. Even Peter! And wait until you see what he does.

Notice how protective Jesus is. He’s being arrested, and He’s thinking about His disciples. He’s promised all along to watch over them.

Look what John say about it in verse 9.

“This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’”

Remember what Jesus prayed last chapter? In chapter 17, verse 12? 

“While I was with them, [Father] I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled” (Jn. 17:12 NIVO).

And this is a picture of that. As they were kept safe here, it was a picture of how Jesus’ people are going to be kept safe forever!

“Not lost one.”

“Not lost one.”

“Of those you gave me.”

Remember, we are the gift of God the Father to God the Son. And He does not lose His gifts!

Let’s make that number three.

#3. UNSTOPPABLE SAVIOR.

“This happened so that the words [Jesus] had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’”

You can’t stop Jesus from saving His people! And Peter tried. Look at the next verse. Verse 10.

“Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)”

Peter meant well. He was trying to help. He pulled out a short little “gladius” sword and went for the head. But it probably bounced off of the Roman helmet and just sliced the guy’s ear.

Peter had told Jesus that very night that he would follow Jesus to death. “I will lay down my life for you.” Chapter 13. Do you remember what Jesus told Peter about that? 

“Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (Jn. 13:38). Peter was trying to help. But he was going about it all wrong. Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t come by the edge of the sword. Jesus’ kingdom comes from loving sacrifice.

In fact, Peter was actually trying to stop Jesus from saving His people. That’s what would have happened. Yikes! What if it had worked?!

Verse 11. “Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’”

“Of course, I will.”

“You’re not going to rescue me. I’m going to rescue you.”

“I’m going to drink the cup.”

What “cup” is that? It’s the cup of God’s wrath. It’s the cup of suffering and judgment and death. It’s the cup that Jesus pleaded His Father to take away from Him, but the answer was no. Jesus needed to drink it so that we would not. Remember, He knows what He’s doing. He is drinking the cup for us. 

And that’s why this text is appropriate for Thanksgiving! Because our Undaunted King Who is the Unveiled Deity is determined to be our Unstoppable Savior. He is going to lay down His life, and nothing is going to deter Him from doing it.

Peter goes free. The other disciples go free. But Jesus goes bound. Verse 12.

“Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year” (vv.12-13).

Our Lord was handcuffed. You know that’s ridiculous, right? Peter should have been. He’s swinging swords. But Jesus hasn’t done anything to deserve this. Can you think of anything Jesus has done in the Gospel of John which we’ve been studying nearly every week since August 2023 which would call for Him to be handcuffed?

From here on for the next two chapters, it’s all injustice all the time. Jesus is mistreated at every step, and it’s mockery of justice.

First off, that they hold a trial at night. That was illegal! And they don’t take Him first to the legal high priest. They take Him to Annas. Who was like the “Godfather” High Priest. He had been the high priest for 10 years but had been deposed. His son-in-law Caiaphas was the official high priest at the time. But Annas was like the power behind the scenes. In fact, his 5 sons all became the high priest, over the next 30 years.

So this is the Godfather high priest, and he probably hates Jesus with a passion. He probably lost a lot of business when Jesus went around tossing tables in the temple.

And his son-in-law hated Jesus, too, and wanted Him dead. Verse 14.

“Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.”

Remember that? Chapter 11, verses 49-51. Caiaphas didn’t realize that He was a prophet. He said that it would be good if one man died for the people. And it would be! Not like he meant it, but it would be. That’s why Jesus is going to the Cross. That’s why Jesus is drinking the cup. That’s why Jesus is standing before His father-in-law and being interrogated.

Meanwhile, Peter is trying to sneak in. He hasn’t run off. He’s been following at distance, and he’s trying to get close and see what’s going on. Look at verse 15.

“Simon Peter and another disciple [perhaps the John the gospel-writer himself] were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard [access], but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

‘You are not one of his disciples, are you?’ the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, ‘I am not.’” (vv.15-17).

Strike one. It’s good that he’s there. But it’s not good that Peter denied following Jesus. V.18

“It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.  Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching” (vv.18-19).

I don’t think he was interested in becoming a follower himself. I think that Annas was trying figure out how big of a problem he had on his hands. “How many disciples do you have? What have you been teaching them? Are you going to lead a revolution?” Verse 20.

“‘I have spoken openly to the world,’ Jesus replied. ‘I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.’”

Who is interrogating whom here?

Jesus doesn’t back down. He isn’t cowed by the “great and mighty” Annas.

#4. UNASHAMED DEFENDANT.

He might be the One on trial, but it doesn’t really feel like it. Jesus says that has taught openly to the world and not not in secret. Now, that doesn’t mean that He hasn’t taught in private. Obviously He did that very night, but if you want to know what He taught, just ask Him! He’s the same in private than He is in public, and His beloved disciple John is going to publish His teachings for the whole wild world to read like we’re doing today. There’s no political conspiracy here.

And why is Jesus being questioned? That’s not proper procedure. If this is a trial, the prosecution is supposed to produce witnesses. Where are the witnesses? If there is a conspiracy going, it’s on the other side!

This is so unjust. Want proof? Look at verse 22.

“When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded.”

Feel that. Go ahead and feel that. That is our Lord Jesus being smacked in the face.

But He doesn’t feel any shame. He knows that He isn’t even really talking to the real high priest. Annas isn’t really the high priest. Even Caiaphas isn’t really the high priest! Annas is talking to the high priest. Verse 23.

“‘If I said something wrong,’ Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’”

He is unashamed. He has done nothing wrong. He is perfectly innocent. And He knows it. And they know it, too. But that doesn’t stop them from sending Him to the Cross. V.24

“Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.”

To get His official charges and be sent over to the Roman governor, Pilate.

We’ll learn more about that next Sunday, Lord-willing. But now we find out what happened to Peter at about the exact same time. V.25

“As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, ‘You are not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’”

Strike two.

Will there be one more? V.26

“One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?’”

Here’s his chance to do what he said he would do. Lay down his life with Jesus. V.27

"Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”

Strike three. He’s out.

I know how Peter feels. At times, I’ve denied Him, too.

But let’s not just focus on Peter here. Let’s think about Jesus. What does this denial of Jesus say about Jesus?

#5. UNDENIABLE PROPHET.

Now, of course, Peter just denied knowing Him. So I don’t mean that kind of undeniable. I mean that when you look at Jesus’ prophecies, they all come true. Every single one of them.

Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed.

And guess what? Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.

Every time Jesus prophesied of the future, it came to pass. And that means that we can trust Him for everything He’s prophesied for our future.  

And just think about all of what that means!

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” (Jn. 6:35).

He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).,

He said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.” (Jn. 15:5).

He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn. 11:25-26).

He said, “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn. 14:2-3).

We can take these promises to heart. His prophecies of the future always come true.

And He also said this, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

Who is it you want?

I’ll tell you who I want.

I want an undaunted king who is unafraid and clearly in charge.

I want an unveiled deity, to worship a man who is clearly God the Son.

I want an unstoppable savior, who is bound and determined to rescue and keep His people.

I want an unashamed defendant, who is clearly not guilty so that He can my place as a Lamb without blemish or defect.

I want undeniable prophet who always keeps His promises and infallibly predicts the future.

Who is it you want?

I want Jesus. And I want Him for you.

