Do you realize that if you're a believer, Before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed for you. Today on Truth for Life, Aleister Begg begins a brand new series in which he'll walk us through the life-changing high priestly prayer that Jesus prayed at his last Passover meal with his disciples. Yeah. I invite you to turn with me to the Gospel of John. and to the seventeenth chapter.
and follow along. as I read from there. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, The hour has come. Glorify your Son. that the Son may glorify you.
Since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life. that they know you, the only true God. and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth.
having accomplished the work that you gave me to do, And now, Father, Glorify me in your own presence. with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were. and you gave them to me.
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me. and they have received them. and have come to know in truth that I came from you. and they have believed that you sent me.
I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me. for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you, Holy Father.
keep them in your name, which you have given me. That they may be one. even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you've given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost.
Except the Son of Destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world. that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word. and the world has hated them.
Because they're not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. Um They are not of the world. just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth.
Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself. that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you. that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them. that they may be one even as we are one. I in them and you in me.
that they may become perfectly one.
so that the world may know that you sent me. and love them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory. that you've given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, Even though the world does not know you, I know you.
And these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name. And I will continue to make it known. that the love with which you have loved me. may be in them.
And I In them. Amen. Father, we essentially have sung our prayer. that as we turn to your word, the Bible, That it might be your voice that we hear. And that in hearing what you say, that we will be enabled to trust and believe it.
and to live in the light of it. Help us to this end, we ask, in Jesus' name. Amen. This morning, what I want to do is provide, if you like, a preview of John 17. We're familiar, I think all of us, with movie trailers.
You can watch the trailer. It gives you a selection of shots that are there in order to encourage you or discourage you from going on to view what is there in the entire film. And I want us to approach John 17 in that way this morning. There are about 21 prayers of Jesus that are recorded in the Gospels. And in each of them, save one, he begins by addressing God as his Father.
The prize will be given to someone who's able to tell me the exception. And it's not much of a prize. In fact, I'm not doing a prize because it could cost me. The exception is Matthew 27 from the cross. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
That is a prayer of Jesus. We have seen actually in our studies in John 11 one of those short prayers. Uh John 11, 40, 41. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me.
But I said this on account of the people standing around me. that they may believe that you sent me. And then in uh chapter twelve. In verse 27, you will perhaps recall Jesus prays, now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father.
Save me from this hour. But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
So there are a number of prayers that we could consider, but John chapter 17 is the only long prayer, continuous prayer, that we have of Jesus. Prayer obviously played a huge part in the life of Jesus. If, as John says at the end of his Gospel, all the things that we know of Jesus were to have been recorded, then the material would have been extensive, almost exhaustive. And for Very clear purposes, the Holy Spirit has recorded for us this particular prayer. And you will notice that the prayer comes after Jesus had spoken these words.
when Jesus had spoken these words. What are these words that He has spoken to the disciples?
Well, all of the words that He has spoken to the disciples, but particularly chapters 14, 15, and 16, where Jesus has been teaching His disciples, preparing them for the fact that He's going away, promising Him that the Holy Spirit will come, and that although they are naturally fearful, they need not be because of the ministry of the Spirit to them, among them, and through them. And having spoken these words, provided his instruction. It is now completed. in anticipation of his crucifixion which awaits him. And intriguingly, In his own awareness of the impending disertion on the part of his disciples.
In that context, Jesus lifted up his eyes. to heaven. We're not going to pause and consider the various postures in prayer. But it is interesting that he lifted up his eyes to heaven. We can bow in prayer, we can kneel in prayer, and so on.
The psalmist has that picture often, doesn't it? I lift my eyes to the hills. But where does my help come from?
Well, my help comes from higher than that. My help comes from the Lord. who made heaven and earth.
So Here we actually stand on holy ground. It's one thing to listen to a conversation just between two individuals. We're not supposed to do that if you're in a restaurant. We sometimes do. But to listen to the prayers of an individual.
And in this case, this prayer. is to stand on holy ground. Archbishop William Temple said, This is perhaps the most sacred passage. in the four gospels. And what we discover is that having spoken to his disciples about God.
