John 17

Jesus Christ thought it important to stay in contact with his father often by prayer, word is that leave us is that some we can just sort of toss out or bring in whatever we feel like it's necessary when I'm really in trouble will I make it a constant priority to be connected with the phone.

Jesus knew that need in himself than you and I should also note an experience that me. Did you know that the Bible records.

Many movements were even Jesus prayed. It shows you how vital prayer is. Today we continue our countdown of Skip's top 40 messages on the connect with Skip to trap the number 30 spot is a message in which teachers from John chapter 17 and dives into one of Jesus most significant errors were Jesus even prayed about you. Here's a resource that will help you grow even closer to Jesus than ever before Armstrong to first step in the whole world watched the first words are well now what is common knowledge that the first new is usually left out to discuss his new center on the main event begins with my daughter in 1959 July murder for John gets out of the Eagle project at payment for step on the moon. Did I leave just before that the pouch and took out the wine and bread represented body, but if you cry and he he had personal communion service and that moment when I found out about it about a year previously hit me like a thunderbolt.

He noticed to realize her thing ever on the moon. The Last Supper new hardcover resource receive your copy when you get the gift of $35 and more to support this program.

Just go to connectwithskip.com or call one 892 connect.com or call one 808 let's get into today's teacher, John chapter 17 as we begin our study with Skip. The occasion is the Passover it's the annual time the Jews would gather to celebrate, to commemorate what happened thousands of years before in their history.

When God delivered their forefathers couple million of them from the clutches of Egypt, Pharaoh, especially who persecuted them and brought them through the wilderness and gave them a new land. Every year they gathered together, and every year they sat down and they had a meal together. They ate the Passover lamb and they ate all the elements that spoke of that deliverance and there was a lengthy gathering that was capped by a certain order of service, known as the Seder and Jews That regularly annually. And Jesus did so with his disciples. Jesus knows what's about to happen. They do not, even though he tells them what's going to happen. The disciples wrestle with that they have a hard time believing it.

I'm sure they really didn't hear the raise from the dead part of it. They just know that Jesus said some bad things are going to happen. One of them is going to be betraying them in. Peter is going to be denying him and they're all in a fluster and so after the Passover meal and after he washes their feet and that beautiful servant hood gesture to encourage and calm them. He says let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me. John 14 one when it was all done when the meal was done when some of the instruction was over. It was now time to go. So at the end of chapter 14, he says, arise, and let us go from here so the disciples along with Jesus, get up and they take a walk through the streets of Jerusalem because it was Passover. In that year was the vernal equinox.

The moon was full, walking through Jerusalem on a full moon.

I've done it, you get a pretty good view.

And as Jesus was walking from the upper city down toward the Kidron Valley in the garden of Gethsemane, where he will lead his disciples. Jesus could look up along with his 11 men up toward the left as they were coming down the hill and see the gates of the temple. The gates of the temple were enormous bronze with some gold embossing of vine that represented the nation of Israel.

They knew the symbolism they knew why it was there. They knew Isaiah chapter 5 where the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. The men of Judah are his pleasant plant and so looking up at that and being reminded of that.

Jesus in chapter 15 says I'm the real line on the true vine, you are the branches. My father, he's the one who tends the vineyard and with all of that symbolism.

He works his way to those beautiful promises again telling them the Holy Spirit is going to come remind them of the things he is said and on into chapter 16.

More instruction as they get closer and closer toward the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is going to pray by himself, but at the end of chapter 16 he says in this world you're going to have tribulation, not just tonight, not just what's coming in the next few hours in the next few days. It's gonna get bad for you.

You're going to be confused but just in this world in general. You're going to have tribulation, but boys, I want you to cheer up, be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world. He didn't say cheer up boys. You can bite the bullet and get going to have to encourage yourselves and work your way to a happy place. Maybe you too can overcome it. Heater says I've overcome it. I've done it for you know all of these great truths. You gotta know they are not picking up on the they're not understanding it. They're going to be very very disheartened in a short period of time and there in a tailspin and forget all of these great promises just like we do on bringing it up to encourage you so you're not the only one that feels that way, you think all man I know in the Bible. I read the Bible, but you know in a time of crisis in a real crunch.

I forget those things they they don't come to mind. I tailspin and I doubt the Lord.

We are in great company here in the company of Peter and James and John and all the rest. But then in chapter 17 Jesus now begins a prayer as it opens offices Jesus spoke these words lifted up his eyes to happen and said father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him, and this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do.