***

Messages in this Series

01. "That You May Believe" - John 20:30-31
02. "In The Beginning Was the Word" - John 1:1-18
03. "John's Testimony" - John 1:19-34
04. "Come and See" - John 1:35-51
05. "The First of His Miraculous Signs" - John 2:1-11
06. "This Temple" - John 2:12-25
07. "You Must Be Born Again" - John 3:1-15
08. "God So Loved The World" - John 3:16-21
09. "Above All" - John 3:22-36
10. "Living Water" - John 4:1-26
11. "Ripe for the Harvest" - John 4:27-42
12. "Your Son Will Live" - John 4:43-54
13. "Pick Up Your Mat and Walk" - John 5:1-18
14. "To Your Amazement" - John 5:19-30
15. "Testimony About Me" - John 5:31-47
Christmas Eve Bonus: "The Astonishing Gift" - John 3:16 Again
Christmas Eve Bonus: "We Have Seen His Glory" - John 1:1-18 Again
16. "Enough Bread" - John 6:1-15
17. "You Are Looking for Me" - John 6:16-36
18. "I Am the Bread of Life" - John 6:35-71
Vision Meeting Bonus: "As I Have Loved You" - John 13:34-35
19. "At the Feast" - John 7:1-52
20. "I Am the Light of the World" - John 8:12-30
21. "Your Father" - John 8:31-59
22. "Now I See" - John 9:1-41
23. "I Am The Gate" - John 10:1-13
24. "I Am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:14-21
25. "I And The Father Are One" - John 10:22-42
26. "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:1-53
27. "Expensive" - John 11:54-12:11
28. "The Hour Has Come" - John 12:12-26
29. "Father, Glorify Your Name!" - John 12:27-36
30. "Believe In Me" - John 12:37-50
31. "Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?" - John 13:1-17
32. "I Am Telling You Now Before It Happens” - John 13:18-38
2024 West Branch Baccalaureate: "The Way, The Truth, and The Life" - John 14:6
33. "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life” - John 14:1-6
34. "Show Us the Father" - John 14:7-14
35. "If You Love Me" - John 14:15
36. "I Will Ask the Father" - John 14:16-24
37. "My Peace I Give You" - John 14:25-31
38. "I Am the True Vine" - John 15:1-11
39. "You Are My Friends" - John 15:12-17
40. "If The World Hates You" - John 15:18-6:4
41. "When He Comes" - John 16:5-15
42. "After a Little While" - Joh 16:16-24
43. "Take Heart!" - John 16:25-33
44. "Glorify Your Son" - John 17:1-5
45. “Holy Father, Protect Them" - John 17:6-19
46. "That All Of Them May Be One, Father" - John 17:20-26

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“That All of Them May Be One, Father” [Matt's Messages]

“That All of Them May Be One, Father”

Life in Jesus’ Name - The Gospel of John

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

October 27, 2024 :: John 17:20-26  

The Lord Jesus was praying for you.

On the night before He went to the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ prayed the most profound and heartfelt prayer consecrating Himself to do His Father’s will to fulfill His Father’s mission, sanctifying Himself to suffer and die for us. And we’ve been listening in to His prayer.

Do you remember that? It’s been a month since we were here in John 17. I hope it’s coming back to you.

We’ve spent the whole Summer and Fall studying what Jesus taught His disciples the night before He went to the Cross. We call them “The Farewell Teachings.” And the last thing He said to them was our memory verse: 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33 NIVO).

And then He began to pray. And pray and pray and pray. The longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the Bible. I’m so glad that His beloved friend John wrote it down for us to study today.

Because you can learn a lot about someone by listening to them pray. You can tell what they really care about by what they say to God when they are really praying. I’ve often called this, “The Real Lord’s Prayer” because it’s what our Lord really prayed to His Father just hours before He was killed. When you really listen to someone pray, you can learn a lot about their heart. 

This prayer expresses the heart of Jesus. And do you remember what we’ve learned about the heart of Jesus?

Jesus began (in verses 1 through 5) by praying for Himself. In fact, He prayed for His own glory. Father, “Glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify You” (v.1). Jesus prayed, for Himself, that He would get the glory (the shining beauty of His greatness) in His crucifixion, in His resurrection, and in His ascension and present session at the right hand of the Majesty on High. Jesus prayed that He would get the glory that was His, is His, and will be His forever. And that that glory to the Son would bring glory to His Father forever and ever, in an endless circle. Glory was Jesus’ number one priority in His prayers. And it should be ours, as well.

But He didn’t stop there. He went on in verses 6 through 19 to pray for His disciples circled around Him. Jesus was concerned about them. He saw the danger that they were soon going to be in after He was gone so He prayed for their protection. He prayed (v.11), “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.” Do you remember this? Jesus was afraid that His disciples were going to be blown apart from one another and sucked back into the world and knocked off course from their mission. And so He prayed for their protection by the name of God Himself, for their unity and joy, from the evil one, and in and into the world. Remember all that? Remember how important the prepositions were in His prayers? Jesus prayed for their protection by the name of God Himself, for their unity and joy, from the evil one, and in (but not of) and into the world. And the Father said, “Yes” to these prayers for His disciples. And He still is.

But Jesus didn’t stop there either! Jesus didn’t just pray for Himself and His Father’s glory, and He didn’t just pray for the eleven disciples circled around Him and their protection. That night also prayed for you. And He prayed for me. Did you hear it when Keagan read verse 20?

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message...”

That’s us, brothers and sisters. That’s you and me. Jesus gave the disciples the gospel message, and they took it to the world, and it has reached central Pennsylvania so that you and I sitting in this room today believe in Jesus through that message. And on the night before the Cross, Jesus said to His Father, “I am praying for them.”

These seven verses should be so precious to us. The whole thing is, of course, but we can put our names in verse 20.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for...Matt Mitchell. I pray for all of them at Lanse Free Church. Everybody who believed in me through the gospel message that I gave to these eleven disciples. I’m praying for them.” This is precious.

And what did He pray for? What was on His heart for us? Look at verse 21.

Jesus said, “I pray...that all of them may be one, Father...” That’s gotta be our title for today. 

“That All of Them May Be One, Father.”

Jesus was praying for our unity. He was praying for oneness, wholeness, togetherness, love.

Jesus was looking down the corridor of time and earnestly praying for all His disciples over all of the years (more than 2,000 by now) and praying that all of His future followers (numbering now in the multi-millions) would be one. Jesus was praying for our unity.

Want to know what Jesus cares about? Want to know what is on Jesus’ heart? Jesus cares that His future followers are unified so much so that He prayed for it as Judas and the Romans were coming to kill Him.

We’ve seen this again and again. How much Jesus cares about His disciples loving one another. He’s been talking about it all night. He’s been showing them how to do it. Some of their feet are still wet from Him washing them and saying, “Do this to each other.”

In chapter 13 He said to them, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn. 13:34 NIVO). That’s been our theme as a church for all of 2024. Because it was one of Jesus’ biggest themes! He’s commanded it. He’s shown them how to do it. And now He’s praying for it. He prayed for it in verse 11, “Holy Father protect them by the power of your name...[why?] so that they may be one as we are one” (Jn. 17:11 NIVO). 

And He’s praying for it here in verse 21. And He says it again in verse 22, “That they may be one.” And in verse 23 He says, “May they be brought to complete unity...” 

Perfect unity among Christians. That was Jesus’ prayer. Is it yours? Is it mine? Do we pray for unity with anything like the passion our Lord did? Do we strive to see that prayer answered in our lives anything like our Lord did?

Because unity does not just happen. It’s not easy. 

It’s not easy because we not the same. Notice Jesus doesn’t say that He wants us all to be the same. He wants us to be one. He is very happy that we are different from each other. Where the differences are not foolish or sinful. Last night at the membership seminar, we looked at how the Bible says that we are all like different body parts. Some of us are elbows and some of us are pinky-fingers and some of us are lungs.But we are all one body. Or at least we’re supposed to be. 

It’s good that we’re not all elbows, right? Imagine a body that is just all elbows. We’re supposed to be different. Racially, ethnically, both genders, all ages, all demographics, all socio-economical levels, married and single, different political parties, different jobs, different interests, different giftings, different complementary perspectives on a whole range of things. But all one in Christ.

