The Prayer of Prayers

1. Introductory Thoughts—John 17:1
a. These are the first words of the real Lord’s Prayer.
(1) We often refer to the Disciples’ prayer in Mat 6:9-15 as the Lord’s prayer, but that is the prayer He taught US to pray.
(2) This is the prayer HE prayed.
b. This is one of the deepest and most profound passages in the Bible
(1) God talking “face to face” (Jn 1:1-2) with God. Here we have a glimpse into the private chambers of the Most High
(2) The timing of the prayer is significant, ending just before Jesus begins His passion in the Garden.
(3) The prayer’s subjects stretch from eternity past to eternity future.
(4) We are struck by the finality of the prayer, as if all these things have already happened (Rom 4:17)
(5) As beneficiaries of this prayer, believers see the absolute certainty of their salvation and of the absolute security of their place with their Savior.
(6) The doctrinal threads that crisscross this prayer include the Trinity, the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible, Eternal Security, Election, the extent of the Atonement, the essence of Salvation (to know God experientially), and the absolute sovereignty of God. Truly the disciples’ words just before this prayer are here fulfilled to the utmost—John 16:29 "His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!"

c. Yet we must pause to note, that it is likely that The Lord’s disciples, at this point, did not understand the very prayer they heard. Again, Christ had anticipated this, when He had just spoken of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the church:

John 16:12-13 ""I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

2. The Final Words of the Upper Room Discourse (John 17:1a “… Jesus spoke these words…”)—John 16:31-33
a. Context—the “upper room discourse.”
(1) The discourse had actually left the Upper Room (Jn 14:31), and Jesus was “talking and walking” toward His appointment with destiny.
(2) But the discourse from the Upper Room to this prayer is all one.
b. Outline of 13:1-16:33
(1) Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (13:1-17)
(2) Jesus and the betrayer—13:18-30
(3) The New Commandment—13:31-35
(4) Peter’s Denial predicted—13:36-38
(5) Jesus teaches on the Trinity—14:1-16:15
(a) The Father, the Son, and the Second coming—14:1-6
(b) The Father—14:7-14
(c) The spirit—14:15-31
(6) Practical application
(a) The Vine—15:1-16
(b) Persecution—15:17-6:4
(c) The Spirit’s work—16:5-15
(d) The Overcomer—16:16-33
b. The closing exchange
(1) The disciple’s profession of fidelity
(2) Jesus’ challenge—16:31
(3) The word of warning—16:32
(4) The word of victory—16:33

3. As He Closed In Prayer, Jesus Turned Toward Calvary (17:1b “…(He) lifted up His eyes to Heaven…”)

a. He is not going to be raptured or translated, His way to the Father’s throne goes through tribulation, through Calvary—He will endure Wrath so that we don’t have to do so—1 Thes 1:10

b. The final walk, the “green mile,” begins with a trip to the Throne in Heaven, followed by a stroll to the Garden

c. Ps 121:1, 123:1, Is 40:26, Dan 4:34, Jn 11:41, Acts 7:55

d. The focus shifted from Earth to Heaven

(1) The discussion shifted, from the earthly discourse of chapters 13-16 to the heavenly conference of John 17

(2) The participants changed
(a) The disciples were active learners in 13-16, they asked questions
(b) The Participants in 17 are The Father and The Son—the disciples are part of the subject of the prayer, and they hear the prayer, but they are not IN the prayer, and probably don’t understand much of the prayer.

e. The Time Goes From temporal to eternal

(1) Everything in 13-16 is from just after the Cross, toward the future of earthly ministry
(2) But John 17 stretches from eternity past to eternity future

f. The Subject Switched from Man to God
(1) From what God does in man and through man to what God Does, period.
(2) Most of chapters 13-16 is about present and future ministry on this earth, the apostles’ obedience, the Spirit’s mission
(3) John 17 is all about what God has done and is going to do.

g. Christ focused on the Fatherè Calvary is not, in any part, a work of man—Calvary is God’s work, from beginning to end, from plan to fruition.

4. The Father’s Plan—“…The Hour has come…”

a. The Hour—This is a phrase used in John’s Gospel to focus on the fact that God’s Providence is time sensitive—God is in total control
b. The plan of redemption was not a haphazard “Plan B,” but was ordained before the world was made—Acts 2:23, 4:24-28, 1 Pet 1:18-21, Gal 4:4-6, Rev 13:8, 17:8
c. The Hour, the Time set by the Father, has been often mentioned by Jesus—John 2:4, Jn 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 27, 13:1
d. There are other, related hours mentioned, which will be in the future John 4:21,23; John 5:25, John 5:28

5. The Son’s Glory—“Glorify your Son…”

a. Glory, “doxa” in its noun and verb forms, is found in John’s Gospel 42 times
(1) The best definition for “Glory” is the external expression of inward qualities and attributes.
(2) God is Glorified when His character and attributes are fully revealed.
b. The Mark of Divinity—what mere man could say this? See Is 42:8

c. The Cross, a glorification? Yes! See Phil 2:5-11, Gal 6:14-16
(3) Glorification of obedience
(4) Glorification of purpose
(5) Glorification of salvation of the promised remnant
(6) Glorification of power
(7) Glorification of God’s Love

6. The Father’s Glory—“That your Son also may glorify you.”

a. Again, Glory is the expression of His attributes
b. The Cross is the ultimate expression of His central attributes of Love, Holiness, Justice, Mercy, omnipotence, omniscience, etc.
c. We are told to glory in the Cross, does the Father glory in it any less?