And now, old father, glorify me together with your self with the glory which I had with you before the world was all I can tell you as I get into this prayer is we are treading on holy ground as Jesus begins a one-on-one communication with his father lifting up his eyes, lifting up his voice, he begins to talk to the father just hours before his death. Now this prayer has made it an impact on my life to the years I resorted to it frequently. It's like I know it by heart. I spent a lot of time in it.

I actually was so impacted by it. I wrote a little book. I do not base 11 in the bookstore, but it's called when God praise put out by Tyndale House publishing a little devotional on looking at the prayer life of Jesus for instruction and encouragement in our own prayer life, but I've always loved what John Knox that great Scottish reformer used to say about John 17 he said in this chapter we are in the holy of holies of the Scripture itself. If this were a tabernacle or temple. And there were courts, said John Knox, the very holy of holies would be the 17th chapter. In fact, he loved it so much he cherished it so much and referred to it so often that when he was on his deathbed, that great Scottish preacher had his wife read John 17, over and over and over until he passed into eternity. John 17 is the Lord's prayer you going to menace out the Lord's prayer. I know the Lord's prayer our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name know that's the disciples prayer. I know your Bibles may have a little few words on top of it, a title given to it by the Bible publishers that say the Lord's prayer but that's the prayer Jesus gave to the disciples to pray in Luke chapter 11 Jesus was praying in a certain place were told and after he was done praying.

His disciples came to him and they said, Lord, teach us to pray. Just like John taught his disciples. And so Jesus is that I when you pray, say our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

You know, I know we all know that prayer by heart is sung at sporting events. It is prayed in and on a number of occasions, but that is the prayer Jesus gave his disciples to pray. This is the Lord's own prayer. This is Jesus prayer to his father.

It is the longest prayer recorded that Jesus prayed now doesn't mean the Jesus and pray longer. Trust me.

He did we know of occasions when we are told that Jesus went off and spent all night in prayer to the father.

He began his ministry in prayer. He continued his ministry in prayer and he ends his ministry in prayer is on the cross he prays father forgive them. Lord in your hands I commit my spirit. So much of what he said on the cross was a prayer he began continued and ended his life in prayer, but this is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, 632 words. I love by the way that the disciples came to Jesus and they had one request they didn't say Lord, teach us to preach.

We want to go to your school of ministry or teach us to walk on water that looks so cool. I'd love to just show off to my family when we have picnics, Lord, teach us to heal people that would be just awesome, isn't it interesting that of all the things they requested Jesus teach them the only thing we are told they asked him to teach them was to pray why.

My guess is they saw the powerful, effective prayer in Jesus life they saw. That's the secret. That's how he can do what he does at so we can keep going like he keeps going. That's the secret.

It's that relationship he has with the father, but this this prayer mix 632 word prayer. This is the Lord's own prayer brings up a question. Why does Jesus need to pray if Jesus is God. If Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. If Jesus is coequal with God the father and God the Holy Spirit. If Jesus is who we claim to be one who would receive worship know the thoughts of people like he did in the Gospels claim to forgive sins claim equality with the father, like he so often did.

If Jesus is, as Paul said Jesus was being in the form of God, or having the very nature of God and not thinking equality with God was a thing to be grasped if that is the Jesus that were dealing with here.

Why does he need to pray it's a good question. It's a fair question.

It's a question you and I should wrestle with and wrangle with while Jesus was on earth he was in a state of submission to his father. Absolute subjugation to the father.

He had all of the attributes of deity in human flesh, but you have to understand that Jesus had a unique nature. Jesus was fully God, but he was also fully man. He wasn't God with just kind of a make-believe body that really wasn't human.

It was it was human. He had the body had to develop when you hit his hander.

He stubbed his toe.

It hurt like yours does.

If Jesus in the carpenter shop or to miss with a hammer and hit his thumb. He'd say ouch like you what he would go all he was fully human. He was all there, but he was also fully God at the same time. So Jesus has a unique nature that we call of the fee anthropic nature of God. He was Faye. Scotty was anthropologist Manny the anthropic you are not you are anthropic God the father is God say Oscar Jesus was Faye Sandra, plus the anthropic fully God and fully man, though he was God and proved himself to be God on a variety of occasions by signs and wonders at the same time having emptied himself. Philippians 2 is the answer being in the form of God, thinking it not robbery to be equal with God.

Paul said he emptied himself and became obedient he became about like a bondservant serving the father's will. Being able to say I always do those things that please the father so he lived in voluntary subjugation, subjection, obedience to the father having a human nature. At the same time divine. He was in submission to the will of the father. So that's why he could say my father is greater than I. Now Jesus since then has been glorified has ascended to heaven is at the right hand of God. Even today, but during his humanity. He felt the need to always be in contact with the father spending all night in prayer.

