The High Priestly Prayer of Christ: John 17:

Thisprayer of the Son of God was recorded to instruct the readers of theirprivileged place in their union with both the Father and the Son because of Christ’s ministry on their behalf (17:1?6)

 

Character of Jesus from this chapter

1. He is the One with God. (Perfect unity)

2. He is the Priest for all of us.

3. He is the Intercessor for all of us.

 

The character of the leader from Jesus in this chapter.

1. Intimate relationship with Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit

2. Responsibility for the people (God gave us)

3. Intercession for the people

 

The heart for the People

1. God gives us the people (Expect God only ?not rely on mine)

2. We have the responsibility for the people.

3. The people is God’s

4. Ownership and partnership

5. Commitment for the people

 

Jesus?Prayer for HisDisciples

By Pastor Young Joon Park

February 22, 2009

 

During3 ?years Jesus invested all of Hisenergy on His 12 Disciples intensive way. And nowit is the time to leave them to be crucified. That is why He did spend veryspecial time only with His Disciples for this night, and He shared the mostimportant message for them.

 

JohnChapter 17, He prayed for Himself, for His Disciples and for all Christiansfrom their ministry very seriously.

 

TodayI will share about His Prayer for His Disciples.

Heprayed for them 1) Life in the Lord, 2) Life in the world.

 

I. Prayer for the Oneness

 

1. Jesus?Disciple making

   1) I have manifested Your Nameto the men

      ?whom You gave Me out of theworld;

 

John 17:6

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out ofthe world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Yourword.

 

The name means as identification and the character.

When we hear someone’s name, then we are able to seethe entire person in our mind if we know the person. In Jew’s culture and concept?the name is so important, that every name has a meaning. Lot of Americanpeople do not know the meaning of their names.

 

Our parents made our name very carefully with specialmeaning, becausetheir names represent their character and their destiny, I, myself named mychildren with prophetic meanings.

Each name is not just something that’s made to callthe person; it carries more meaning related with the relationship.

 

Jesus has manifested God’s Name means that He represented the Father Godto His Disciples through His Life, through His Teaching and His Discipleshipministry, so that they can enter into the deep intimate relationship withFather.

 

That is why Jesus as God Himself had the intimaterelationship with them for 3 ?years.

 

Jesus?ministry was the Cell ministry (modern word), and He is the One whostarted this small group Cell ministry. I know that there are some people whoare against this cell ministry, because they believe that this cell ministry isman made, not by the Holy Spirit.

 

Sadly people made their own mind to eliminate theHoly Spirit works. We have to be careful in what we think and judge. We do notwant to do the same mistake that Paul did 2000 years ago. Hethought that he loved the Lord by his understanding and his mind set, butactuality what he did was going against the Lord Jesus the Messiah by his ownman made mind.

 

We talk about the cell ministry and the disciplemaking ministry.

 

Whenever I prophesied to people, God always remindsme that God has huge plans for each people way beyond what they believe.

 

Same way God spoke to me about this Cell Ministry.

This cell ministry and the disciple making ministryis not just about the multiplication alone, but this ministry is way beyond of God’sMysteries than what we understand.

 

I shared with you many times that God is going torelease the new things in our life before. God spoke to me that God is going torelease the unlimited new things (with new wine and new wineskin) that younever imagined before. The Cell ministry and the Discipleship ministry is just thebeginning of the gate to enter into the Mysteries and the Secret things ofthe Kingdom of the Lord.

 

I still do not understand exactly what the unlimitednew things are, and only I know that it is a tremendous blessing from the Lord.God reminds me through Ephesians 1:3 “He has blessed us with everyspiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.?b>

I believe that every spiritual blessing in heaven isthe unlimited one.

Can you imagine that how many blessing there are inheaven?

This is the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven!!!

 

That is why Jesus focused on His Disciples for His ministryand interceded for His Disciples before He took the cross. We really have tosee and hear what Jesus is speaking to us today continually. And we have togive attention carefully to what He focused on.

 

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart from yourmouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may becareful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you willmake your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

 

If we give more attention on the obedience to theword of God with careful heart, then we have to, in the same way, giveattention to Jesus who walked on earth as God Himself.

If we do, God will give us the prosperous and successin our life.

 

If it is not so important, then He should not make disciplesthrough His Ministry, should not intercede for His Disciples and should notgive us the great commission.

 

Do you want to follow Jesus?

Do you want to be a like Jesus?

Do you want to live like Jesus?

What area do you want to be like Jesus?

 

I do not know, how much you want to be like Jesus, but I want to be like Jesus 100% in every area. I want to follow after His every stepwhat He has been walked.

 

There are many great leaders in the Lord, but Jesus Christ is my only Example, and He is the only One Lord to me and you.

