We Pray for One Another

Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: James 5:13-18                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  When Christians come together to pray, our thoughts are often on those who are sick and suffering different trials.  However, there’s one thing that we must remember when we pray for one another.  While physical needs are real and important, spiritual needs are far more important.   The Lord Jesus made this very clear when He said “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (see Matthew 16:26).  In this week’s lesson, the Apostle James makes it clear that some sicknesses are related to sin and must be dealt with as a sin issue.  In addition, he gives us important instructions about praying for one another and illustrates the power of fervent, faithful prayer.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  The epistle of James was written by James, the brother of Jesus (see Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3: Galatians 1:19).  However, he didn’t promote this relationship in his writings, but simply referred to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (see James 1:1).  As head of the first Christian church at Jerusalem, James was a man of great authority (see Acts 12:17; 15:13-29; 21:17-18).  He was evidently converted by the risen Lord (see I Corinthians15:7).  James writes to the “twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (see James 1:1), referring to the Christian Jews dispersed throughout the Roman Empire.  He began chapter 5 from which our lesson comes, by condemning the sins of the unbelieving rich (see James 5:1-6).  Then in verses 7-12, James addresses the needs of believers who were suffering at the hands of the rich.  He urged them to be patient and steadfast as they await Christ’s return, cautioning them against venting frustration through grudges or oaths.  But how can they maintain this steadfastness in the midst of suffering for their faith?  They would need the strength that God gives in response to prayer.  Therefore, James’ final words which make up our lesson text focus on prayer, this essential element of Christian life.  This is where our lesson begins.      
III. PRAYER IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES (James 5:13).   James begins our lesson by bringing up circumstances or occasions on which prayer is needed.  He writes in our first verse “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”  The word “afflicted” literally means “suffering what is bad.”  It can include any kind of distress and hardship we face in life.  For James’ readers, “afflicted” seems to point to the persecutions they were experiencing (see James 1:3).  We know it doesn’t refer to sickness, because James mentions sickness as a separate item in the next verse.  James’ instructions to those who were “afflicted” or suffering was “let him pray.”  This command is in the present tense meaning that prayer should be a regular practice or a lifstyle.  Prayer is always the proper response to trials and difficulties.  Our common desire when we pray is to ask God to end our troubles, but James also wrote that trials are ultimately for our benefit (see James 1:2-4).  James also had instructions for those who were “merry” meaning “cheerful” or “in good spirits.”  To those who were “merry” James said “let him sing psalms.”  We should know that prayer is for the good times in life as well as the bad times.  It may seem strange that being merry should be an occasion for prayer, but it’s just as important to voice praise to God as it is to beg Him for help in our trials (see Ephesians 5:19-20).  The phrase “sing psalms” is also in the present tense meaning that the merry or cheerful person should constantly sing songs of praise whenever he or she realizes God’s blessings on his or her life.  However, this does not rule out also singing praises while suffering, as Paul and Silas did in prison (see Acts 16:25).  Praise anywhere can change our perspective.  The word “psalms” could refer to the Book of psalms since it was completed by New Testament times.  However, it can also refer to any hymns of praise.  It should be noted here that the Psalms are prayers too.  Psalm 117 is a great example.
IV. PRAYER FOR THE SICK (James 5:14-15)      
A. Prayer for physical illness (James 5:14). 
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse James writes “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  James posed the question to his readers “Is any sick among you?”  The word “sick” here can also mean “weak” and can refer to any kind of weakness.  However, the context has the idea of an illness.  In this case it probably refers to an illness that incapacitated the person so much that James said “let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him.”  If the illness was so that the person couldn’t go to the elders for prayer, they were to send for them. James said that the elders’ duty in the situation he presented was to pray over the sick person while “anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”  The “oil” here is probably olive oil which was widely used in that time.  The elders were to anoint the sick “in the name of the Lord” meaning under Christ’s authority, and trusting in His great power.  It was also understood that their prayer was offered in Christ’s name. 

