Jesus Prays (Week 3 Of 4): In The World Series

JESUS PRAYS (WEEK 3 OF 4): IN THE WORLD

John 17:13-19

#JesusPrays

RAFT STORY PART 1

Come listen to my story about a young man named Jed. Jed wanted to set off on his own and wanted to see what kind of man he was going to be because he was about to move out of his parent’s house and he wanted to know what he was made of. He wanted to test himself. He wanted to see if he had grit and perseverance and all the other things people always say you need for life. He was going out into the wide wide world and make something of himself.

Jed bought a boat.

Well, it wasn’t really a boat. It was more of a canoe that you would rent on a lake and paddle around. In fact, he bought it off the canoe rental place where he went to Boy Scout Camp. It wasn’t new, but it did float. Jed also decided he would not pack anything for his journey. He would just set out down river and just live off the land and off the river. He didn’t really know how, but he figured if he got hungry enough he’d figure something out. He could fish. Catch a rabbit. He could find a spring and drink water. How hard could it be?

It was going to be an exciting adventure.

TRANSITION

The passage of Scripture we are going to look at today is in John 17.

CONTEXT OF JOHN 17

This is our 3rd week (of 4) in John 17 and I’d like to remind us of John 17 and the context behind the passage. When reading Scripture, context is important. In John 13, we find Jesus in the Upper Room with His disciples before He is arrested. He washes their feet. He foretells of Peter’s denial. In John 14, Jesus talks to the disciples about Him being the way, the truth, and the life. He promises them the presence of the Holy Spirit. In John 15, Jesus teaches about how He is the vine and believers must abide in Him as branches. John 16, Jesus continues to teach the disciples about the work of the Holy Spirit and is reflecting about the hardships He would soon endure.

Then we have John 17… the passage we are looking at… where Jesus prays for Himself, the disciples, and then even those who would believe after the disciples. So, in John 17, Jesus is with His disciples in the Upper Room and is preparing Himself and them for events to come. John 18 records for us the betrayal and arrest of Jesus… which were the events He was preparing for.

John 17 is a prayer of Jesus. The prayer can be divided into three parts as I mentioned a moment ago:

Verses 1-5 Jesus prays for Himself

Verses 6-19 Jesus prays for His disciples

Verses 20-26 Jesus prays for all believers

We are going to look at John 17:13-19 where Jesus is continuing to pray for His disciples. We looked last week in verses 6-12 at how Jesus prays that they would bear the Name of God well and abide faithfully in the Kingdom of God. He prays for their faithfulness in keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. Jesus continues to pray for His disciples in verses 13-19.

READ JOHN 17:13-19 (ESV)

But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

RAFT STORY PART 2

Jed set out on his exciting adventure and knew that he was ready, willing, and able to meet any challenge he faced. He was ready. He had his trusty canoe, his paddle, and a willingness to put it all on the line!

He had been paddling for about a half an hour when he realized he should have eaten breakfast before he left. He was hungry. He steered his canoe to the edge of the river and jumped out. Water sloshed all around. Some got in the boat. No big deal. He found some bushes with berries and picked them and ate until his hunger went away. He decided that he would be hungry later, so he pulled up a whole bush and threw it in the canoe. There was room. He jumped back in the canoe and water sloshed all around. Some got in the boat. No big deal.