 

The Discipleship ministry is to bring the people tothe Lord and lead them to enter the deep intimate relationship.

 

Our motto is

“To Know Jesus Christ and To Make Him Known?/span>

 

   2) thewords which You gave Me I have given to them;

John 17:8

for the words which You gave Me I have given tothem; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth fromYou, and they believed that You sent Me.

 

Jesus?entire life on earthhas manifested God Father alone.

He had a relationship withpeople with Father’s heart, He taught them with Father’s

Word, and He did perform themiracles, wonders, signs, healings and deliverance that

He saw the Father doing.

 

Even Jesus saidin John 5:19 ?/span>Truly, truly, Isay to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He seesthe Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also doesin like manner.?/span>

 

I was complaining about myself to the Lord that I amnot worthy and qualified enough to lead this ministry.

 

At that time, He wanted me to lay down everythingthat I have under the feet of Jesus, and empty my heart. And He will fill myheart with His Secret things in Heaven from the Father continually. He does notwant me to see what I have, because when I start to see what I have, then itwould become old and time to dump them out of me like as theengine oil. The engine oil has to be changed with new oil continually to keep runningthe engine.

What I have to do is to receive only from the Lordand release it to His People.

 

Then how muchmore do I have to follow my Lord Jesus instead of relying on what I have?

 

Especially Jesus did treat His Disciples very specialway and focus on them compared to others.

 

Look! What Jesus said about it.

Matthew 13:11

Jesus answered them, ?b>To you it has beengranted to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it hasnot been granted.

 

John 13-16 is Jesus special private encounterbanquet with His Disciples only.

Look, what Jesus?special confirmation and affirmation for His Disciples.

 

 

John 15:16

You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointedyou that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain,so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

 

He did not speak these two verses to the public, but in private place for His Disciples.

These special selected words of God that had been givento Jesus were given to His Disciples by Jesus.

We have to see what Jesus?ministry was.

I pray that God opens your heart to see the visionand catch the vision.

God is going to hold everything until we catch thevision and jump in.

 

Our life is short and we do not have much time left.

I will not waste my time any more, and I will notspend my time any more for the fruitless.

Many prophets release the prophetic words of the lastday.

You can see the time and season if you open youreyes.

 

Jesus?Disciples were with Jesus at this moment oflast day with them as a perfect Man, but His Disciples were not recognized thetime and season.

Did not Jesus warn them about it? Yes, He did.

Their hearts were blind, and they were suddenly facedwith the terrible dark moment, but they were not prepared for this moment atall.

 

How much time do we have right now?

Jesus is waiting for His Bride, and this Bride isgetting ready to receive the Husband.

Jesus wants His Bride to be pure and ready for Him.

You are His Bride. Are you ready for Jesus?

 

 

   3) TheDisciples are sent by God

    ?a) They were Yours

    ?b) You gave them toMe,

    ?c) all things thatare Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine

    ?d) I have beenglorified in them

 

God sent Jesus?Disciples to Jesus, and Jesus took them as His Discipleseven Iscariot Judas.

Iscariot Judas was one of Jesus?Disciples, but he had issues withthe money materialism mind. John mentioned that he was a thief and he had anintegrity problem even he was in the Ministry of Jesus as an accounting treasurer.? According to Paul’s letter in I Timothy 6:10 “for the love of money is aroot of all kinds of evil?/span>

 

Even though we are in the ministry, we can be fallento this sin if we do not keep integrity in this area. We have to clear everysin with each other.

 

The Lord told me that He is going to send people whoare assigned by the Lord from Isaiah 49: and numerous times to me through theprophetic words from the Lord.

 

You are here, because God sent you to One Glory Church.

You are from the Lord for His Own purpose, and youare so precious to me.

 

4)               TheDisciples who believe in Him

a)    They have received the Word of God.

b)   They have known that everything of Jesusis from God;

c)    They have kept (obey or guard) the Word ofGod.

d)   They truly understood that Jesus cameforth from Father God,

e)    They believed that God sent Jesus.

 

The being a Disciple is not just joining the memberof the group, but what are also required are; aligning the heart to Jesus? vision, receiving the word of God seriously to know Jesus, coming into deeperrelationship with the Lord, and giving their life fully for the Lord.

 

Ones do not do their own thing, but align with theLord all the time instead of doing their own according to their own understandingand will.

 

The disciples are who:

 

Luke 9:23

And He was saying to them all, ?If anyonewishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his crossdaily and follow Me.

 

Luke 14:26-27

26 ?If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father andmother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his ownlife, he cannot be My disciple.

27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannotbe My disciple.

 

Luke 14:33

So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not giveup all his own possessions.