2. (vs. 15).  In this verse James says that the result of the elders’ actions was “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”  It should be noted that the oil was not the instrument God used to heal.  It was “the prayer of faith.”  This refers primarily to the elder’s prayer, but it does not leave out any prayer made by the sick person himself.  The word “save” here refers to physical healing, not spiritual salvation.  The term can be used of any type of deliverance.  James then said that through the instrument of prayer, “the Lord shall raise him up” or bring the sick person back to health.  God is the healer who honors the faith of those who pray.  However, there’s no indication of the time lapse between the prayer and the healing.  The sovereign Lord determines the right time. James went on to say about the sick person “and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”  This phrase seems to indicate that the calling of the elders is not just for the prayer of healing, but also to give the sick person an opportunity to confess his or her sins.  Sins won’t be forgiven just because others pray for a person; the person himself must confess his sins and ask for forgiveness (see I John 1:9).  This does not suggest that personal sin causes all illness.  The sickness we suffer isn’t always the result of some sin we have committed.  Jesus made this clear when He told the disciples that the man born blind was not in that condition because of his parent’s’ sin or his own (see John 9:1-3).  However, we must recognize that Scripture teaches that God sometimes brings sickness upon His wayward children in order to get their attention and bring them to repentance.  We see this in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth.  Because many abused the Lord’s Supper, many had become weak and sick, and some had even died (see I Corinthians 11:29-30).  While we shouldn’t assume that a believer’s sickness may be due to their sin, we should allow for the possibility that their sickness may be due to their sin and that confession is what is most needed.  Those who suffer physically should use that occasion to examine themselves to see whether the suffering may be linked to sin.  If the Spirit convicts of sin, this should lead to confession and cleansing.  On the other hand, the situation that James described does not mean that all healing comes as a result of prayer by elders or the confession of sin.  This is simply the method of addressing illness that is the result of sin.  We must not lose sight of the Lord’s priority which is on the spiritual needs of people. 

V. PRAYER FOR ONE ANOTHER (James 5:16).  Here James exhorts his readers to “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  The word “faults” means sins.  We are to confess our sins to “one another.”   In addition, we are to “pray one for another.”  Both words “confess” and “pray” are in the Greek present tense meaning that we should continuously or habitually confess and pray whenever a need arises.  The word “confess” implies a full and honest acknowledgment of guilt and “faults” (sins) indicates that it’s our individual sins that we are to confess.  The place of the confession should fit the need.  In other words, if the whole congregation has been wronged, a public confession may be in order.  But a sin against an individual brother or sister should be confessed in private to that person only.  Confession should lead to mutual prayer and not to gossip or broken ties.  Public airing of private matters raises unnecessary questions, and in the end does more harm than good.  The command to “pray for one another” implies that we have enough concern for those who sin to intercede for them.  In repeating the phrase “one another,” James indicated that the confession and prayer should be reciprocal or for each other, because not one of us is exempt from sin or the need for prayer.  James said that the purpose for confession and prayer was so that those involved “may be healed.”  The healing that results from such confession and prayer may be either spiritual or physical.  Sin affects the whole range of feelings and thoughts, decisions, and relationships.  Confession and prayer allow God to set things right.  The last part of this verse says “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”  James’ declaration here literally reads “Able to do much is the supplication (prayer) of a righteous man in its working.”   Simply put, prayer is a powerful exercise when offered by “a righteous man” or a godly person.   A person who is properly related to God and living to please Him is honored when he prays.  The prayer is able to accomplish much because the person’s mind is in tune with God’s.  The word “effectual” means “in its working” and can be taken in more than one way.  It can mean “when the prayer is energized”---that is by the Holy Spirit.  It could also mean “when it is operating” emphasizing the continual energy the righteous or good man exerts in making his petition.  Of course, both of these are true.  The productiveness of prayer is due to both the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the perseverance of the one who prays.
VI. PRAYER ILLUSTRATED (James 5:17-18)
A. An example of effectual fervent prayer (James 5:17).  To illustrate his statement that a righteous man’s prayer is effective, James uses Elijah as an historical example.  In this verse He said “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”  But if any of his readers thought that Elijah was superior to any of them, James first declared that “Elias (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are.”  The term “passions” can be understood as feelings.  Elijah was fully human and had the same kinds of experiences and weaknesses as we do.  Elijah was not perfect, but God did great things because of his prayers.  James singled out two instances: the beginning and the ending of the drought in Israel in the days of Ahab (see I Kings chapters 17&18).  First, Elijah “prayed earnestly that it might not rain.”  The Greek translation says literally “In prayer, he prayed.”  The repetition of the word shows the intensity with which he prayed.  The Old Testament does not specifically mention this prayer, but it’s implied in I Kings 17:1, where Elijah swore by the Lord’s name that it wouldn’t rain.  Elijah’s words “As the Lord God liveth, before whom I stand” indicates that the authority of the Lord stood behind the decree he was making to king Ahab.  Because he was a godly man, Elijah was distressed by Israel’s apostasy or turning away from the Lord.  So he prayed that God’s judgment would fall to awaken the nation to the seriousness of their sin.  His prayer thus preceded his confident decree of the coming drought.  The Lord honored his prayer and James says “and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”  In other words, the Lord withheld rain on earth for three and a half years in response to Elijah’s prayer.      
