The Lord’s Prayer

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: John 17:1-26

 

 

While the passage in Matthew 6:5-15 is commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, it is actually a model of prayer in response to the disciples' request to Jesus on how they should pray. The passage in John 17:1-26 records an actual prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, in which He prays for Himself, the disciples, and all believers who will come to believe as a result of the disciples' witness. In this prayer, we see the love of the Lord for all who believe in Him and His desire that they have unity like He has with God the Father.

 

The Lord's prayer begins with the Lord praying for Himself. Jesus lifts his eyes to heaven and tells the Father that the hour has come for Him to glorify His Son so that the Son may glorify Him (John 17:1). Because God has given Jesus authority over all flesh, He is about to give all given to Him by the Father eternal life (John 17:2). Eternal life comes by knowing God the Father and His Son, Jesus whom He sent to us (John 17:3). Jesus has completed the work given to Him by God the Father and given Him glory with Jesus now asking the Father to glorify Him along with Himself with the glory They had before the world began (John 17:4-5).

 

Jesus now starts to pray for His disciples. This prayer begins with Jesus telling His Father that he has manifested His name to those the Father gave Him with them keeping His word and knowing all things given to Jesus by the Father are from the Father (John 17:6-7). Jesus has given the disciples the words given to Him by the Father, with them receiving them and believing Jesus came from the Father (John 17:8). Jesus does not pray for the world but for those given to Him by the Father, with Jesus glorified in the disciples (John 17:9-10). Jesus is about to leave the world with the disciples staying behind with Jesus asking God the Father to watch over the disciples (John 17:11). While Jesus was with the disciples, He kept them in the name of the Father, losing none but Judas (John 17:12).

 

Jesus comes to the Father while still in the world so the disciples can hear and have Joy in themselves with Jesus giving them the word of God the Father causing the world to hate them (John 17:13-14). Jesus is not asking God to take the disciples out of the world but for God the Father to take the disciples out of the world, but for God the Father to keep them from the evil one (John 17:15). The disciples are not of the world just as Jesus is not of the world and need sanctification or the setting apart through the word of God (John 17:16-17). Jesus is sending the disciples into the world, and for their sakes, Jesus sanctifies Himself so the disciples can be sanctified by truth (John 17:18-19).

 

Jesus then prays for all who would come to believe based on the words of the disciples so they too may be unified with God the Father and His Son (John 17:20-21). Jesus’ prayer is that these future believers would have unity like that He has with God (John 17:22). Jesus prays that they be made perfect with Him in them and God the Father in Him, showing the world God sent Jesus and that Jesus loves them (John 17:23). Jesus prays that these future believers would join Him in the glory of Heaven (John 17:24). The world does not know God but Jesus does with those sent to Jesus by God the Father also know God (John 17:25). Jesus concludes His prayer by saying He has declared His name to them and will continue to declare it so that the love of God the Father would be in them along with Christ in them (John 17:26).  

 

Jesus prays to God the Father in front of the disciples, praying for Himself, the disciples, and all who would come to believe through their words, which includes us. In His prayer for Himself, Jesus tells the Father that he has completed the work the Father sent Him to do and now asks that the Father glorify Himself in Him. In praying for the disciples, Jesus prays that the Father would keep them from the evil one. To keep them after He is gone, God will send them the Holy Spirit with instructions from Jesus not to leave Jerusalem until receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Jesus said the world hated the disciples just like it hated Him and He knew the persecution that was coming and that they would need the Holy Spirit to survive (John 16:33, 17:14). Before leaving Jesus gave believers a mission, to take the message of His death, burial, and resurrection to the world and make disciples (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20). All believers who are alive today have come to Christ because of the actions of the early disciples. We also have a call to continue the mission of making disciples, but how well is the present-day Church doing?

 

The work of Christ did not end with his departure from the earth, but accelerated with all who believe, carrying on the work. As believers in Christ, we are part of this work, but how are we doing? Is the church like the Church in Ephesus that started out on fire for the Lord but was later accused of leaving their first love (Revelation 2:1-7). Is the Church lukewarm like the Church of Laodicea that became obsessed with its wealth and prosperity and did not believe they needed anything else, including the Lord (Revelation 3:14-22). Or is the Church a faithful church with little strength, but has kept the word of God faithfully (Revelation 3:7-13).

 

If we look out over the Church of our time, we will observe churches of all three types. However, the standard the Church should meet is that of the Church in Philadelphia, which, while appearing weak, was strong in the word of God.

 

In keeping with the mission Jesus gave His Church, I want to invite anyone who has not prayed to have their sins forgiven by confessing their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10) to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

I encourage anyone who has just prayed to find a church that is obedient to the word of God and teaches truth from the Bible. This way, you can grow in your knowledge and obedience to God. May God convict, challenge, and encourage everyone reading this post.