 

John 8:31-32

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continuein My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.?/span>

 

 

 

 

 

 

   5) Jesus poured out His life forHis Disciples

 

John 17:12

While I was with them, I was keeping them inYour name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one ofthem perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would befulfilled.

 

We pour out our heart for the very important matterin our life.

When our children were growing up, my wife and I did our best to pour ourlife for them whatever we could.

Why do we make money? We do make money because of our family, especiallyfor our children. Even some parents give up their lives for their children.

 

Our Lord, Jesus Christ did pour out His life for HisDisciples, because they were His Children.

 

Mark 10:24

The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ?b>Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

 

Jesus spent time with His Disciples everyday for 3 ?years. He taught,trained, equipped, built up and prepared them for the Kingdom of God, because His Disciples were His Hope and Future.

 

During the ministry on the earth, He kept securedof their salvation in Father’s Name and guarded from perishes.

What is your hope and your future to invest for allyour life?

 

2. Jesus?request to Father ?I ask on their behalf;

 

John 17:11

I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselvesare in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name,the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.

 

Now Jesus is going to take the cross, to die on thecross, to resurrect from the dead and to ascend to Heaven. After 43 days, He willno longer be with them, who did not understand the entire situation very wellyet, physically.

 

Jesus knew what would happen, but His Disciplesdid not have any idea and clue.

 

So Jesus prayed to Father for special requests.

 

John 17:9

I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of thosewhom You have given Me; for they are Yours;

 

He did pray for the world, but here in this time,Jesus prayed in the special time to focus for His Disciples who are Apostlesfor the new generation of the Lord as Joshua generation. ?And this newgeneration carried His Good News all over the world, and brings the revival tothe world. Because His Disciples were the most important in His Eyes in bringingthe Kingdom of God to the world.

 

That is why He did not ask on behalf of the world,but asked on behalf of His Disciples.

 

John 17:11

I am no longer in the world; and yet theythemselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them inYour name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be oneeven as We are.

 

And also He is going to come to the Father, and Hewill no longer be in the world, but His Disciples will remain in the world.

 

John 17:12

While I was with them, I was keeping them inYour name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one ofthem perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would befulfilled.

 

During the ministry on the earth, He secured theirsalvation in Father’s Name and guarded from perishes.

Jesus was keeping them in Father’s name, guarded them allthe time.

 

So He did ask His Holy Father for them

 

   1) keep them in Yourname (for the security),

      ?the name whichYou have given Me, - Jesus Himself identified His name with us as one with Him.

While His Disciples were with Jesus, He secured theirsalvation on the Name of Father God, and He guarded their lives to be holythrough His Discipleship Ministry in the Name of Father.

This security and guard were not just one time thingat all, but these were on going matter, and the Lord continually built them upfor 3 ?years during His Ministry.

The eleven Disciples followed Him faithfully and stayedwith Him until Jesus ascended to heaven.

They did finish well theirrace with Jesus until His ascension.

 

It was only Iscariot Judas not only did notfinished well with Jesus, but he betrayed Jesus and left Jesus. He ended hislife so bad that he killed himself.?

 

It is very important how to start your Christian life, but the most important thing is howto finish it.

 

The eleven Disciples finished their race well becauseof one heart with Jesus Christ until the end of Jesus ministry.

 

In the beginning there were so many people who followedJesus, however, in the middle of Jesus?2nd year ministry almosteveryone left Jesus except 12 Disciples.

 

We could see that only 120 people were at the upperroom on the Pentecostal day.

 

When you get married, most of the people are in the joy of the honeymoonat the first year, but from 2nd year the honeymoon mood is gettingfaded away, as years pass by the honeymoon mood all but disappear. Some peopledropped their marriage life, and some people keep their marriage life untilthey die.

 

My mother and father lived together for 62 years. They finished their marriage life well.

 

The ministry is the same way. People start togetherwith excitement, but before long we see a lot of people drop their vision and leavewith many reasons

 

I have a strong desire for you and want to see thatyou all finish your race well together until Jesus comes.

 

Because of this prayer 12 disciples did reach out thenations widely. None of them were fallen into sin and were followed the world.

 

By tradition ?Thomas ?India.

Andrew, Peter, Matthew, Bartholomew ?to Black Sea area

John and Philip ?Asia Minor

Thaddeus, Simon Zealot, Judas son of James, Matthias ?Armenians

 

They were all martyred except John who was exiled to Patmos.

The first church was the cost of Jesus?Disciples?blood.

                                                                                                                                                                              ?                                                                           

 

Every Apostle finished their race very well up todeath, and the gospel was continually spread out to the world.

We are in Christ today becauseof the Disciples?blood and Jesus?prayer for them.

 

We are the fruit of Jesus?prayer.