B. The results of effectual fervent prayer (James 5:18).  Still speaking of Elijah, James in our final verse says “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”  The second instance of Elijah’s praying was his asking that the drought be ended.  This is implied in the phrase “And he prayed again.”  He did this after he had defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (see I Kings 18:42-45).  Elijah’s bowing down with his head between his knees reveals the earnestness of his prayer.  He had believed God’s promise to send rain (see I Kings 18:1), announced it to Ahab (see verse 41), and then prayed until it was fulfilled (see I Kings 18:42-45).  The phrase “and the earth brought forth her fruit” means that God had restored the normal cycle of nature in response to prayer.  Note:  The power of prayer is proved in Elijah’s success.  This can be encouraging to us when we consider that Elijah was a man with the same feelings we have.  He was a good man, but he had his faults just as we do.  However, in prayer we must not look to the good of man, but to the grace of God.  If we will copy Elijah, it should be in that he prayed earnestly, or as the original language says, “in prayer he prayed.”  It‘s not enough to say a prayer, but we must pray in prayer meaning we must pray earnestly.
                         
VII. Conclusion.  Our lesson this week has presented prayer as a powerful and necessary part of our experience together as Christians.  It’s our means of communicating with God in times of need and in times of rejoicing.  Those who are sick or weak should call on the elders to minister to them.  We should pray in confidence, remembering the example of Elijah, a mere mortal like the rest of us, who released God’s power in prayer.  The example of Elijah demonstrates the power of a godly man’s prayer.  When such prayer is combined with confession of sin, there are wonderful results.  For those who are suffering under God’s discipline, much hardship is avoided, there is forgiveness of sin, and there is healing.  The Bible gives us every reason to pray and to pray fervently for one another.

Jesus Intercedes for Us

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson

Lesson: Hebrews 4:14-5:10                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  What do you think Jesus is doing right now?  Many people believe that after the cross, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus to heaven, He is now in retirement until He returns.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  He has never been more active.  Among other things, He is in heaven acting as our High Priest to hear our pleas and feel our pain.  This is one of the lesser known facts about Christianity---Jesus is now our great High Priest.  The idea of having a high priest may seem strange to our beliefs especially since talk of a high priest is predominant in the Old Testament.  This week’s lesson tells us that we have Someone in heaven who cares.  This caring is demonstrated in many ways, and especially in the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ prays for us.  He cares enough to plead with the Father on our behalf.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Hebrews is a letter written by an unknown Christian to present the superiority and sufficiency of Jesus Christ, and how He had replaced Judaism as God’s perfect revelation of Himself.  The Epistle to the Hebrews has no greeting or identification of its author, therefore the author is unknown.  The authorship has been debated since post-apostolic days.  In certain places of the letter, the language is like Paul’s and on account of the personal reference to Timothy (see Hebrews 13:23), some scholars have attributed the letter to Paul.  Although there is no conclusive proof that Paul is the author, Hebrews as a part of Scripture speaks with divine authority.  It is believed that the letter was probably written before the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by Rome, since religious sacrifices and ceremonies are referred to in the book.  In addition, there is no mention of the temple’s destruction in the letter (see Hebrews 10:11).  The letter was written to encourage its Hebrew readers who had professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, but were wavering in their faith.  Hence the author gives the exhortation to “hold fast” (see Hebrews 10:23) and to “go on unto perfection” (see Hebrews 6:1).  As Hebrews begins, the writer first sets forth Christ’s superior revelation (see Hebrews 1:1-4).  Then he expressed Christ’s superiority over the law-giver Moses (see Hebrews 3:1-4:13), and in our lesson text the author began to stress the priesthood of Christ as superior to the priesthood of Aaron, which had been established under the law. 