“...that all of them may be one, Father...”

I don’t think He’s talking about one organization or one human institution like one great big denomination.  No, He doesn’t pray that we would be one organizationally but relationally. Missionally. Purposefully. Spiritually. See what He says to the Father in verse 21 about what this oneness should be like. Verse 21.

I pray, “...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

Did you catch that? Our oneness is to be modeled after the oneness of God the Son and God the Father!

Our oneness is supposed to reflect their oneness! Which we have also seen again and again in the Gospel of John. He says it again in verse 22. Skip down to that. “...that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me.”

I’ve got four points this morning to try to summarize this precious paragraph (which is impossible to sum up! But here we go).

“I pray that all of them may be one, Father...”

#1. LIKE WE ARE ONE!

Like the Son of God is one with God the Father.

Now, of course, that cannot mean that we are one in every way as the Father is with the Son. They are both God, and we are not. But the analogy stands. Jesus insists on it in His prayer. He wants our unity to be like their unity. And that should just blow us away. Because what is their unity like? It’s perfect, isn’t it? It’s unbroken and unbreakable. 

They are so united that they it’s right to say that they are IN each other, right? Their oneness is IN-ness. Look at verse 21 again. I pray “...that all of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you.” It doesn’t get much closer than that!

And that’s the model for our unity. We need to, on some level, think of ourselves as IN each other. And that’s because we are in Christ. That’s what He prays for in verse 21.

“May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Jesus prays that we would all be in the Father and the Son (and we know from chapters 14-16 that the Holy Spirit is there, too). Jesus prays that we would all be IN the Triune God. And that if we’re all spiritually IN the Triune God, then we are IN one another. Jesus says that this is only possible because of the gift of His glory. Look at verse 22.

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one...”

And I just don’t know exactly what it means, but it sounds wonderful! There are bunch of things it could mean that Jesus has given us His glory.  Of course, there are some things it cannot mean. It cannot mean that we are now shining with the same glory He is. I can tell just by looking around the room. But He says that He has given us the glory that Father gave Him. I think that, at least, it means that we have seen a glimpse of His glory, a taste of His glory as we have looked at Him.

And it probably also means, on some level, that He was giving us His glory as He went to the Cross. Just like it meant that in verse 1. The time had come for Him to glorified in the Crucifixion and then the Resurrection. He was giving us His glory by laying it down only to take it up again.

And it probably means that He was giving us a mission to be like Him in His glory to humble ourselves, as well, only for Him to raise us up.

But my guess about the main thing He’s saying here is that Jesus gives us His glory spiritually because we are now IN Him. It’s all of that other stuff and it’s because we are spiritually located in Jesus.

And that makes us one with Him and with everyone else who is in Him.

And that makes us one with Father, too! Because He is in Jesus. Do you see it?

It’s like of like Russian dolls, right? You know what I mean? Those wooden Russian dolls that nest inside of each other? There’s the big one, you open it and there’s another and then another and so on.

Look at verse 23. I almost named this sermon by the first phrase of verse 23. “I in them and you in me.”

The big Russian doll is us. All of us. And then open us up, and there’s Jesus and His glory. He’s given it to us! Jesus is in all of us. And then, look. Open that up. Look who is inside of the Son? It’s the Father.

“I in them and you in me.”

But it goes the other way, too, right? Like no Russian doll you ever saw before. Open up the Father and what do you find? Verse 21 says, “You [Father] are in me and I [Son] am in you.” [And we know the Spirit’s in there, too!] So open up the Father and you find the Son. And what does verse 21 say next? “May they also be in us...” 

That’s what He means by “complete unity.” All of us so intimately bound up with one another that we are “IN” each other. And if that is true of us, why wouldn’t we be unified? Why wouldn’t we be loving?Why wouldn’t we be totally together? That’s what Jesus was praying for. And that’s what we should be praying and striving for, too.

Notice that the Father never stops being the Father. And the Son never stops being the Son. They are still different. We are all supposed to stay different from each other in lots of ways that aren’t foolish or sinful. But we are supposed to be one. Like the Son and the Father.

And, number two, we’re supposed to be one so that others may believe.

#2. SO THAT OTHERS MAY BELIEVE!

Did you catch that in verse 21 and in verse 23?

There is an evangelistic purpose to this prayer for unity. Look at verse 21 again.

“[I pray] that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us SO THAT the world may believe that you sent me.” 

Do you see the connection?

The world is watching the church. Outsiders are asking themselves if they want to come in to Christ. They are wondering if this gospel thing is true.

“Did the Father send the Son? Did God so love the world that He gave His One and Only so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life?”

Some of you may be asking that question right now. “Is all this stuff true?”

How will they know? One way is by looking at us to see if our lives have truly changed. One way is by looking at Christians to see if we actually love one another. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35 NIVO). How are we doing at that?

Are followers of Jesus known for our genuine love for each other? Are we one?!

I know it’s hard. It’s not easy love each other especially because we’re so different and because we’re all sinful. We are not all lovable. We are often unholy and unlovable.

But that didn’t stop Jesus from loving us.

And it didn’t stop the Father from loving us.

And we can’t let it stop us. Look at verse 23.

“May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

We love each other so that others will know how much they are loved.

I love how much this church family is loving each other these days.

I see it all over the place. The Fall Retreat last week! I loved seeing everybody passing around the babies. Playing board games. I laughed so hard at one with multiple generations playing that I was crying.

And the Ladies Fellowship group on Wednesday mornings? Those ladies sing and do crafts and study the Bible and share their testimonies and check up on each other. They call each other and pray for each other. And make gifts for others. They sent me with a gift to give to John Walter. I was so glad they made that and asked me to deliver it because it meant that I got to see him one more time just last week before he passed.

And the Community Group and Youth Group and Prayer Meeting and Choir. Those are all healthy expressions of oneness.

This meeting right here. A big bunch of loving people loving on each other. How you stick around afterwards and love on each other.

This especially true when we get unlovable. Forgiving each other. That’s when it gets real. When we sin against each other and have to confront each other and then ask forgiveness and then actually forgive each other? That’s when you see oneness! And when we bear with each other? When we’re tolerant of each other. When we’re patient with each other? When we are longsuffering? That’s when the world has to sit up and take notice.

When people who shouldn’t be one are one, that’s when our witness kicks into high gear.  

That’s when people start to say, “Maybe the Father did send the Son and loved ME even as He loved His Son...”

“He loved ME enough to give up His Son? ... I believe!”

Let me ask you a question. Has the Father answered this prayer request of Jesus?

We’ve seen what’s on Jesus’ heart. What is the Father doing with this request? I’ve gotta say that He’s in the process of answering it with a YES.

Like other prayer requests in verses 1 through 19, there is a sense in which they have been be answered and, yet, there is still more to come.

I look around, and I see a lot of disunity in the Body of Christ. And I feel it in my own heart. I often grow cold in my love for other Christians, especially when they sin against me or when they choose paths that seem foolish or wrong to me.

And I see some Christians trying to bring unity in the wrong way. Often by trimming the truth or pretending that something is holy that I unholy. But, remember, Jesus prayed for our unity and He prayed that we would be sanctified by the truth in the very same prayer (17:17). We have to be unified in the truth, not in lies.

But Jesus prayed to His Father that we would all be one, and I believe that the Father is saying YES to that prayer request, one Christian relationship at at time. And, one day, every Christian relationship at the same time! And how glorious will that be?!!  Jesus can hardly wait. Look at verse 24.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

Want to see the heart of Jesus?! This is what Jesus wants. The old King James has “I will.” It expresses the deepest desire of Jesus’ heart.

“Father, I want those you have given me [remember that’s us, we are the gift of the Father to the Son, I want those you have given me] to be with me where I am...” 

