The Crucifixion Of Christ- An Answer To Prayer Series

Text; John 17: 1-5

Title: The crucifixion of Christ – An answer to prayer

Introduction

If you were to look at the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ from a human point of view it would be natural for any of us to pray that such things would never be done to another human being especially someone as nice as Jesus.

Yet we find in John 17:1-5 that these events were all done in answer to prayer and not the prayer of some anti- Christian but rather the prayer of Jesus Christ himself.

“Father the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (V1-5)

How then is the crucifixion of Christ an answer to prayer?

Well what was the prayer of Jesus? The prayer of Jesus was simply this…“Father the time has come. Glorify your Son.” (V1)

Now it’s important to recognize that the Father had glorified the Son lots of times already.

•The Father glorified the Son at His birth

•The Father glorified the Son at His Baptism

•The Father glorified the Son as He preached, taught and healed people

•The Father glorified the Son on the Mount of Transfiguration

In fact we are told in verse 5 that the Father has been glorifying the Son from before the world began.

But the truth is that God best glorifies Christ at His crucifixion.

“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:8-11)

The reason that God best glorifies Christ at His crucifixion is because it is here we best see Christ for who he really is… The Savior of the World!

“Look the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…”

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

So therefore all the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ were not authorized by the High Priest Caiaphas or by the Roman Governor Pontus Pilot. Instead all the events were authorized by Christ himself. They were an answer to his prayer. For verse 2 tells us; “For you granted him authority over all people.” In other words Jesus is saying; people can only do to me what I allow them to do.

“Put your sword back in its place…Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

The crucifixion of Christ was not some demonic plot in order to kill Jesus but instead it was a divine plan to save us from our sins.

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies it produces many seeds.” (John 12:23-24)

We can say a lot of nice things about Jesus and it is good to do so but the nicest thing we can say about Jesus is that he is the savior of the world.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

The crucifixion of Christ is an answer to prayer for two more reasons besides best glorifying the Son.

1.The crucifixion of Christ is an answer to prayer because it also best glorifies the Father

“Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you.” (v1)

Prior to his crucifixion Christ had already brought the Father glory. In verse 4 we read “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

But again just as the crucifixion best glorifies the Son it also best glorifies the Father.