III. A SUPERIOR HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 4:14-16) 
A. Christ, our superior High Priest gives us assurance (Hebrews 4:14).  Our first verse says “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”  With the phrase “Seeing then that we have a great high priest” the writer was letting his Jewish Christian readers know that there was no need to go back to their former faith of Judaism with its outward ritual and established priesthood.  Those things had been ordained for their time, but that time had passed.  Believers now had “a great high priest” greater than any they had known before.  The believers’ High Priest had “passed into the heavens.”  This statement stresses the superiority of Christ’s ministry over the Levitical priests.  They ministered on earth, but Christ ministers in heaven.  Our High Priest is also identified as “Jesus the Son of God.”  This title reveals both His deity and humanity.  Based on all of this, the writer exhorted his readers to “hold fast our profession.”  In other words, they were to be strong and prevail in their confession of Christ.  Based on all they knew about Him, the readers should hold fast and tenaciously to Christ. 
B. Christ, our superior High Priest sympathizes with us (Hebrews 4:15).  This verse goes on to say “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  Not only is Jesus as our High Priest superior to any earthly priest, He is also more sympathetic.  The phrase “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” means that our High Priest is not someone who doesn’t know what we go through every day of our lives. The verb translated “touched” is actually “sympathize” which means to have fellow feelings with.  Jesus knows what we feel and has compassion for us.  The word “infirmities” refers to our weaknesses.  Jesus’ sympathy for us is not based on the fact that as God He knows everything.  Instead, it’s based on His experience as a human Being who “was in all points tempted like as we are.”  The Father didn’t limit the temptations of Christ while He was on earth.  Christ bore hunger, trials, suffering, and strong desires similar to what we experience (see Matthew 4:1-11; 27:46; Luke 22:42-44).   But with all the temptations that Jesus faced he was “yet without sin.”  Note:  Think of the strongest temptations you have faced or yielded to.  Jesus has been through the same kind of temptations, but to a much greater degree.  However, Jesus never yielded to temptation (see II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:22).  Unlike all other humans, Christ never responded to temptation by sinning.  Our perfect High Priest sympathizes with us, but He also remains perfect because He never sinned, even though He experienced the full force of Satan’s temptations.
C. Christ our superior High Priest gives us boldness (Hebrews 4:16).   In this verse the writer says “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”  The word “therefore” refers back to everything the author had said about Jesus in the previous verses.  Based on those things: His perfection, being the sinless Son of God who is in heaven, and yet one who fully understands us, the readers were encouraged to “come boldly unto the throne of grace.”  Even though our High Priest is seated on a heavenly throne, we should still approach Him “boldly.”  This emphasizes both confidence and openness.  We need to be honest and straightforward with the requests we bring before the Saviour.  He knows our heart and our need.  The author said that when we come before Christ we can expect to “obtain mercy, and find grace.”  The term “mercy” can be understood as pity which includes pardon for failures.  “Grace” is the favor bestowed to help overcome the problem.   It has been said that mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve---judgment; and grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve---favor.  Mercy and grace are provided “to help in time of need,” that is, when it is most suitable.  It refers to well-timed help.  Note:  We should have no fear coming before the Lord as if He was someone who doesn’t understand or care about us.  As a human being Christ experienced everything we have.  But He is also God and can meet our every need.  As a result of Christ sacrificing Himself, God’s throne of judgment becomes a throne of grace for those who trust Him.   For sure there were some Jewish believers who had a desire to return to the Mosaic rituals and sacrifices to in order to avoid persecution that came with being a Christian.  But who could help them more than Jesus our Great High Priest?  Of course the answer is no one could.  Through Christ, our High Priest, we have access to the heavenly throne, and there, just a prayer away is everything we need.
IV. A QUALIFIED HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 5:1-4).   The remainder of our lesson presents a comparison between earthly high priests and our heavenly High Priest.  
A. Our qualified High Priest offers gifts and sacrifices (Hebrews 5:1).  In this verse the author writes “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”  A clearer reading of this verse is “Every Jewish high priest is simply a man like anyone else, but he is chosen to speak for all other men in their dealings with God.  He presents their gifts to God and offers to him the blood of animals that are sacrificed to cover the sins of the people.”  The high priest’s function was to be of help to mankind “in things pertaining to God.”  He especially offered “both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”  Depending on the occasion, Old Testament believers brought certain gifts or offerings to the Lord.  The writer’s point here is not the different offerings, but the work of the high priest specifically on the Day of Atonement. 