Not so much in the Garden or at the Cross but in Heaven where He was soon headed.

“With me where I am...and to see my glory...”

#3. SO THEY SEE MY GLORY!

He’s back to praying about His glory, but He’s not just praying that He would be glorified or that His Father would be glorified but that we would see His glory! That we would be up close and personal and see the shining beauty of His greatness. 

There’s no way of describing what that beatific vision will be like. He is the most glorious being in all of the universe. He’s everything we ever need or could imagine. He’s everything we’ve sung his morning and so much more. And the Father has given Him this glory because He’s loved the Son forever and ever! “Before the creation of the world.” Long before anything else existed the Triune God existed in an endless circle of love and glory! Always and forever have been and will be.

And what’s amazing is that Jesus wants you and me to be caught up in it! The Lord Jesus was praying for you that night that you would be with Him and see His glory!

He promised it in chapter 14. “In my Father's house are many rooms...I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn. 14:2-3). And He told us the way to get there. He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life (14:6).

And here He’s praying that we could believe and be close to Him and see His own glory. You know what? That’s where John is right now. That’s what He’s getting to see. I’m jealous. But our day will come soon enough if we are trusting in Jesus and what He did for us on the Cross.

In the last two verses, Jesus promises His Father that He won’t stop until all of His people know Him and know that they are in Him and are full of His love.

“I pray that all of them may be one, Father...”

#4. SO THEY ARE FULL OF ME AND OUR LOVE.

Look at verse 25.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you [in fact, they have often rejected you], I know you, and they [my disciples] know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

How’s that for a way to end a prayer?! Jesus tells His Father that He’s on mission and He’s not going to be deterred. He’s been revealing the Father all along just like it says in chapter 1, verse 18.

“No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.”

In fact, it literally says, “I have made your name known to them and will continue to make it known.”

We look at the Son and we learn of the Father. And He’s going to keep on doing it even though it means His death. In order that the love that the Father has for the Son may be in us. And so that the Son may be in us, too!

The Lord Jesus was praying for you. He was praying that you would have the son inside of you through faith in His name. And He was praying that you would have the love of the Father for the Son inside of you, too. And if you’ve got that, then you have everything you need to love your brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we all have that, too!

Are you full of Jesus and full of the Father’s love for Jesus? Then you can have the same passion for unity as your Savior. And you can strive like Jesus that we would all be one. Then you can pray like Jesus that we would all be one.

***

Messages in this Series

01. "That You May Believe" - John 20:30-31
02. "In The Beginning Was the Word" - John 1:1-18
03. "John's Testimony" - John 1:19-34
04. "Come and See" - John 1:35-51
05. "The First of His Miraculous Signs" - John 2:1-11
06. "This Temple" - John 2:12-25
07. "You Must Be Born Again" - John 3:1-15
08. "God So Loved The World" - John 3:16-21
09. "Above All" - John 3:22-36
10. "Living Water" - John 4:1-26
11. "Ripe for the Harvest" - John 4:27-42
12. "Your Son Will Live" - John 4:43-54
13. "Pick Up Your Mat and Walk" - John 5:1-18
14. "To Your Amazement" - John 5:19-30
15. "Testimony About Me" - John 5:31-47
Christmas Eve Bonus: "The Astonishing Gift" - John 3:16 Again
Christmas Eve Bonus: "We Have Seen His Glory" - John 1:1-18 Again
16. "Enough Bread" - John 6:1-15
17. "You Are Looking for Me" - John 6:16-36
18. "I Am the Bread of Life" - John 6:35-71
Vision Meeting Bonus: "As I Have Loved You" - John 13:34-35
19. "At the Feast" - John 7:1-52
20. "I Am the Light of the World" - John 8:12-30
21. "Your Father" - John 8:31-59
22. "Now I See" - John 9:1-41
23. "I Am The Gate" - John 10:1-13
24. "I Am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:14-21
25. "I And The Father Are One" - John 10:22-42
26. "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:1-53
27. "Expensive" - John 11:54-12:11
28. "The Hour Has Come" - John 12:12-26
29. "Father, Glorify Your Name!" - John 12:27-36
30. "Believe In Me" - John 12:37-50
31. "Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?" - John 13:1-17
32. "I Am Telling You Now Before It Happens” - John 13:18-38
2024 West Branch Baccalaureate: "The Way, The Truth, and The Life" - John 14:6
33. "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life” - John 14:1-6
34. "Show Us the Father" - John 14:7-14
35. "If You Love Me" - John 14:15
36. "I Will Ask the Father" - John 14:16-24
37. "My Peace I Give You" - John 14:25-31
38. "I Am the True Vine" - John 15:1-11
39. "You Are My Friends" - John 15:12-17
40. "If The World Hates You" - John 15:18-6:4
41. "When He Comes" - John 16:5-15
42. "After a Little While" - Joh 16:16-24
43. "Take Heart!" - John 16:25-33
44. "Glorify Your Son" - John 17:1-5
45. “Holy Father, Protect Them”

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“Holy Father, Protect Them” [Matt's Messages]

“Holy Father, Protect Them”

Life in Jesus’ Name - The Gospel of John

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

September 29, 2024 :: John 17:6-19  

We are listening to Jesus pray.

We are listening to our Lord talk to His Father on the night right before the Cross.

This is, perhaps, the most important prayer in human history. It is definitely the longest prayer of our Lord recorded in our Bibles for us to read today. I’m glad that John was listening and writing it down for us to study together here.

Because it really reveals Jesus’ heart. We said last week that you can really learn a lot by listening to someone pray. And that’s true. 

What was the main prayer request of verses 1 through 5? What did the Son pray to the Father in the first part of John 17? What did He pray for? He prayed for glory. “Glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify You” (v.1).

Jesus prayed, for Himself, that He would get the glory (the shining beauty of His greatness) in His crucifixion, in His resurrection, and in His ascension and present session at the right hand of the Majesty on High. Jesus prayed that He would get the glory that was His, is His, and will be His forever. And that that glory to the Son would bring glory to His Father forever and ever, as well.

Glory was Jesus’ number one priority in His prayers. And it should be ours, as well.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. Not only was that prayer for His glory good for us because it means the gift of eternal life for us, but Jesus continued to pray in the next few verses directly for His disciples. Jesus prayed for His disciples circled around Him. How encouraging that must have been! To hear their Lord praying for them. How encouraging! 

But also scary. Because His main prayer request is for their protection. Jesus believes that His disciples are in grave danger. That’s why He’s praying for them. And so He’s praying for their protection. Look at verse 11. Here’s where we get our title for today.

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.”

That’s the central thrust of this part of the Real Lord’s Prayer. The prayer our Lord really prayed. Not just the one that He taught His followers to pray, but the one that He prayed Himself right before He was arrested.

“Holy Father, protect them....”

Your version might have “keep them,” and that’s a good translation, too. The Greek word is “tayrayson” from “tayreo” “to keep.” It means to “attend to carefully,” “to take care of,” “to protect” or “guard” or “watch over.”  “Holy Father, keep them safe.”

Jesus believes that His disciples are in some kind of danger, and so he prays this prayer to his “Holy Father.”

Notice that! Notice what Jesus calls the Father here. This is the only place in the entire Bible where the Father is called this particular name, but it so sums up Who He really is so well!

He is Holy! He is transcendent. He is perfect. His above all things. He is separate from sin and wholly other. There is noone above Him! Holy. And, yet, He is Father. He is close. He is near. He cares. He loves. He provides. He is “Daddy.” The perfect Father. Perfectly Holy and totally Father at the very same time. Just the Person you want to bring your prayer requests to. And Jesus does. And He asks His Holy Father to protect His disciples.

Protect them from what? What’s the danger?

