The Great Intercessor Series

Portraits of Christ : The Great Intercessor

John 17

Review of Series

Prayer

Opening Illustration- Moody’s Barroom Meeting

D.L. Moody once entered a tavern in order to ask the bartender if his two little girls might attend his Sunday School. He was told that an atheist club met there every Thursday night and the owner of the bar was in no mood to offend them. Moody looked into the face of this man and pleaded with him on behalf of his girls. Finally the man’s heart was touched and he said, “Preacher, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. If you’ll come down here Thursday night and meet with the boys in a joint discussion, and win, you shall have the children. But if not, its all off!” “Agreed,” said Moody. Moody went right out and looked up a crippled newsboy who really knew how to pray and said to him, “Tommy, I need you next Thursday night!” When the hour of the meeting arrived, Tommy and the evangelist entered the saloon. It was full of men sitting on whiskey barrels, beer kegs, and even on the bar—eagerly awaiting the coming debate. Moody began by saying, "Gentlemen, its our custom to open our meeting with prayer. Tommy, jump up on that barrel and lead us in prayer.” Tommy began to beseech the Lord for the souls of all present. As the tears began to roll down the little fellow’s cheeks, the more tenderhearted of the men beat a retreat. Finally, even the hardest men present began to leave until there was no one left except the bartender, Moody and the praying boy. Moody turned to the father and said, “I claim your girls for my Sunday school!” The bartender answered, “All right, you win. But it’s a queer way to fight!” And Moody answered, “It’s the way I win many a battle.”

Queen Mary of Scotland, (known in History as ‘Bloodly Mary’) once commented that she feared the Prayers of John Knox as much of the combined Armies of Scotland. That is a Powerful statement concerning one of the fathers of the Reformation. John Knox , while on His deathbed asked His wife to read from our text This morning - John 17.

Introduction to John 17

* within the final hour/hours of Christ life. He has spent his final hours walking with the disciples Towards the Garden of Gethsemane in the Mount of Olives. Now he seeks to be

Alone in Prayer

“We have before us one of the most intimate glimpses anywhere in Scripture of the mind and heart of the Lord as He led in prayer.” —J. Dwight Pentecost

*The Garden is a sencrere and tranquil place used by many as a place to go when one wants to be alone to think and yet it in this Garden where Jesus will be betrayed and

Arrested.

* There were Times in Jesus ministry, where he would find times to get away for the spotlight to take time to pray.

Five reasons we don’t pray, according to Richard Halverson:

1) Unbelief.

a) We don’t think it really works.

b) It’s just something you have to endure in church.

2) Indifference.

a) We don’t pray until a problem is huge.

3) Priorities.

a) Other things are more important to us.

4) It is hard work.

5) We are focused on this world.

a) We limit our goals to what we expect here and now.

b) The things of God do not mean much to us.

The setting of our text is known as the Kadron Ravine near one of the entrances to the Garden of Gethsemane. There was a channel that led from the temple altar to this ravine collecting the blood of over 200,000 lambs that were sacrificed during that Passover. With the smell of this blood still in the night air He took time to pray, with his own Death only hours away. He was to be the final Lamb to be sacrificed

It is this backdrop that John paints a picture of a caring messiah, Look at the focus as he prepares to go to the Cross.

Outline

1-5 prays for himself- revealing his struggles

6-19 prays for his disciples -both present and future

20-26 prays for future believers

Has we seen in our summary outline, His focus is other’s centered for you see His work on the Cross was all about us.

Last week we read in John 15:13

Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for His friends.

He stated these words to his disciples preparing them for His death.

The Luke passage (22:32-47) that was read for our scripture reading this morning reveals the emotion and inner turmoil or struggles that Jesus had has he begins His Prayer to the Father