Sermon Preached at Grace Community Church (EPC)
Sun City Grand, Surprise, AZ
Sunday, May 22, 2011
by the Reverend Cooper McWhirter
“Praying … Not Preying: The High Priestly Prayer” [Part Three]
John 17:1-5
The “Lord’s Prayer”, which we recited earlier this morning (recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4), is a misnomer of sorts. And I say this because these words spoken by Jesus were meant to serve as a guide or benchmark for His disciples when they prayed to their Father in heaven.
Recorded only here in the gospel of John, chapter seventeen, are the poignant words spoken by our Lord shortly before His betrayal, arrest, trials, scourging and subsequent crucifixion. In every respect this truly is what should be called “The Lord’s Prayer”, or as it is so aptly titled, “The High Priestly Prayer”.
For although Jesus prayed often to His heavenly Father, few of His prayers were ever recorded verbatim (Matthew 14:23; Luke 5:16). It is also the longest of Jesus’ prayers. So in this chapter we catch a glimpse of the intimate relationship which existed between God the Father and God the Son since before the creation of the world.
In many respects Jesus’ prayer marks a turning point with the finality of His earthly ministry and the beginning of what would become His ministry of intercession on behalf of all believers [Hebrews 7:25]. St. John Chrysostom (349-407 A.D.), the fourth century archbishop of Constantinople, who people called “Golden tongue” because of his oratorical skills, once referred to this prayer as the greatest prayer ever conceived. It’s been widely speculated that Clement of Alexandria, a fifth century church patriarch, was the one who first called this “The High Priestly Prayer”. And he did so because Jesus presents Himself as our “Great High Priest” who divinely intercedes for believers of every age; past, present and future.
According to numerous Bible scholars this prayer can best be understood by dividing it into three parts: initially Jesus prays for Himself (vss 1-5). He then turns His attention to His disciples (vss 6-19). Jesus concludes by praying on behalf of all who would place their faith in Him (vss 20-26).
So, for the next three weeks let us dissect Jesus’ priestly prayer in the hope of gaining further insight as to how we, as believers, should pray. In this first segment we discover: THE INTIMACY BETWEEN GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON. Secondly, we become aware of: THE TRANSFERENCE OF DIVINE AUTHORITY FROM THE FATHER TO HIS SON. Finally, we bare witness as to: THE COMPLETION OF THE SON’S WORK HERE ON EARTH.
First, let us consider the first five verses whereby we catch a glimpse of: THE INTIMACY BETWEEN GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON (repeat).
Before time began, before the creation of the world, the first words in the Book of Genesis says: “In the beginning … God …” [Genesis 1:1a]. Yet, in the works of creation God revealed Himself as three distinct Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; three in one.
In the first chapter in Genesis God unveils Himself as three distinct entities; all whom share equally in all of the divine attributes. Thus, the plural form of the word for God “elohim” where we read: “And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image’ ” [Genesis 1:26].
Never before, and never again, would there be a separation between the Persons of the Godhead as would occur at the time when Christ took upon Himself the sins of those He came to save. The resulting action caused God the Father to recoil in disgust at the sight of the amalgamation of our sins placed solely upon His Son and who, for a moment in time, incurred the full wrath of the Father’s fury!
Jesus, fully aware of what was about to take place, led His disciples, less the one who would betray Him, down from the Upper Room, through the streets of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley, and then up the sloping hills to the Mount of Olives.
It was during this trek leading down towards the Kidron Valley when Jesus began this prayer in full view of and within earshot of His eleven followers. He began by lifting up His eyes towards heaven saying: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.”
I had always assumed that Jesus said this prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He went off by Himself to pray. But the first words of John chapter eighteen dispels such a notion. Jesus was intentional when He prayed aloud so that His disciples could plainly hear Him. These first words speak volumes as to the work and Person of Jesus the Christ who was so intimately acquainted with His heavenly Father that He dared call Him, “Abba!” meaning “Father.” By addressing the Father in this manner, Jesus not only indicated the utmost respect and reverence towards His Father, but He also conveyed an mistakable intimacy with the Father!
