Truth For Life

Bob Lepine: Do you realize that if you're a believer, before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed for you? Today on Truth For Life, Alistair 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.

Alistair Begg: I invite you to turn with me to the Gospel of John and to the 17th 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 have 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 are 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. 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 loved 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 have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Oh 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 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. 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. In each of them, save one, he begins by addressing God as his Father. 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: "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me."

Then in chapter 12, 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, continuous prayer that we have of Jesus. Prayer obviously played a huge part in the life of Jesus.

For very clear purposes, the Holy Spirit has recorded for us this particular prayer. You will notice that the prayer comes after Jesus had spoken these words. Having spoken these words, provided his instruction, it is now completed in anticipation of his crucifixion, which awaits him. In his own awareness of the impending desertion 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 he? "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.

Here we actually stand on holy ground. It's one thing to listen in onto a conversation just between two individuals. We're not supposed to do that if you're in a restaurant, though 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.

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 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. 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 and pray?" 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. When as things were getting established, there was a bit of a contretemps over who was getting the meals on wheels and who wasn't. They had to restructure things in such a way that the practical necessities of life would be cared for. But the apostles, you 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. Then remember what they said: "We will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 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.

The prayer structurally is straightforward. In the first five verses, Jesus is praying for himself. From verse 6 to verse 19, he is praying for his disciples. Then he goes on from verse 20 to the end to say, "I'm not just praying for the disciples that are here, but I am 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, we should together be aware of the fact that Jesus in this high priestly prayer 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. First of all then, mystery.

When you read this prayer, you will notice that it is fairly plain and straightforward. There are no big words in it. And yet, you cannot read it but be 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 acknowledge mystery, didn't we? It's mystery all, 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? 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? 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. One being eternally exists in three persons, all equally God, knowing and loving one another from eternity to eternity. 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.

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 are confronted by the fact that from all of eternity, within the Godhead, there was love and there was communication.

Look at verse five, 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." He left his Father's throne above, so free, so infinite his grace. Christ now, the second person of the Trinity, in his earthly ministry prays 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 because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

It's a profound mystery. It's a profound truth. The teacher of the Bible, whether it's the pastor or the Sunday school teacher, 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. You've noticed how the disciples are described in verse six: "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." Hopefully there's at least one person who is saying to himself, "Well, we dealt with that back in chapter 6." This is 6:36: "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, he says this proleptically: "I'm no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name." By verse 14 he says they are hated, the world has hated them because they're not of the world.

But notice in verse 13: "I'm 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.

Bob Lepine: 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 Alistair 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. Today 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. If you're not familiar with this book, *The Man on the Middle Cross*, it's a small paperback that Alistair 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* today when you donate to Truth For Life online at truthforlife.org/donate or call us at 888-588-7884. 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 five dollars while supplies last at truthforlife.org/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 Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth For Life, where the learning is for living.