Jesus is afraid that His disciples are going to be blown apart from one another and sucked back into the world and knocked off course from their mission. So He prays that they will not be lost. “Holy Father, Protect Them...”

I have four points this morning to summarize this part of Jesus’ prayer, and I could have many more. There is so much here! But here’s the first one. 

“Holy Father, Protect Them...”

#1. IN YOUR NAME.

The prepositions in this section are very important. As we’re studying it together, pay special attention to the prepositions in this passage. The words like, “in, by, from, of, into.” Those sorts of words that show the nature of the relationships here.

You see in verse 11, Jesus prays, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name...”

Literally, that could be simply translated, “...keep them in your name...” That’s what some of your versions have. Jesus prays that His disciples would be protected by and in and through the very name of God! Which is something that He’s been talking about all along, hasn’t it?

In fact, that where He starts this section in verse 6. Let’s start in there. Verse 6. Jesus is praying.

“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”

Now, let’s make sure we know who are all the pronouns here.

When He says, “I,” He means Who?  That’s Jesus. The Son.

When He says, “You” Who does He mean? That’s the Father. The Holy Father. This is a prayer from God the Son to God the Father.

Whose are the “those” and the “they” in verse 6? That’s Jesus’ disciples. Peter, James, John, Nathaniel, Thomas, Phillip. Those guys. There are eleven of them. One is now missing. What is his name? Judas has slipped out in the darkness to betray Jesus. Jesus is praying for His disciples, and He’s praying for them as the Father’s gift to Him. He’s reminding the Father how He gave the Son His true followers. Verse 6 again.

“I have revealed you [literally, that’s “your name!”] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”

That’s like a description of what Jesus has been up to all along for the last three years. He has been revealing the Father’s name, making the Father known to His disciples. 

Remember, a name isn’t just a label. It’s the Person that the label stands for. That’s why the NIV has, “I have revealed you...” "I’ve been showing these guys Who You really are. I’ve been giving them a sense of Your name. And they have obeyed your word. Unlike the unbelieving world, these guys have believed the good news about Who I am." Verse 7.

“Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.”

What a great description of conversion, isn’t it? These disciples have heard Jesus teach Who He is. The seven I Ams. Everything from chapters 1 through 16, and while they are still confused on details, they have accepted it as true. And they have believed that the Son was sent from the Father.

These disciples believe that this is the truth. And that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So that’s whom Jesus is praying for. Verse 9.

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.”

There’s that glory again! Jesus is praying for His disciples because they are His. Because they belong to Him. 

Or do they? Do they belong to the Father or to the Son?

The answer is, “Yes.” They belong to the Father, and He has given them to the Son. Because they share everything. “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.” I love how the old King James says it here, “...all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them” (Jn. 17:10 KJV).

But they are in trouble. “I’ve told them they are in trouble. ‘In this world you will have trouble...’ And now I’m praying for their protection in this world because I’m leaving this world.” Verse 11.

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name...

Jesus is going, but the disciples are staying. And so the Son prays that the Father would keep them in His name. He says it’s (v.11), “the name you gave me...”

So it’s not just the name of the Father. It’s the name of the Son, too. It’s the very name of God, the triune God Himself. It's being kept and protected in the very Person of God. Is there anything more powerful than that?!

It’s what’s been protecting them so far! Look at verse 12.

“While I was with them [He’s so close to going, He’s already gone in this prayer!], I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”

Jesus hasn’t lost any of them yet except the one that He was supposed to lose. 

And, no, I don’t understand exactly how all of that works, except that I know that Judas fully chose to betray Jesus and that’s on him and that he was always was going to in the perfect plan of God (Psalm 41:19, Psalm 69:25, Psalm 109:8).

The name of God wasn’t “keeping” Judas even though he was hearing all about it for several years. But it was “keeping” these that Jesus is praying for here. And Jesus prays that the Father would continue to keep them in that name. To protect them and keep them safe in that name. There is no other name that is safe.

And here’s what will happen if they are protected by this name above all names. Number two.

“Holy Father, Protect Them...”

#2. FOR THEIR UNITY AND JOY.

Look back up at verse 11 and see the purpose clause at the end of it.

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one.”

Jesus was afraid that they were going to be blown apart from one another. Jesus was afraid that His little band of brothers were going to break apart and go their separate directions. He was afraid they were going to scatter and not come back together. He was afraid of disunity and discord and conflict. He knew that together they would stand but divided they would fall.

So He prayed against it.

“Protect them...so that they may be one as we are one.”

What a thing to say! How unified are the Father and Son? He just said, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.” That’s oneness!! Their oneness is so close that it’s is-ness, right?

Jesus prays that His followers oneness would be so close that you could see that they are in each other.

“We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Lord...”

We’re going to see more about this next time because He has more to say to the Father about this at the end of the prayer. But this prayer for protection is protection for unity. Not organizational unity. But spiritual unity. Relational unity. For profound deep, God-reflecting unity and togetherness.

Do you pray for this?

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to their prayers. Do you pray like your Lord did that His followers would be unified? That we would love one another. It’s not easy!

It’s hard to love other Christians sometimes. That’s why Ephesians says that we need to, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3 NIVO).

We have to work at it. And we should pray for it. Jesus did! Pray for that other Christian that you are struggling to love. Pray for our church that we would love one another. That’s one of my prayers the Fall Retreat. That we would experience sweet fellowship and unity and oneness that weekend. Pray for other churches. Especially ones that are different from ours. Jesus prayed for their unity in the very name of God. And He prayed for their joy. Look at verse 13.

“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”

Wow! What a phrase? “So that they may have the FULL MEASURE OF MY JOY within them.” The joy of Jesus and not just a little bit of it!

Remember, we get that joy, His joy, by remaining in Jesus. We learned that in chapter 15. He just said that to them a few minutes ago.

We get that joy by dwelling in the truth. “I say these things while I am still in the world (the Farewell Teachings), so that [as they dwell on them] they  may have the full measure of my joy within them.”

That’s why we can “take heart,” right?

Not because we are out of trouble but because Jesus has overcome the world. Not because we are loved by the world, but because Jesus is defeating the world for us. We’re still under attack. Look at verse 14.

“I have given them your word [the Father’s word, the Father’s teaching, the gospel] and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” That’s number three.

“Holy Father, protect them...”

#3. FROM THE EVIL ONE.

You see how important those prepositions are? Aren’t you glad that Jesus didn’t pray that they would be kept “in” the evil one? Or “for” the evil one? No, Jesus prayed that His followers would be kept from the evil one.

He knew that Satan hated them and wanted to eat them for lunch. Satan hates the followers of Jesus and wants to destroy them. But Jesus loves His people and wants them to be safe from Satan.

Do you pray for this one?

It’s no wonder that Jesus included this request in prayer He gave His disciples, “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Or “from the evil one.” [Same phrase in the Greek.]

You and I should be praying that sort of prayer regularly. Because Satan is not our friend. He’s a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. And the main way he wants to do that is to suck us back into the world. He will use oppression where he must, but Satan loves to tempt us. Satan loves to attack us through temptation.

I think that’s the main thing that Jesus was praying against in verse 15, that the Father would protect His disciples from the temptations of the evil one. So that they didn’t get sucked back into the world.

Because they were still in the world. Right? Jesus was leaving this world by death and then later by ascension, but He was leaving His disciples in the world.

And in fact, He wasn’t praying that they would be taken out of the world. But that while in the world they would be kept from the evil one. You see that? Look at verse 14 again.

He says that the disciples are hated because (v.14), “they are not OF the world any more than I am OF the world.” 

They are foreigners to this world and citizens of the world to come.

Now, verse 15. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” So, He’s not praying that His disciples would get to escape from the world. They didn’t get to be raptured and escape all the tribulations of the next several decades.

