The Lord's Prayer - John 17
This is what should be termed The Lord's Prayer.
This prayer is actually split up into three parts.
1. Jesus Prays for Himself.
His overcoming of the flesh proves Him to be the Perfect Messiah.
Eternal Life can be found only in Jesus Christ.
He was going to return to the realms of glory.
But He must suffer for mankind first.
He prayed for strength to endure the cross.
2. Jesus prays for His disciples.
He prayed that they would receive strength to endure the coming days.
Note: Jesus came out from God = His divinity.
He does not just say that he came from God (like John the Baptist).
True faith accepts both Jesus' Humanity and Divinity.
He prayed for His followers in the world rather than the world they are in.
He prayed for:
Unity.
Joy.
Their witness.
Against the power of evil and temptation.
Their sanctification through the word.
3. Jesus Prayers for Future Believers.
The disciples brought thousands to Christ.
The new believers went on to bring others to the Lord.
This is were apostolic succession truly lies.
Thought: Which of the Lord's disciples is responsible for bringing you to Him?
Jesus prays for:
Unity amongst true believers (especially in the local
church).
Sacrificial love amongst them.
Humility.
Service.
Love.
All these things prove to the world that Jesus is Lord.
That He has changed sinners into saints.
God does not just want to to know He loves us, He wants us to experience it too.
Each part of this prayer reveals the need for spiritual strength.