B. Our qualified High Priest has compassion (Hebrews 5:2-3).
1. (vs. 2).  Still talking about the earthly priests, this verse says “Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”  Not only did the priests offer sacrifices, they were to be compassionate, having “compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way.”  Those who were “ignorant” lacked understanding and sinned out of ignorance, and were therefore considered “out of the way”   (see Numbers 15:27-29). Neither the terms “ignorant” nor “out of the way” indicate blatant sin.  Instead they refer to day-to-day shortcomings of which we are all guilty.  The writer then said that the basis for the priest’s compassion was that “he himself also is compassed with infirmity.”  In other words, the priests were required to be compassionate to sinners because they themselves were subject to temptations and weaknesses.  They too were prone to sin.
2. (vs. 3).  This verse goes on to say “And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.”  Since the priests were also subject to sin, just as he offered sacrifices for the people, the writer said “so also for himself, to offer for sins.”  In other words, since priests were prone to sin like everyone else, they needed to offer sacrifices for themselves as well as for others.  Note:  The lesson here for us today, is that no one is without sin, not the preacher, the deacon, the choir director or any church leader or member for that matter.  Therefore, we can’t look down on anyone.  As fellow believers in Christ we must show compassion for each other regardless of any sin we have committed.  Let’s not forget, “for by the grace of God there go I.”  There was no place for pride in a high priest, and neither is there for you and me.
C. Our qualified High Priest is chosen to that office (Hebrews 5:4).  The author continued to say “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.”  The position of high priest was very prestigious.  He alone was given the privilege of entering the holy of holies once a year to present an offering to the Lord.  The phrase “And no man taketh this honour unto himself” means that no one could make himself a high priest.  It was a position that could have been much sought after, and for the wrong reasons.  But God established it as a divinely appointed position, for a high priest was “called of God, as was Aaron.”  At the time the Book of Hebrews was written, the Romans selected the high priest in Jerusalem.  However, in the Old Testament, God chose Aaron as the first high priest (see Exodus chapter 28), and so were his sons (see Numbers 20:23-28) and other successors (see Numbers 25:10-13).  Note:  Aaron and the priests of Israel were all from the tribe of Levi.  Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and was not a Levitical priest.  But He didn’t have to be, because like Aaron, Jesus was chosen by God to be our High Priest.
V. A KINGLY HIGH PRIEST (Hebrews 5:5-10)
A. Our Kingly High Priest is chosen by God (Hebrews 5:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  Just as Aaron was chosen by God the writer here says “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.”  Like Aaron and his successors, Christ didn’t make Himself a high priest.  He was appointed to the office by God the Father.  That Christ didn’t seek the position of High Priest is shown in the statement “Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest.”  This was so typical of Jesus Christ who didn’t let His glorious existence in the form of God be something He held on to at all costs (see Philippians 2:6).  Humility was His trademark.  To prove that Jesus didn’t make Himself a High Priest, the writer turned to two Old Testament Scriptures.  The first one was “but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.”  This quotation is taken from Psalms 2:7.  This statement doesn’t mean that Christ came into being at a point in time.  The word “begotten” can mean “brought forth” with the idea of fulfilling a purpose.  The writer was comparing a son of Aaron becoming high priest in the Aaronic priesthood with Christ’s entrance into His high priestly office as Son of God.  There really is no comparison, for Christ is far superior to any of them.  The words “to day” refer to the time Christ entered into the office of High Priest.  This may have been at His birth (see Hebrews 10:5-9), His death (see Hebrews 9:24-28), at His ascension (see Hebrews 7:25; 8:1) or all three.  Only God knows for sure!
2. (vs. 6).  The writer continued his discussion of Christ’s ordination saying “As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”  The phrase “As he saith also in another place” refers to the second Scripture passage quoted from Psalms 110:4 which says “Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”  This passage of Scripture is from a psalm of David where the Lord (God the Father) is heard speaking to David’s Lord (the Messiah) telling Him that He will reign as King (see Psalms110:1-2).  God then declared that the Messiah-King would also be “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”   Jesus’ priesthood was likened to the priesthood of “Melchisedec,” who appears in the Bible long before Aaron and the giving of the law through Moses.  This alone makes Jesus’ priesthood superior to Aaron’s.  “Melchisedec” was both a priest and a king (see Genesis 14:18).  These two offices were never combined in Israel, yet like “Melchisedec”  Christ is both King and High priest, and He is Priest forever by God’s choice. 
