The Time Has Come...to Pray #2 Series

Wednesday, October 8, 2003

Title: The Time Has Come... to Pray #2

Text: John 17:1

Introduction

1. Jesus has just spent a very busy week...

the week leading up to His death on the cross...

and it is during this pivotal time in the life of Christ...

that we have the wonderful opportunity to stand with the Disciples...

and watch...and listen...as Jesus prays to His Father....

And as we watch....

and as we listen...

and as we study this prayer...

we will find that this prayer will have a powerful effect on us...

Body

1. "Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed...’Father’..."

A. First of all, notice the ease with which Jesus addresses His Father...

Jesus uses the term "Father" liberally throughout this chapter.

"Father, the time has come" verse 1

"Father, glorify Me" verse 5

"Father, protect them" verse 11

"Father, make them one" verse 21

"Father, I want My people to be with Me" verse 24

"Father, the world does not know you" verse 25

The "Father" found in verse 11 has the added description "Holy Father"

And the "Father" found in verse 25 has the added description "Righteous Father".

What does that "ease of access" (as Beacon BC calls it p. 189 of Vol 7) signify?

In other words, as we look upon Christ as He is praying to His Father...

Why does it seem so natural for Him?

Why does it seem so easy for Him?

Why is He so confident?

1) For one thing...it signifies time spent with His Father...

If He hadn’t been in the habit of going to His Father in prayer...

If He only turned to Him because He was about to go through a difficult trial...

If He hadn’t been in regular...constant...intimate communion with His Father...

If prayer hadn’t been His natural habit...

Perhaps we wouldn’t see that familiarity...

we wouldn’t have seen the natural conversation...

the ease of communication.

I’ve got a good friend in Indiana named Mark...

When I go on vacation to Indiana (about once every 1-2 years)...

I make it a point to see my friend.

For some reason, we don’t keep in regular contact during the intervening time...

perhaps just a phone call a couple times a year...

when I do see him, I try to spend a few days with him...

when we first see each other...

there is a time of catching up...

there is a time of visiting...

But during those first hours, we don’t just jump in to a deep heart-felt conversation about weighty personal things...

But by the time the few days is over, we are much more open...

much more willing to share deeply from the heart...

the relationship is just more real...

and more meaningful...

because of that time that we spend together.

When we lived near each other, we were talking regularly...

seeing each other several times a week...

and we certainly didn’t need that "catching up" time...

we were always in a constant state of being "caught up".

That’s the kind of relationship that Jesus had with His Father...

and that’s the kind of relationship that WE need to STRIVE for with OUR Heavenly Father...

and that close relationship only comes through regular...habitual... time spent in prayer...

2) For another thing...that "ease of access" signifies the closeness of the relationship...

To Jesus, God wasn’t just a "business associate"...

He wasn’t a passing acquaintance...

He wasn’t some distant cousin that He didn’t know too well...

God was His Father...

and it is obvious that their relationship was very close...

Some people don’t have a good relationship with their Dad....

Some people have a great relationship with their Dad...

And the same is true with our Heavenly Father...

are we "close" to our heavenly Father?

Or are we estranged?

Is it a tense relationship?

Do you feel intimidated?

Loved?

Judged?

Unlike our relationship with our earthly father...

our relationship with our Heavenly Father is completely dependent upon us...

because God greatly desires to have a personal relationship with His children...

a relationship that is deep...

real...

loving...

devoted...

special...

But all God’s children don’t reciprocate His desire...

some people are unwilling to spend the time required to have that kind of relationship...

They don’t desire to have that close relationship...

they are too busy with other relationships...

and other interests...

so they put God on the back burner...

But for Jesus...we can tell He had a close relationship to His Dad....

And we can too!

And the way that we have a close relationship to God...

is through regular...habitual...intimate...time spent in prayer with God.

2. Jesus goes on and says, "Father...the time has come, Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You."

A. There is a lot communicated in this short sentence...

First of all, on the surface, this prayer is similar to what all martyrs would be inclined to pray during those moments before they know they are going to die.