But Jesus prayed that they wouldn’t go backwards and give in to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil either. Point number four.

“Holy Father, protect them...”

#4. IN AND INTO THE WORLD.

You see, there are two fundamental mistakes we make with the world.

They are ISOLATION and ASSIMILATION. And Jesus wants us to reject both.

We are not supposed to be isolated from the world. We are not supposed to insulate ourselves from the world. To escape, run away, become monks, withdraw from the world. Jesus says that we are “in the world.” And He says in verse 18 that we are sent INTO the world. No isolation!

But we aren’t supposed to get too comfortable with the world, either. We are IN but not OF. Right? Look at verse 16.

“[Protect them from the evil one.] They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”

We don’t belong here.  We are not worldlians any more. We don’t have the same goals, same values, same laws, same mindset, same desires. We march to the beat of a different drummer.

What did we learn this summer in Romans 12:2 at Family Bible Week?

“Do not be conformed to this age [this world], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2 CSB).

Don’t be assimilated. Don’t be sucked back in. Instead, be sanctified. That’s verse 17.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

We don’t use that word enough these days so that we don’t really know what it means. But to be “sanctified” means to be set apart for a special use. It means to be holy which means to be set apart as God’s own for God’s own use. It’s not just what we don’t do but what we do. It means separate from sin, separate from the world’s approach to things.

Jesus wanted His disciples to be different. Our teens learned that at Challenge this summer. Jesus wants us to live as citizens of the kingdom and that’s a whole different way of living.

So He prayed for that. Jesus prayed that His followers would be protected in the world from being like the world. And He cared more about that than their lives.

Let me ask you a question, do you pray for your sanctification more than for your protection from danger? We can pray for safety from car accidents and flooding and looting and cancer and warfare. We should pray for that. But Jesus was more concerned that His disciples be holy. Jesus was more concerned that His disciples fought against temptation by the promises of God.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Jesus prayed that His disciples would know God’s word and believe what it says and say no the temptations to be just like the rest of the world.

That’s what He was scared of. Jesus wasn’t scared that His disciples would be persecuted by the world. Jesus was scared that His disciples would just start acting like the rest of the world.

“They are not OF the world, Father, keep them from acting like it.”

“Don’t let them get sucked back in.”

“You’re holy, Father. Make them holy, too.”

Do you pray for that?

We need to pray that we would live like citizens of the kingdom to come and not like the denizens of this unholy world. We shouldn’t expect much of them, but we should expect it of ourselves and pray for it. While we are here.

The answer is not assimilation, and it’s not isolation. We aren’t supposed to just go off into our little holy huddles.

The answer is mission! We are sent INTO this world. Look at verse 18. We are set apart but not to live apart. Verse 18.

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

We are not just in the world. We are sent into the world. You see how important the prepositions are? We are not just present in the world. We are sent into the world on a mission.

Jesus is concerned that His disciples were going to get knocked off their mission. So He prays that they would be kept on track. Just as the Father has sent the Son on a mission of salvation, the Son has sent the Church on a salvation mission, too. I’m praying that our Fall retreat would be a time to gather together but not to hide from the world. But to gather together in unity and oneness for the world. To be sent back out into the world to reach the world for Christ. Neither isolated nor assimilated but on mission.

Do you see yourself as on mission for Jesus? Wherever you are? Whatever you are doing. He hasn’t taken you out of the world yet, so He’s got mission for you to do. He doesn’t want you to become like the world. He wants you to be sanctified. But He does want you to go into the world with His gospel.

It’s why He came. And it’s why He sanctified Himself. Look at verse 19, last verse for today.

“For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

Jesus was sanctified like nobody else. He was set apart, consecrated, for the most special work every accomplished. He’s talking about the Cross. He’s saying that He fully consecrated Himself to give Himself up for us. That was His mission–dying for our sins and rising again to give us eternal life.

So that (v.19), “they too may be truly sanctified.”

Saved from sin and set apart for our mission into the world!

What a prayer request, huh? Let me ask you a question. How did the Holy Father answer this one?

Jesus prayed that the eleven would be protected by the name of God Himself, for their unity and joy, from the evil one, and in and into the world.

Read the book of Acts and you will see that the Father said, “Yes” to this prayer. It wasn’t straightforward, and it wasn’t easy. And they all lost their lives for Jesus. But they were all protected where it mattered most. They were not blown apart, or sucked back in, or knocked off course in their mission. They were one, they were joyful, they were holy, and they turned their world upside down for the name of Jesus Christ.

May we do the same.

***

Messages in this Series

01. "That You May Believe" - John 20:30-31
02. "In The Beginning Was the Word" - John 1:1-18
03. "John's Testimony" - John 1:19-34
04. "Come and See" - John 1:35-51
05. "The First of His Miraculous Signs" - John 2:1-11
06. "This Temple" - John 2:12-25
07. "You Must Be Born Again" - John 3:1-15
08. "God So Loved The World" - John 3:16-21
09. "Above All" - John 3:22-36
10. "Living Water" - John 4:1-26
11. "Ripe for the Harvest" - John 4:27-42
12. "Your Son Will Live" - John 4:43-54
13. "Pick Up Your Mat and Walk" - John 5:1-18
14. "To Your Amazement" - John 5:19-30
15. "Testimony About Me" - John 5:31-47
Christmas Eve Bonus: "The Astonishing Gift" - John 3:16 Again
Christmas Eve Bonus: "We Have Seen His Glory" - John 1:1-18 Again
16. "Enough Bread" - John 6:1-15
17. "You Are Looking for Me" - John 6:16-36
18. "I Am the Bread of Life" - John 6:35-71
Vision Meeting Bonus: "As I Have Loved You" - John 13:34-35
19. "At the Feast" - John 7:1-52
20. "I Am the Light of the World" - John 8:12-30
21. "Your Father" - John 8:31-59
22. "Now I See" - John 9:1-41
23. "I Am The Gate" - John 10:1-13
24. "I Am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:14-21
25. "I And The Father Are One" - John 10:22-42
26. "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:1-53
27. "Expensive" - John 11:54-12:11
28. "The Hour Has Come" - John 12:12-26
29. "Father, Glorify Your Name!" - John 12:27-36
30. "Believe In Me" - John 12:37-50
31. "Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?" - John 13:1-17
32. "I Am Telling You Now Before It Happens” - John 13:18-38
2024 West Branch Baccalaureate: "The Way, The Truth, and The Life" - John 14:6
33. "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life” - John 14:1-6
34. "Show Us the Father" - John 14:7-14
35. "If You Love Me" - John 14:15
36. "I Will Ask the Father" - John 14:16-24
37. "My Peace I Give You" - John 14:25-31
38. "I Am the True Vine" - John 15:1-11
39. "You Are My Friends" - John 15:12-17
40. "If The World Hates You" - John 15:18-6:4
41. "When He Comes" - John 16:5-15
42. "After a Little While" - Joh 16:16-24
43. "Take Heart!" - John 16:25-33
44. "Glorify Your Son" - John 17:1-5

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“Glorify Your Son” [Matt's Messages]

“Glorify Your Son”

Life in Jesus’ Name - The Gospel of John

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

September 22, 2024 :: John 17:1-5  

This morning we’re going to start listening to Jesus pray.

We’re going to listen closely to what our Lord Jesus Christ said to God the Father on the night before He went to the Cross.

For the last several months, we’ve been studying what Jesus taught His followers that night. What we called, “The Farewell Teachings.” Jesus said that He was going away, and He was getting His disciples ready for His departure.

And the very last thing He said in that section (chapters 13-16) is our current memory verse, John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33 NIVO).

And right then in chapter 17, Jesus begins to pray. And pray and pray! This is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus in the entire Bible. And His beloved friend John listened closely to this prayer and wrote it down for us to read and learn from today.