B. Our Kingly High Priest is a compassionate Priest (Hebrews 5:7-8).
1. (vs. 7).  Still speaking of Christ whose priesthood was like that of Melchisedec, in this verse the writer says “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared.”  To show that Jesus knows how we feel and can show real compassion for us when we are going through, the writer describes His agony in the garden of Gethsemane.  The phrase “in the days of his flesh” refers to His lifetime on earth.  The deepness of Jesus’ agony in the garden of Gethsemane is described by the phrase “when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.”  Jesus’ tears aren’t mentioned in the gospel accounts (see Matthew 26:36-46) so the author’s information must have come from an eyewitness or a secondary source, no doubt from one of Jesus’ disciples.  As Christ faced death and the prospect of being made sin in our place, He needed comfort from His Father.  No believer has faced or will ever face a trial as severe as the one Christ faced.  Therefore His prayer was directed to “him that was able to save him from death.”  Consider the nature of His prayer in Gethsemane.  He prayed that His Father’s will be done (see Matthew 26:39).  The Father’s will must be done no matter the cost.  Jesus prayed that if it was possible, that the cup of suffering be removed from Him.  However, the most important thing was that the Father be glorified.  God could have delivered Christ, but He didn’t; yet Jesus’ prayer was answered for the writer says He “was heard in that he feared.”  The answer to His prayer was not deliverance from death.  Christ’s prayer was answered or “heard” by the Father even though the answer was death.  That was God’s will.  The word “feared” here refers to the reverence Jesus felt for His Father as He prayed.
2. (vs. 8).  In this verse the writer continued to say about Christ “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”   Jesus is a “Son” with all the privileges that come with that position.  But like all sons, He had to learn obedience through suffering.  Most sons learn things through suffering because of disobedience.  Jesus could learn to fully sympathize with what we suffer because of His own physical suffering.  He knows the suffering we endure and He has compassion for us.  Jesus is fully God, and He understands all things including our suffering, because He is fully man as well.  As both man and God, He is our perfect High Priest and Intercessor.
C. Our Kingly High Priest is the Author of salvation (Hebrews 5:9).  This verse says “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”  As a result of Christ’s suffering He was “made perfect.”  This does not mean that at some point Jesus was not perfect and only became perfect through some improvement of His character.  Jesus was eternally perfect in His Person or character.  In the Bible “perfection” usually means completeness or maturity.  When used of Christ in this verse it means that in sharing our experience of suffering, He shared our human experience completely.  As the perfect or complete sacrifice, our Great High Priest became the source or “author of eternal salvation.”  His suffering and death provided complete forgiveness and eternal life to “all them that obey him.”  This refers to everyone who believes in Him as Lord and Saviour, thus becoming obedient to Him (see John 3:17; Acts 4:12; 16:30-31; Romans 5:10; 10:9; I John 3:23).
D. Our Kingly High Priest is a King-Priest (Hebrews 5:10).  Our final verse still speaking of Jesus says that He was “Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.”  The writer concludes this section by repeating the idea that Christ was called by God to be a High Priest like Melchisedec.  Jesus Christ is not only a High Priest like Aaron, He is a King-Priest.  He is our High Priest chosen by God and is now in heaven.  He knows us and understands us.  He compassionately and faithfully intercedes for us as we struggle through this life seeking to serve and honor our God.
                         
VI. Conclusion.  This lesson teaches us that Jesus is our Great High Priest and therefore we should come boldly unto the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (see Hebrews 4:16).  When we pray, we should pour out our hearts to the Father knowing that Jesus Christ, our compassionate High Priest is taking our requests to Him.  When we pray, let’s do it with a conscious awareness of Jesus as the One who intercedes for us and our needs.  But what can make us more aware of Jesus interceding for us?  Maybe we should express the following thought to the Lord: “Father, I know I don’t have any merit to come to talk to You about my needs, but I come today through Jesus Christ, my High Priest.”  Another suggestion is to think more about what we mean when we close our prayers with “in Jesus’ name.”  So often we quickly tack that phrase onto our prayers without much thought.  But if we take time to pause and think about that phrase, “In Jesus’ name” maybe we will be more aware of Christ as our intercessor.