He now speaks to God about his disciples. Calvin says, Jesus here shows teachers an example. teachers. Vacation Bible camp teachers, Sunday school teachers. Teachers of all kinds and sorts.
He shows teachers an example that they should not only occupy themselves in sowing the word. But by mixing their prayers with it, should implore God's help that his blessing should make their work fruitful.
Now there is a real word of challenge there to us all. Why do we get together monthly? Why do we pray routinely in our classes? Why are we saying to one another, let us bow our hearts in prayer? Because we're seeking to take seriously this.
that it is one thing to sow the word of God, it is another thing to mingle it with our prayers, and in praying to look to God to actually fulfill what He has purposed in His Word. The disciples understood this clearly by the time we fast forward to the Acts of the Apostles. And when, as things were getting established, there was a bit of a contretant over who was getting the meals on wheels and who wasn't. And they had to restructure things in such a way that the practical necessities of life would be cared for. But the apostles, you will remember, they say it is not right for us to leave the teaching of the word in order to serve tables.
They weren't saying serving tables is above us, they were saying that was not our assignment. And then remember what they said. We will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And that is why I say to you regularly that the same sermons from the same lips. will carry far greater weight when they are prayed home by the congregation.
Spurgeon was living proof of this at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. And so we long to see it more.
Now the prayer structurally is straightforward. In the first five verses, Jesus is praying for himself. Then from verse 6 to verse 19, He is praying for his disciples. And then, as I hope you will have noticed as I read it, he goes on from verse 20 to the end to say, I'm not just praying for the disciples that are here. But I'm also praying for all those who will believe in me through their word.
In other words, he says, I'm praying for the believers. In all time. Therefore, if you are a believer this morning, you should be aware of the fact we should together be aware of the fact that Jesus in this high priestly prayer prayed for us. Prayed for us.
Now, we will work our way through it in detail, but for now, just an overview. Let me give you five words that I wrote down to help me. Mystery. Security Sanctity. Unity Glory.
Mystery Security Sanctity Unity and glory. First of all, then, mystery. When you read this prayer, and I read it, I tried to do it carefully, as you read it through on your own, you will notice that it is fairly plain and straightforward. There are no big words in it. And yet You cannot read it, but become immediately aware of the fact that it is full of deep and profound expressions.
Ryle says, the wisest Christian will always confess that there are things here which we cannot fully explain.
Some of us tie ourselves up in knots because we want always to be able to give some kind of linear progression of thought that understands exactly what is being done. But we already acknowledged mystery, didn't we? Tis mysterial the immortal dies Who can explore this strange design? In vain, the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. Amazing love.
How can it be? Uh your mother's love for you, you don't Map that out. In an equation, do you? In fact, you'd have difficulty really articulating it.
So there is mystery in this. A mystery that is revealed in the intimacy between the Son and the Father. Here we have words spoken by one member of the Trinity. to another member of the Trinity. The second person of the Trinity.
Christ addresses the first person of the Trinity The father. Is this not mystery? God Addressing God?
Now this of course takes us to the very heart. of the Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. One being eternally exists In three persons All equally God. Knowing and loving and communicating with each other.
from all of eternity.
So I say there again. One being One being eternally exists. in three persons All equally God. Knowing and loving one another. From eternity to eternity.
And you will notice that the Father is personally distinct from the Son. Even as the Son and the Father are distinct from the Holy Spirit. If your Bible is open as mine, you will see that chapter 16 is there before you. And Jesus says to his disciples, When the Spirit of truth comes, He, not it. He will guide you into all the truth.
For he will not speak on his own authority. But whatever he hears, he will speak. And he will declare to you the things that are to come.
So we're confronted by the fact that from all of eternity, Within the Godhead, There was love. And there was communication. Look at verse 5, for example. Hear the words of Jesus. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence.
With the glory that I had with you, Before the world existed. We sang about it. He left his father's thrown above.
