Jesus Prays - Part 1 of 2

As a fire, should Mr. Bradley Junior welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible.

Our continuing our series on the Gospel of John subject today.

Jesus prayed as much to be learned from the prayer of Jesus Christ and how comforting to know that he ever lives to make intercession for us. So even in these trying times in which we were passing with the coronavirus crisis affecting people all over the world.

We have one to plead our case and intercede for us. We come boldly to the throne of grace, trusting him will will will and will and in will and Jesus prayed many times here on this or but today we come to a unique passage of Scripture John chapter 17 in which the prayer is recorded we are able to read the exact words that Jesus used, as he spoke to his father in this prayer we find doctrinal truth we find words of encouragement with a number of ways in which practical applications can be made for our own lives, so we want to begin looking at the first three verses John chapter 17.

These words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said father that power is come. Glorify thy son that thy son also make glorify the as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him, and this is life eternal, that they might know leave the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

Most commentators divide the prayer into three parts.

First, he prayed for himself in verses 1 to 5. He prayed for the apostles in verses 6 to 19, and he prayed for future believers are for the church.

In verses 20 to 26. This prayer is all certain. Not one conditional sentence and it shall first we want to consider the prayer itself. The prayer of Jesus. Jesus did in fact pray throughout his ministry while here on earth.

Luke chapter 3 verse 21 tells us that he prayed at the time of his baptism in the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verse 35 we learned that he prayed while he was preaching and teaching carrying out various ministries.

It says, and in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place in their brain. Other question might come to your mind. Why would Jesus pray if Jesus was God.

Did he not have power did he not have wisdom certain. He did, but Jesus saw it was necessary to be in constant communion and fellowship with his father and so he prayed regularly. Here's a practical lesson to be drawn initially that if Jesus Christ, the son of God, the God man praying regularly should not we the praying on a consistent basis with all of the book of first Thessalonians chapter 5 to pray without ceasing, and Shirley that is crucial if you want to live the kind life will live if going to glorify God is going to serve him acceptably when we come here to his house to worship and for going to worship as we all if the preaching is going to have an impact if it's going to have an effect on the lives of those that hear we need to complement with prayer.

So Jesus was indeed a praying man in the Gospel of Luke we read chapter 6 and verse 12 the night before he would choose the 12 apostles.

He prayed he didn't rush into that without due consideration without first consulting his father without first going to the father in prayer and then Luke chapter 9 verse 29,000s that when he went up on the mount that we've come to call the Mount of Transfiguration went back miracle occurred when his glory was displayed when he was transfigured he bright was praying wherever he went, whatever is involved with whatever his labor.

Whatever the circumstances, Jesus pray in Matthew chapter 14 verses 19 and 23, he prayed at the time he was feeding the 5000. He prayed before he distributed the brand brain afterward he gave thanks and then in John chapter 11 versus 4142 when he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. This great crowning miracle performed many miracles throughout his ministry. He had blessed the blind to see, the lame walk. There were others that he raised Lazarus had been in the grave already and having been dead for four days.

His sisters thought it inappropriate even to have stone rolled back is going to be horrible over the come from the great. But Jesus prayed and then he said Lazarus come forth and passes leave because when Jesus Christ speaks, he is able to give life to the dead weather spiritually dead or physically were familiar with the fact that when he went to the garden of Gethsemane. Just prior to going to the cross. According to Matthew 26 verse 39 pray, prayed, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done in any prayed when he was on the cross.

Luke chapter 23 verse 24 they prayed father forgive them for they know not what they do now. There are many other references. Those are just a few, but certainly the emphasis is put upon the fact that Jesus Christ continually pray how important for us to be always prayerful seeking the will of our heavenly father bowing in submission to him acknowledging our weakness hired me.

I needed his guidance of his grace of his power of his support in every detail of life in every decision that we might in every attempt to serve him or to minister to others.

We need to be prepped to our text says that he lifted up his eyes to heaven, they people are told to look within themselves to find the answer deep inside you need to become better acquainted with yourself. It may be that you need to be psychoanalyze so that you can better understand the child that is within you. You want to find the answer within Jesus Christ, the God man turned his eyes toward heaven he wanted the blessing the guidance to help from his father above. What about you when you're faced with some of the trials and conflicts of life where you turn for your help to rely in part upon the wisdom of the world upon the methods and schemes that others have employed and suggested to you is to be the solution of your problem or the lift up your eyes.

It does indicate here that the posture of our body is somewhat significant. I was really fun record in Scripture. Those in prayed, went on their needs and you can play with your eyes close as you bow your head signifying that I reference the God to whom I pray I realize that he is over me and above me and I must come humbly into his presence. But the point is that Jesus was not looking elsewhere.

He lifts up his eyes to the father in this age acknowledging the sovereignty of his father, the sufficiency of his father and the fact that he is submissive to the father and this is something that we must acknowledge when we come we come boldly to the throne of grace will become not in our own name. We come not with any merit or worth of our own that we come in Jesus name. And as we pray to the father through the one and only mediator, Jesus Christ. Acknowledging that the God of heaven, to whom we address our client is sovereign. He rules he rains. He has the right to perform and accomplish his will, to the glory of his name, acknowledge that he is sufficient.

Whatever I need, whatever our burden may be.

Nothing is too hard for the Lord. He is power sufficient, in the preceding chapters that we been looking at over the past weeks, Jesus had been talking to his disciples, teaching them, preparing them for the fact that he would soon depart from those comforting words of John chapter 14 let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Speaks of the fact that in my father's house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you, but I'm going to have a come again that when I am there you may be also. And if you have noticed there is a good bit of repetition in those chapters that we have reviewed these final words of Jesus.