Jesus' Prayer for His Disciples

                                                               Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: John 17:6-21                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21).

 I.  INTRODUCTION.  Most people think of the prayer in Luke chapter 11 as the Lord’s Prayer.  In that passage, the Lord gave us a model for our praying, but it was not really the Lord’s Prayer.  As we shall see, the text in this week’s lesson was actually Jesus’ Prayer as He prayed for His disciples then as well as those who would later become disciples or followers.  We are sure that He offered this prayer in the presence of the disciples because John recorded it.  The Holy Spirit inspired John to write the exact words (see II Timothy 3:16), so there is no error or omission.  We believe and know that this is the prayer the Lord Jesus uttered.  From this prayer we learn what the Lord’s will and desires are for His disciples throughout all time.  We should commit to making His desires our desires.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  On the night He was betrayed and shortly before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus finished His last Passover meal in the upper room (see Luke 22:7-20) with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper.  After washing the disciple’s feet and teaching them about true servant-hood (see John 13:2-20), Jesus predicted His betrayal (see John 13:21-35), foretold Peter’s denial (see John 13:36-38), gave them words of comfort (see John 14:1-14) and promised the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.  Then they left the upper room (see John 14:31), but before leaving Jerusalem for the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:32; Luke 22:39; John 18:1), Jesus prayed this special prayer in our text for His disciples and all who would believe their ministry going forward.  Jesus began His prayer by praying for Himself: announcing that His hour had come to be glorified so that He could glorify the Father (see John 17:1).  This was a reference to His death.  He then spoke of the eternal life that the Father had empowered Him to give to all who believe (see John 17:2-3).  Jesus declared that He had glorified God by finishing the work that He was given to do and now asked His Father to restore to Him the glory He had with the Father before the world was created (see John 17:4-5).  Now Jesus turns His attention to praying for His disciples.  This is where our lesson begins.
III. PRAYER FOR GOD’S GLORY (John 17:6-8)    
A. Through keeping God’s Word (John 17:6).   In this verse Jesus prayed “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.”  The phrase “I have manifested thy name” means that Jesus had fully revealed God’s “name,” meaning His nature and character.  This was done through Jesus’ words and His works.  Jesus had revealed who God was to His disciples whom He identified as “the men which thou gavest me out of the world.”  God had chosen these men out of the world and given them to Jesus.  Jesus told His Father that these men had “kept thy word.”  In other words, they lived lives of obedience for the most part, except for Judas who had already left them to betray Jesus (see John 13:21-30).  From this point on, the disciples would be called the Eleven until Judas was replaced.
B. Through knowing the truth (John 17:7-8).  
1. (vs. 7).  Jesus continued His prayer saying “Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.”  The Lord stated that “Now” or at this point in time, the disciples understood that everything Jesus had been given was given to Him by the Father.  The specific reference is to Jesus’ teachings which the disciples had received as we shall see in the next verse.
2. (vs. 8).  In this verse Jesus prayed “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”  Jesus' words are God's words (see John 3:34; 14:24), and they bring life and judgment (see John 6:63, 68; 12:48).   In essence Jesus was saying to the Father, “I have passed on to them the commands you gave me; and they accepted them and they now know for sure that I came down to earth from you, and they believe you sent me.”
IV. PRAYER FOR THE DISCIPLES (John 17:9-19)      
A. Praying that God confirm the disciples’ position (John 14:9-10). 
1. (vs. 9).  In this verse Jesus says “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”  Here, Jesus told the Father that He prayed for “them which thou hast given me.”  The word “them” refers to Jesus’ disciples whom God had given to Him.  These apostles were specifically chosen men and, regardless of their shortcomings, and they had many, they still enjoyed the full love of both the Father and the Son.  The Lord said that He prayed for His disciples and also said “I pray not for the world.”  This doesn’t mean that we should never pray for those in the world.  Jesus Himself prayed for His enemies (see Luke 23:34), but if we look ahead in the prayer, we see that everything Jesus prayed for was not appropriate for the world, only those who belong to the Son and the Father.  Therefore Jesus said “for they are thine.”  Although the apostles were the Father’s gift to Jesus, they still belonged to the Father.      