You came to the Lord, because you were conceived asGod’s Children in Jesus?prayer 2000 years ago.

 

312 AD finally Constantine the Great was converted to the Christianity.

 

   2) They may be oneeven as We are One.

 

One - the unityand the intimate relationship

Jesus is oneunity with the Father perfectly. He never manifested Himself alone, but theFather all the time. He did not give anything to His disciples with His owninitiatives, but He only gave them what the Father gave to Him. His mind wasfull of the Father’s mind and heart. He lived on the earth fully in Him.Everything is the possession of the Father and also it’s Jesus? because Theyare One. He did not do His ministry by His own name, but He under theFather’s name. He glorified the Father’s name all the time.  

 

In the same wayGod wants us to be one with Him. We have to submit all our will to His will, andwe have to realign our will with the Lord’s.

To be one means not just only aligning our will to His will, but also having toenter and join into the intimate relationship with the Lord.

 

Genesis 2:24

For this reason aman shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and theyshall become one flesh.

 

To be oneness withthe Lord is very important matter in our life.

 

 

II. Prayer for the Life in the World

 

1. Heprayed for Jesus?Joy in His Disciples

 

John 17:13-14

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so thatthey may have My joy made full in themselves.

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, becausethey are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

Jesus Disciplesno longer belong to the world, and also the world hates His Disciples. The joy brings the victory in dangerous places.?

 

2. He prayed for their protection from the evil one.

 

John 17:15-16

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep themfrom the evil one.

16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

3. He prayed for their sanctification

 

John 17:17

Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

 

Sanctify them?/span>This word has two meanings:

1.

It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and His Service.

2.

It signifies to make holy or pure.

 

The prayer of Christ may be understood in both thesesenses. He prayed?

1

That they might be fully consecrated to the work of the ministry, and separated from all worldly concerns.

2

That they might be holy, and patterns of all holiness to those to whom they
announced the salvation of God.

 

A minister who engages himself in worldly concerns isa reproach to the Gospel; and he who is not saved from his own sins cannot with a bad grace recommend salvation to others.

 

Your Word is Truth?/span> It is not only according to the truth of God thatministers are to be set apart to the sacred work; but it is from that truth,and according to it, that they must preach to others. That doctrine which isnot drawn from the truth of God can never save souls. God blesses no word butHis Own; because none is truth, without mixture of error, but that which hasproceeded from Himself. Our Lord still acts here in reference to the conduct ofthe High Priest, to whom it belonged to sanctify the priests, the sons ofAaron:

4. He prayed for their mission (vv. 18, 19)

 

John 17:18-19

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may besanctified in truth.

 

As You sent Me—I also have sent them?/span>The apostles had the same commission which Christ had, considered as man—they were endued with the same Spirit, so thatthey could not err, and their word was accompanied with the same success.

 

I sanctify Myself?/span> Iconsecrate and devote Myself to death—that I may thereby purchase eternalsalvation for them. There seems to be an allusion to the entering of the highpriest into the Holy of Holies, when, having offered the sacrifice, hesprinkled the blood before the Ark of the Covenant. So Jesus entered into theholiest of all by His Own Blood, in order to obtain everlasting redemption formen: ?/span>

SeeHebrews 9:11-13.

The word, Sanctify, to consecrate or sanctify, isused in the sense of devoting to death, in Jeremiah 12:3, both in the Hebrewand in the Septuagint: the Hebrew signifies also to sacrifice.

 

The Cup of the Sacrifice

Matthew 20:22-23

22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you ableto drink the cup that I am about to drink??They *said to Him, “Weare able.?

23 He *said to them, ?My cup you shall drink; but to sit on Myright and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those forwhom it has been prepared by My Father.?/span>

 

 

Conclusion

 

1. Why did Jesus pour out His life for His Disciples?

 

     Proverbs 29:18

?“Where there is no vision, the peopleare unrestrained,

   But happy is he who keeps the law.?/span>

 

     There is no true vision for the GreatCommission

     if we do not have a vision of theDiscipleship.

 

2. No one runs arace without a goal.

 

  ?1Corinthians 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race allrun, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you maywin.

25 Everyone who competes in the games exercisesself-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishablewreath, but we an imperishable.

26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; Ibox in such a way, as not beating the air;

27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, sothat, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

 

3. Anotherpurpose of the race is to gain the reward.

 

  ?1Corinthians 9:24

Do you not know that those who run in arace all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way thatyou may win.

 

The mostimportant matter is the intimate relationship with the Lord.

The GreatCommission will be fruitful based on how we are in the intimate relationshipwith the Lord.

The true visionof the great commission shall be revealed through the intimate relationshipwith the Lord.

 

Let’s enter intoHis chamber daily and have the intimate relationship with the Lord.