The hour was now upon Him, which simply meant that the perpetrators of this most heinous crime had weaved their evil web of deceit. In their own minds these evil conspirators believed their plan was of their own doing. But in reality, God’s plan of redemption had been conceived before the very foundation of the world. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could turn back the hands of time. Neither the Father, nor Son, nor the Holy Spirit would allow anyone or anything to alter the course of “redemptive history” (heilgescheite)!
One could, I suppose, look upon Jesus’ initial words as being “self-attesting”; a form of “self-aggrandizement”. But to entertain such a thought would be blasphemous! Notice Jesus’ wording here where He says: “Glorify Your Son…” but then He goes on to say, “… so that Your Son also may glorify You.” In other words, Jesus was simply asking the Father to validate what was about to take place in accordance with the Father’s wishes; a plan of redemption set in motion since the fall of first Adam.
I find it both remarkable as well as ironic that Second Adam, Christ the Lord, was about to enter one garden in stark contrast to First Adam, who had been expelled from yet another garden!
Once again in verse 5 Jesus repeats Himself saying: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” In other words, Jesus was petitioning His Father to once again restore the glory which they mutually had shared since before time began. Jesus makes this plea knowing full well that there was but one way of restoring this harmonious relationship, which was by way of the cross!
Secondly, Jesus speaks of: THE TRANSFERENCE OF DIVINE AUTHORITY FROM THE FATHER TO HIS SON (repeat).
Christians should, and indeed must, rightly pay tribute to Christ for His atoning sacrifice. But as Christians we would be committing a grievous error if we excluded our thankfulness to the heavenly Father, who made this plan of redemption possible; along with that of the Holy Spirit who continually bears witness as to Christ’s work of redemption.
Within the counsel of the Godhead, mankind could justifiably have been annihilated as a result of their disobedience. But God’s mercy and grace prevailed! Thus, a plan was adopted; a plan whereby mankind could once again be reconciled to his Creator. But this could only be accomplished by the shedding of blood. For just as it says: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” [Leviticus 17:11]. Then, too, in Hebrews 9:22 we read: “…for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness.”
Consequently, there occurred a mutually agreed upon transaction whereby this plan of redemption, initiated by God the Father, was then subsequently executed by His only begotten Son. As a result of this transaction Jesus can now boldly proclaim: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” [John 14:6]
But did you notice a peculiar shift in Jesus’ use of the first person pronoun? In verse 1 Jesus spoke of Himself in the first person singular. Yet, in verses 2 and 3 He shifts from the first person to the third person singular. Thus suggesting that for a capsule moment in time Jesus took absence from His humanity and by way of His Spirit, [He] looked down upon this solitary Man, who soon would suffer the most humiliating and agonizing of deaths; a death befitting a common criminal; not for the One who was without guile!
This transference of divine authority becomes clearly evident when you see repeatedly the use of the Greek verb meaning “to give”). The Lord makes use of this verb seventeen times ( vss. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 24) in this prayer; often employing the perfect tense which denotes permanence. Thirteen times the Father is the subject of this verb which speaks of having given or transferred His divine authority to that of His Son. In the other four instances the word “give” refers to the Son transferring or giving His benevolence towards His disciples and all who would believe.
But not only are we made aware of the intimacy and the harmony between the Persons of the Godhead and of the transference of divine authority from the Father to His Son, but in Jesus’ own words He speaks of: THE COMPLETION OF HIS WORK HERE ON EARTH (repeat).
In verse 4 Jesus says aloud: “I have glorifed You on earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus said in various asundry ways, such things as: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work” [John 4:34]. Jesus spoke to His disciples saying: “I can do nothing on My own initiative … I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” [John 5:30]. Again Jesus said to them: “… for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” [John 5:36].
And so for anyone to suggest that Jesus was some kind of “glory seeker” does so at his own peril! Jesus accomplished only those things which He saw His Father doing, and He did so in full obedience of and compliance with His Father’s biding.
What Jesus accomplished here on earth brought glory to His Father in heaven in fulfillment of virtually every prophecy ever written about the Messiah during His first Advent. And those of us who believe in Him need only await the fulfillment of prophecies concerning His Second Coming.
Until that day, as the day draws ever nearer, let us continue to pray fervently, reverently, and resolutely … just as the Lord Himself taught us to pray. Amen!