The preacher is repetitive and comes over a particular theme a few times sometimes is a tendency to think will I heard that before is a saying that again.

There's some things that need to be repeated. Jesus sets the example of he said some of the same things in different way is approaching it with a variety of words to emphasize truths that things disciples so desperately and so after he had been teaching them preaching then he believed that it was necessary that prayer should accompany and so following it immediately comes this prayer of John 17 and another practical lesson to learn here is that he prayed for 14 would I find a lot of people struggle with the fact that God is sovereign and therefore have difficulty understanding how prayer fits into the whole scheme of things. Question is asked if God is sovereign, why pray for one reason is because we repeatedly told that we ought to pray God use this prayer. It is often through prayer, he accomplishes what he has sovereign the design did so here is Jesus praying for some things that he knew would in fact come to pass. It says hours, glorify thy son on the fastening also may glorify the is not playing a selfish prayer. He says glorify me, because ultimately, as the father glorifies the sun. The sun is going to glorify the father and our desires should be what we praying for anything that we might receive that blessing that we can in turn glorify God and Jesus knew that he would be glorified. It was agreed before he ever left heaven that he would humble himself to the death of the quotes and ultimately it would return would come back to heaven and be reinstated. Jesus Christ gave up his Godhead. He was the God man when he came but he temporarily set aside the position that he had there with all of the glory attend to it, but knowing that after he had finished the work that was given with the father to do, he would be restored to that position so he knows that to be a fact. But he sprang before his praying, glorify thy son but thy son also may glorify the news that the plan of redemption will be completed yet and going to the cross yet, but he knew that he was going there. He knew the success of his work.

Isaiah chapter 53 said that he saw of the travail of his soul and was sent to spy for the crucified. He knew the reality of what would be accomplished by that sacrificial death. Jesus Christ was not disappointed. He was satisfied he was satisfied in advance to go to the cross because he knew that he would accomplish the work given him the father to do so. He did not have a fatalistic attitude and consequently neglect prayer didn't say this is according to what has been arraigned. This is according to the covenant was agreed between the father, the son of the Holy Spirit before time began, so there's no need to pray. You did pray he was playing in harmony with the father's will. And the best prayer you can pray, is to be praying, one that is directly in harmony with the father's will. For example, do you not play from time to time. Dear Lord, supply my needs. You know my circumstances, you know some of my challenges. Give us this day our daily bread that's about it might argue there's no need to pray that because God's already promised that he would supply our needs but the fact is, he is pleased would come before him in prayer and acknowledge our need and our dependence upon him, and through that the needs are supply Jesus prayed.

Though he was confident that the things for which you prayed would indeed come to pass. Many says that powers come is often said that his hour had not come noted that repeatedly throughout his ministry man-hours, not yet, but now he says it is arrive the power that was appointed of the father hour for him to go to the cross hour for him to die and are ultimately for him to be raised from the dead. We look at the book of acts chapter 4 verse 27 for the truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Harry and Parker's pilot with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together this for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be.

It was according to the termination of God according to his counsel that Jesus Christ would go to the cross. The particular time that particular day was already settled going to go to the cross.

It's according to his counsel and now Lord will hold their threatenings and granted about servants that with all boldness, we may speak my word, and so Jesus said that our that power previously appointed has come the spring now glorify thy son that I may glorify the in the book of Philippians chapter 2 verse 11 it says that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father and Jesus Christ would be glorified into returns of the father having completed the work that was given him to do and he is exalted his name above every name, that every tongue will ultimately have to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and this will be the glory of God. The next thing we note here after seeing some things regarding the prayer itself is the authority of Jesus as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given in accord with God's plan. Jesus was given authority. He has absolute authority is mentioned in the book of Matthew chapter 28 reading the 18th verse Jesus came.

These are Jesus's own words, Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth.

Jesus Christ is not lacking in power not lacking in authority, all power is given unto me, that brings us then immediately in touch with the truths of salvation exactly what was going to be accomplished by his death at Calvary. I was given power over all flights for what purpose that he should give eternal life given to who to those who were given to him by the father the spring the sender recognize that salvation is of the Lord in its planning before time began. God planned and determined to save people difficulty with that and say well if that's the case over some language to that effect, but it surely must mean that God looked down through time and saw who would be good or who would make the right decision than makes his choice upon that Psalm 14 tells us that when God looked down from the height of the sanctuary he saw that there were none moving in the right direction. Man left to himself would never choose God by nature. He is a need from God. He hates God is dead in sin he would never come to there would be no one say, but God determined to save the people in the book of Ephesians chapter 1 verse four according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his being sent to me over the years.

I don't hear that often predestination. That's a dreadful thing to tell you there's not a dreadful doctrine in the Bible. All of that is their divine inspiration.

It's all God's truth. Our problem is we like to think of things from the human perspective, like to think that God is obligated. If he does something for one person must do the same thing for all. But God is under no obligation at all. If God had passed by the whole human race and never save anybody he'd still be just holy and good God, but it was by his grace and mercy that he determined to save people make choice of them predestinated them under the adoption of children is a marvelous thing to take these were eight and dated from God and adopt them into his family think things to work.

Loving God fearing daughter seeking God and transforming them and ultimately someday to conform the perfect into the image of his son Jesus Christ God plan salvation God determined to save people before the world began, hope that you will take time to write love the snow that you listen to the program. Our address is the Baptist Bible hour box 17 old, 37, Cincinnati, OH 45217, or you can make a donation by going to our website at Baptist Bible our God or we greet you next time. This is Sarah Bradley Junior pitting you goodbye and may God bless as she is in the and in a in all