I have often called John 17, “The Real Lord’s Prayer.” Because unlike the Disciples’ Prayer where Jesus taught His followers how to pray, this is a prayer that our Lord Himself prayed to His Father.

And it’s not a prayer that is a model for us to pray. At least, not directly. Because we aren’t the Lord! We aren’t Jesus. This is a unique prayer of consecration by Jesus before He willingly goes off to His Cross. So, while not a model for us, we can learn all kinds of things by listening in and meditating on it.

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to their prayers.

Did you ever notice that? If you are listening to someone pray, you can at least know what they think is important for them pray for. You probably also can learn how they were taught to pray. And most of the time, if their prayer is genuine, you can know their very heart. And nobody prayed more genuinely than our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s listen to Him pray.

[VIDEO WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE.]

We’re going to spend at least three Sundays studying this prayer. There’s a logic to the flow of it based on Whom Jesus prays for in each successive section. In verses 1 through 5 (this week), He prays for Himself. And then in verses 6 through 19, He also prays for His disciples right there with Him, and then in verses 20 through 26, He widens the circle to include His future disciples and that directly includes you and me!

Think about that! On the night before the Cross, Jesus was praying for you.

But the first person that He does pray for here is Himself. And there is one major thing that He prays for Himself. He says it in verse 1 and repeats the idea in verse 5. Look at verse 1.

“After Jesus said this [‘Take heart! I have overcome the world.’], he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”

That's our sermon title. Jesus' big request is: “Glorify Your Son.”

Jesus prays that God the Father would glorify His Son.

And that’s Jesus, right? Sometimes Jesus refers to Himself in the third person in this prayer. He calls Himself “The Son.” “He.” “Your Son.” And He even gives His name and title in verse 3, “Jesus Christ.” “Jesus the Messiah.”  And other times, He uses the word “Me,” and “I” in the first person. But every time He says, “You” here, He’s talking to His Father.

He says, “Father, the time has come.” How many times over the course of the last year did we hear Him say, “It’s not time yet.” “It’s not my time yet.” Like He said to His mom at the wedding in Cana. “It’s not my time yet.”

But now, He says in prayer, “Father, I know it’s time. I’m ready to go. There’s nothing left to do but surrender myself to the awful thing that’s going to happen tomorrow. I’m headed to the Cross.”

“But there’s one thing I want you to do as I go there–glorify your Son. Father, please, bring glory to Your Son!”

What a striking thing for Him to pray.

What is glory? And what does it mean to glorify something or someone?

Glory is the beauty of greatness. Glory is greatness that is seen and known. God is glorious because God is great, and His glory is that greatness shining forth so that others can see it and know it. Glory is getting credit for being great.

And to glorify someone is to give someone that credit or allow that greatness to shine. To glorify someone is to shine the light on their greatness and make it known.

Someone could falsely glorify someone or something by puffing it up and making it look awesome when it really isn’t. But you can also glorify someone or something truly by shining a light on the true greatness or removing the curtain so that the true greatness that was hidden now shines forth from them.

That’s this one. Jesus is asking the Father to unveil the Son’s glory and shine the light of true glory on the Son. So that the greatness of the Son is seen and known.

Wow! What an audacious thing to ask for! We’ve said a number of times this last year that Jesus has a way of making everything about Him.

Imagine if anyone else prayed this way. Imagine if I said to my Dad this morning, “Hey, Dad, make sure you make me look good today. I want glory. And I’m asking you to glorify me.” You would think I was the biggest narcissist in the world! What an egotistical thing to ask for!

But not if you are truly this great. And not if your greatness means the greatness of your Father and the good of all who believe in You. Totally different.

Notice that Jesus’ glory is not selfish. Because look what His glory does. Verse 1 again.

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”

#1. THAT THE SON MAY GLORIFY THE FATHER.

If Jesus gets glory, it won’t just stay there on Him, it will bounce back onto His Father. Their glories are mutual and reenforcing and intertwined. They are, in fact, one. If God the Father glorifies God the Son, then God the Son will glorify God the Father. It’s an unending circle. 

If God the Father glorifies God the Son, then God the Son will glorify God the Father. (And we know from chapters 14, 15, and 16, that God the Spirit is in there, too.)

It almost like two giant mirrors. And if the light of the Father shines on the mirror of the Son then it will be reflected back on the mirror of the Father. Light and glory everywhere!

“So, Father, please, glorify Your Son.”

What is He asking for, specifically?

I think He’s asking that the crucifixion be effective. He’s agreeing to go to the Cross, and scorning its shame, but He’s asking that the Father would make it all worth it. For our salvation and for the display of God’s glory.

So that Jesus is seen to be worthy.

So that God is seen to be holy.

So that Jesus is seen to be humble.

So that God is seen to be gracious.

So that Son is glorified in the Cross. Lifted up!

And the Father is glorified in the Cross because He was obeyed.

If God the Father glorifies God the Son, then God the Son will glorify God the Father. 

And I think He’s praying for the resurrection. Because if the Cross works, if the mission is completed, then Jesus can’t stay dead. Sin will be paid for and righteousness will be fulfilled. And Jesus will have to come alive.

“Glorify Your Son by giving Him life once again!” And that will bring glory to the Father because He will be seen to be powerful. Just and righteous and gracious and merciful and powerful. If God the Father glorifies God the Son, then God the Son will glorify God the Father.

And I think He’s praying for the ascension that the risen Jesus with ascend to the right hand of the Majesty on High. That the Son will be enthroned beside the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe.

“Glorify Your Son by crowning Him Lord of all!” That that will bring glory the Father! If God the Father glorifies God the Son, then God the Son will glorify God the Father. Do you see it?

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to their prayers.

This is what Jesus is all about. Jesus is all about glory. His heart desires for Him to be glorified and His Father to be glorified by Him.

That might surprise you. If I asked you whom Jesus loves the most in all the universe, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear some of you say, “Us.”

And He does love us. It’s amazing. But the answer is that there is no One in the universe that the Son loves more than the Father. And there is no One in the universe that the Father loves more than the Son. That’s because there is no One greater in all the universe! There is no One more lovable, no One more wonderful, no One more awesome than God Himself.

And that’s what makes the sacrifice of the Cross so audacious. That the Father would love the rebellious world so much that He would give His One and Only Son to save it!

And the Son so loved the Father that He went when He was sent. And the accomplishing of that mission will bring glory to the Son which will bring glorify to the Father in an unending circle of love and light!

Here’s a question for you: Do you pray like this? Is this how we pray? 

You and I can’t and shouldn’t pray, “Father glorify us.” But we can pray, “Father, please glorify your Son that your son may glorify you.”

We tend to pray for lesser things, don’t we? And we should. We can pray for whatever and about anything. We can and should pray for our daily bread and everything else we’ve prayed for so far in this worship time. But under and through and above all of those requests, we should pray for glory.

Don’t just pray for safety for your son fighting wildfires. Pray that Jesus would be glorified if He would keep your son safe.

Don’t just pray for a good experience at Capernwray Hall for your son. Pray that God would be glorified by your son learning and worshiping and living with those other growing Christians.

That’s what it means to pray in Jesus’ name, isn’t it? That Jesus would get the ultimate glory from what we pray for.

“Father, glorify Your Son that your Son may glorify You.”

And catch this, that will always be for our ultimate good. We never lose when we pray that Jesus will get the glory. In fact, here it means our eternal salvation. That’s point number two.

Glorify Your Son:

#2. FOR THE GIVING OF ETERNAL LIFE.

See the reason why Jesus says that He should get glory in verse 2?

“For you [the Father] granted him [the Son] authority over all people that he [the Son] might give eternal life to all those you have given him.”