So free, so infinite is grace. Christ now, the second person of the Trinity. In his earthly ministry, praise to his Father. About His pre-incarnate reality, verse 24 reinforces this. Father, I desire.
That they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me. Listen. Because you loved me. Before the foundation of the world. It's a profound mystery.
It's a profound truth. And it's well for me to say what I've said on previous occasions, namely. That the Teacher of the Bible, whether it's the pastor or the Sunday school teacher, the teacher of the Bible is not charged with the responsibility. to explain What is inexplicable? But simply to say to one another, present difficulties Present complexities present apparent irregularities will not be irregular.
They will not be difficult. They will not be complex. in the light of heaven. And God Almighty knows how much we can handle. And provides us with everything necessary for our life and for godliness in the scriptures that we are able.
to assimilate. But we'll leave mystery and go on to security. to security. I just picked these. You could have uh chosen maybe another five words as part of the trailer.
But you'll notice how the disciples are described in verse 6. I have manifested your name. to the people whom you gave me. out of the world. Yours they were.
And you gave them to me. and they have kept your word.
Now, hopefully, there's at least one person who's saying to himself, well, we dealt with that back in chapter 6. This is 636. But I said to you that you have seen me And yet you do not believe all that the Father gives me will come to me. And whoever comes to me I will never cast out. And this is the will of him who sent me.
that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me. But raise it up. On the last day, for this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. And after he had said these things in the hearing of the disciples, who would remember that he had said this, He now says what he says. in prayer to his father.
I am praying for them, he says in verse 9, the security. of the prayers of Jesus for his own. In verse 11, I'm no longer in the world, he says this proleptically. I'm no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I'm coming to you, Holy Father. Keep them in your name.
By verse 14, he says they are hated. They are hated. The world has hated them. Because they're not of the world. But notice in verse 13, I'm s coming to you.
And these things that I speak in the world. that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Filled with the joy that comes by the means of the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the child of God, and at the same time hated by the world. You shouldn't be surprised that people don't like you. You shouldn't be surprised when you say that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.
Don't expect people to stand and applaud. They hate that. It challenges core convictions that have become increasingly embedded. in our culture. But blessed are you.
Joy-filled are you? When you are persecuted, For righteousness' sake, When people say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, Rejoice. And be glad. A security That doesn't mean we are just navigating our way through the universe in a sort of tranquil state. No.
We're involved in opposition to the things that we hold dear. Opposition to the one whom we hold dear. And yet our joy is fulfilled. You're listening to Alistair Begg on Truth for Life. We'll hear more about Jesus' prayer tomorrow.
Now you may remember that last fall Alastair released a book, a gospel outreach book, called The Man on the Middle Cross, and we ran out very quickly. And now, just in time for Easter, I'm happy to let you know that we have the book back in inventory, and to day when you donate to Truth for Life, you can request a bundle of three copies. The books are our way of saying thanks for your support. And if you're not familiar with this book, The Man on the Middle Cross, it's a small paperback that Alastair wrote for you to give to people who don't yet know Jesus. This opens the door for gospel conversations by compelling readers to consider the question, Are you going to heaven?
As you look ahead to the opportunities Easter presents, giving this little booklet is a great way to invite others to explore who Jesus is and the everlasting life He offers. Ask for your packet of three copies of The Man on the Middle Cross to day when you donate to Truth for Life online at truthforlife. org slash donate or call us at eight eight eight five eight eight seven eight eight four. And in addition to the man on the middle cross, we also have a book for you to give to children this Easter. It's called Jesus' Easter Journey.
This book does a great job of teaching children about the key events that took place from Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper and then through the biblical record of his death, resurrection, and ascension. This is a colorfully illustrated book. It draws directly from Scripture to teach children the true meaning of Easter. It's a book we highly recommend. You can purchase copies of Jesus' Easter Journey at our cost of just $5 while supplies last at truthforlife.org/slash store.
I'm Bob Lepine. Thanks for joining us today. Tomorrow we'll find out how it's possible to backslide in faith, even when you have a Bible in your hand. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