Sometimes getting up very early in the morning to pray, praying through his ministry, praying till the end. Now here's the obvious application. If Jesus Christ thought it important to stay in contact with his father often by prayer.

Where does that leave us is that some we can do sort of toss out or bring in whatever we feel like it's necessary when I'm really in trouble.

That's on the goal God or work will I make it a constant priority to be connected with the father. If Jesus knew that need in himself than you and I should also note an experience that need to notice something were going slower than anticipated. I realize, but but notice that Jesus spoke these words. Notice what he does with the next phrase he lifted up what he lifted up his eyes meeting. He did this right.

This is a posture of prayer is one of the postures. The Bible speaks about when you pray Psalm 124 I believe it's as I lift my eyes up to you to you whose throne is in heaven. The idea of lifting up one's eyes is simply a recognition that I'm speaking to someone who's above all rains overall whose throne is in heaven who sees everything going on on the earth, and in my life.

So I'm recognizing authority by looking up. That's one of the postures in prayer. What's interesting is the Bible doesn't speak about closing your eyes and folding your hands, but what we do close her eyes bow our heads folder hands.

The Bible speaks of lifting your eyes.

The Bible speaks about kneeling the Bible speaks about laying flat down bowing before the Lord dancing before the Lord. And it's funny that when we choose a posture for prayer. We decide to pick one that's not a biblical one. I will go without one.

I would suggest you might want to start incorporating what you actually read is a posture for prayer in the Bible.

Just see how that works out lifting up of hands.

That's a commandment in the Bible lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Paul said, or getting on your knees and showing that your Hume Hugo humble that you have humility before the Lord Jesus lifts up his eyes as one of the postures of prayer, recognizing God's in heaven on the throne. Overall something else. He also lifted up his voice, not just his eyes.

He prayed out loud is a skip. How do you know that well.

It's recorded right.

The disciples wrote it down. They had to hear it.

In order to record it that you might say, well, you may be pushing it. Here Jesus didn't always pray out loud. He may have prayed on this occasion because he's walking with his disciples giving them instruction. Now he wants them to hear in an instructive way.

How he talks to the father may be, but I doubt it I doubt it because when he gets to the garden of Gethsemane. He goes off by himself to pray. A stones throw the Bible says and the disciples were able to hear what he said and write that down when Jesus said with a loud voice from a stones throw they heard father if it's possible let this cup pass from me.

So Jesus didn't just lift up his eyes, he lifted up his voice prayed aloud. I shared with you this before and I'm just gonna recommend it to when you pray, pray verbally pray out loud, lift up your voice and here's why you see what people think I'm nuts. Why yet. Perhaps if it in the wrong context, I mean if you are taking orders at Taco Bell and you're talking out loud when you should be saying thank you.

What else would you like would you like a Coke with that oh heavenly father you could. You can freak some people out but I guarantee it. You can pray out loud when you're driving in your car I see people bobbing and weaving and singing all the time and talking on their cell phone all the time, out loud. You can pray aloud in the car.

I like to take a walk in prayer loud and in the reason I do is because when I pray silently.

I don't know about you but I easily get distracted in prayer.

I mean, I've got myself stopping in the middle of the sentence when I pray silently getting up and doing something I remember to do that. I forgot it was amazing how you remember things that need to be done when you're talking to God so you pray out loud as if it's a good habit to get into Jesus did it in his disciples heard it, and they recorded it is in father, the hour has come. Isn't that a familiar phrase it should be by now six times as mentioned in this book alone. Jesus kept talking about his our at the wedding feast at Cana of Galilee. His mother said hey do this tricky said woman my hour has not yet come.

They tried to seize him in the temple, but he said it said, but his hour had not yet come. All of that all of those are references to this time, this hour where he's going to the cross.

This is why he came. And that's why it is worded this way. Glorify your son that your son also may glorify you as you have given him authority over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him in this verse three.

This is eternal life. They may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent this Heights. Exhibit 30 message top 40 messages counter the series expound the full message and more skips teachings that you could watch from the comfort of your couch on your big screen TV YouTube.com/Calvary ABQ now hears with an important message for you. God sent his only son to die on a cross for our sins, just so we could be with him forever.

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If God loved the world that we should love the people that are in that world as well.

Jesus what people that's the theme of this whole series units gave people straight people, prostitutes, thieves, drunks, atheists or agnostics.

Religious people and even you and I and Skip presentation of connection communication go through