There’s a lot there, isn’t there? That’s why we’re only going in five verses this morning. 

Here’s the logic. Jesus should get glory because He’s been given authority by the Father to give eternal life to all the people the Father has given Him. And that’s everyone who eventually will be saved. What the Bible calls elsewhere the "elect" or the "chosen."

Have you ever thought about yourself as someone who is the gift of the Father to the Son?  That’s going to be a major theme in this prayer. We’ll see in verses 6, 9, 12, and 24. We’ll come back to it the next two weeks. But you and I are a gift of the Father to the Son. And as His gift, the Father has given the Son authority to give a gift to us.

What is that gift? Eternal life.

Notice that eternal life is a gift. It’s not something that you buy or rent or earn. Jesus gives it. He doesn’t sell it. The church doesn't sell it. A lot of people have misunderstood that. Eternal life is a gift. We simply receive it.

Have you received it? Have you been given this gift by Jesus of eternal life? The four who were baptized last Sunday were telling the world that they had received this gift. They didn’t earn it. They didn’t deserve it. They didn’t buy it. They had just received it by faith, by believing in Jesus, they have life in His name.

In verse 3, Jesus explains what eternal life actually is. Obviously, it’s life that is eternal, but it’s more than that. In its essence and effect, it’s more than just living forever. Here’s what Jesus says. Look at verse 3.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Oh. So that’s what eternal life is. That’s what eternal life means. It’s not just that you don’t ever die. It’s that you know God forever. Wow! It’s not just that you go to heaven when you die or even that you get resurrected eventually when the kingdom comes. It’s that you know God. You actually know Him. Not just about Him. Lot’s of people know about God but they don’t know Him personally. This is knowing Him personally.

Eternal life is not just a duration of life, but a quality of life. It’s a relationship. And it’s not just for later. It’s for right now.  “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God [the Father], and Jesus Christ [the Son], whom you have sent.” (And we know from chapters 14-16 that it includes God the Spirit, as well.)

Eternal life is knowing God. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then you probably don’t have eternal life. If you want eternal days without knowing the eternal God, then you don’t want eternal life. That’s why our church is all about bringing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Because that is eternal life. And it is the gift of God.

Do you know Jesus? Do you know God the Father? There is one true God and only one true God and He can be known. The way we know Him is through His One and Only Son.

We learned this way back in chapter 1, didn’t we?

“No one has ever seen God [the Father], but God the One and Only [Son], who is at the Father's side, has made him known” (Jn. 1:18 NIVO).

And guess what? That is the essence of eternal life. If you have never come to know God, you are invited to do so right here and right now. Put your faith and trust in Jesus and believe in what He did for you on the Cross and receive the gift of eternal life.

The Father sent the Son. How many times have we read that this last year? He’s going to say it a bunch more. The Father sent the Son so that you and I could know the Father.

You can’t know the Father except through the Son. He is the Way to the Father and the only way.

But if you come through Him, you get the Father and the Son. And you get them forever! And that brings glory both of them.

Father, Glorify Your Son.

#3. WITH THE GLORY THAT WAS, IS, AND WILL BE HIS.

In verse 4, Jesus reminds the Father that He is accomplishing the mission on which the Father sent Him. Verse 4.

“I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (vv.4-5).

Jesus prays with the full knowledge that He is going to be successful at the Cross and the Empty Tomb. 

Remember, He just got done saying, “Take heart! I have overcome the world.” Has He yet overcome the world? He hasn’t died yet. He hasn’t risen yet. He hasn’t ascended yet. But to Jesus, it’s as good as done. 

And He knows that He has brought glory to the Father. Which is good because that’s His number one goal! And now, He’s asking for the Father to restore His glory like He had before the incarnation! Before He took on flesh. Even before the world was created!

So before John 1:18. Before John 1:14. Back to John 1:1.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1 NIVO).

Jesus wants that glory. “Glorify me in your presence (with God) with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Now, Jesus is always worthy of that glory, right?

He was.

And He is.

And He will be.

But that glory was hidden. It was behind the veil. Behind the curtain. That glory was hidden in His humility and His humiliation. In His enfleshment and incarnation. He had the greatness but the greatness was not shining forth. And now Jesus is asking for His greatness to shine as He deserves. He’s completing the mission. He’s done everything the Father has sent Him to do.

And now, He’s asking for the Father to raise Him from the dead and exalt Him to the highest place.

You know what? That is actually not an audacious prayer request.

Because He deserves it.

He deserves every inch of it.

Jesus is worthy of all of the glory.

He always has been. And now He’s done something even more glorious. He has died for us! He has died on the Cross. He has obeyed the command of the Father to lay down His life only to take it up again. 

The Son deserves this. He always has and now He does even more. And He always will.

And guess what? The Father said, “Yes.” to this prayer. 

This is the real Lord’s prayer. The real prayer of the real Lord Jesus Christ. And the real one true God, said “Yes.”

“I will glorify you, Son. I will glorify You.”

The greatest application of these first 5 verses of the Real Lord’s Prayer is simply to rejoice that the Father is granting everything the Son asked for.

Because, guess where Jesus is right now? He’s in the Father’s presence with the glory He had with Him before the world began. Jesus said, “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”

And the Father said, “Amen.”

And so do we.

***

Messages in this Series

01. "That You May Believe" - John 20:30-31
02. "In The Beginning Was the Word" - John 1:1-18
03. "John's Testimony" - John 1:19-34
04. "Come and See" - John 1:35-51
05. "The First of His Miraculous Signs" - John 2:1-11
06. "This Temple" - John 2:12-25
07. "You Must Be Born Again" - John 3:1-15
08. "God So Loved The World" - John 3:16-21
09. "Above All" - John 3:22-36
10. "Living Water" - John 4:1-26
11. "Ripe for the Harvest" - John 4:27-42
12. "Your Son Will Live" - John 4:43-54
13. "Pick Up Your Mat and Walk" - John 5:1-18
14. "To Your Amazement" - John 5:19-30
15. "Testimony About Me" - John 5:31-47
Christmas Eve Bonus: "The Astonishing Gift" - John 3:16 Again
Christmas Eve Bonus: "We Have Seen His Glory" - John 1:1-18 Again
16. "Enough Bread" - John 6:1-15
17. "You Are Looking for Me" - John 6:16-36
18. "I Am the Bread of Life" - John 6:35-71
Vision Meeting Bonus: "As I Have Loved You" - John 13:34-35
19. "At the Feast" - John 7:1-52
20. "I Am the Light of the World" - John 8:12-30
21. "Your Father" - John 8:31-59
22. "Now I See" - John 9:1-41
23. "I Am The Gate" - John 10:1-13
24. "I Am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:14-21
25. "I And The Father Are One" - John 10:22-42
26. "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:1-53
27. "Expensive" - John 11:54-12:11
28. "The Hour Has Come" - John 12:12-26
29. "Father, Glorify Your Name!" - John 12:27-36
30. "Believe In Me" - John 12:37-50
31. "Do You Understand What I Have Done For You?" - John 13:1-17
32. "I Am Telling You Now Before It Happens” - John 13:18-38
2024 West Branch Baccalaureate: "The Way, The Truth, and The Life" - John 14:6
33. "I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life” - John 14:1-6
34. "Show Us the Father" - John 14:7-14
35. "If You Love Me" - John 14:15
36. "I Will Ask the Father" - John 14:16-24
37. "My Peace I Give You" - John 14:25-31
38. "I Am the True Vine" - John 15:1-11
39. "You Are My Friends" - John 15:12-17
40. "If The World Hates You" - John 15:18-6:4
41. "When He Comes" - John 16:5-15
42. "After a Little While" - Joh 16:16-24
43. "Take Heart!" - John 16:25-33

Read More