2. (vs. 10).  Jesus continued to say in this verse “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”  With the statement “And all mine are thine, and thine are mine” Jesus was confirming that what belongs to the Son belongs to the Father, and vice versa, because they are equal in essence.  They have forever lived in perfect unity.  The further statement “and I am glorified in them” seems ironic in light of the fact that the Eleven would soon forsake Jesus.  However, the Eleven would become the instruments for revealing the glory or character and message of God in the world.  Jesus was so certain that His disciples would glorify Him that He said it in the past tense as if it had already been done.  We should be encouraged to know that the Lord uses people who are faithful not perfect.
B. Praying that God give the disciples unity (John 17:11-12).
1. (vs. 11).  In this verse Jesus says “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”  Looking past His imminent suffering, death, resurrection and ascension as if it had already happened, Jesus said to His Father “And now I am no more in the world.”  Jesus knew that He would soon leave this world and told His Father “and I come to thee.”  Jesus said that He would go to His Father “but these are in the world” referring to His disciples who would be left behind in the world.  He knew that once He returned to the Father, His disciples would face some of the harshest satanic opposition to the Lord’s work.  Therefore, Jesus prayed “Holy Father, keep through (or in) thine own name those whom thou hast given me.”  The description “Holy Father” is only used here in Scripture.  It emphasizes God’s separateness from all evil.  The phrase “keep through (or in) thine own name those whom thou hast given me” implies that God keeps or preserves His own by His name, or in faithfulness to His name.  Jesus then asked the Father to keep them “that they may be one, as we are.”  God preserves those who are in Christ not simply to save our individual souls, but also to unify us in one body.  The oneness or unity that the Son and the Father share is an inward spiritual one and believers experience this same unity as we are made sharers of God’s holy life (see Ephesians 3:6; Colossians 1:12: Hebrews 3:14; 12:10; II Peter 1:4).  Note:  As God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost have always been one, Jesus’ prayer was that believers would also continually be one.  God has given believers unity but it’s up to us to maintain it (see Ephesians 4:1-6).  As we individually draw closer to God, we also draw closer to one another, and the unity of the Spirit is maintained among us.
2. (vs. 12).  Jesus went on to say to the Father “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”  Jesus again speaking as if it was already done said that while He was with His disciples “I kept them in thy name.”  No doubt Jesus meant that He had “kept” or protected His disciples from evil, or the evil one, the devil.  Jesus had kept them up to this point and now He asked the Father to keep them (see John 17:11).  Jesus said that He had “kept” or protected “those that thou gavest me” referring to the Eleven.  He then stated that since He had kept them from evil “none of them is lost, but the son of perdition.”  The description “son of perdition” means one who is doomed to destruction and refers to Judas.  He is likened to the antichrist (see II Thessalonians 2:3-4).  Judas was “lost” because He betrayed Jesus and never really believed in Him as the Christ.  Judas by his own choice rejected Christ and sealed his own doom (see John 13:18) “that the scripture might be fulfilled.”  The Scripture that was fulfilled is Psalms 41:9 where the Psalmists declared “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”  Note:  Some people may think that since Jesus’ betrayal was prophesied, that Judas had no choice.  It’s important to remember that although Jesus’ betrayal was prophesied by the psalmist, the Scriptures don’t identify the one who would do it.  It could have been any of the disciples.  However, Judas’ character made him fit to be the betrayer.  Being a thief (see John 12:6), Judas no doubt loved money and sold Jesus to the Jewish leaders for thirty pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:14-16), the amount paid to an owner who’s slave was killed by an ox (see Exodus 21:32).  The priceless Messiah was sold for the price of a slave.  Therefore, Judas submitting himself to Satan, made his own choice to betray Jesus (see Luke 22:1-6). 
C. Praying that God give the disciples joy (John 17:13).  Here Jesus says “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”  Jesus looking ahead to the joy He would soon experience in the presence of the Father (see Hebrews 12:2). This verse could also be read as “And now, Father I am coming to you. I have told my followers many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy.”  Joy is a common theme in Jesus’ teachings.  He wants us to be joyful (see John 16:24).  Jesus prayed that His disciples might experience the fullness of His joy (see John 15:11).
D. Praying that God protect the disciples (John 17:14-15). 
1. (vs. 14).  Jesus continued to pray “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”  Since Jesus had given His disciples God’s word or message, they were hated by the world, meaning those who oppose Christ.  The disciples had been given God’s message and had accepted it and that identified them with God and His Son.  Therefore, like Jesus was “not of the world” and was hated by His opposition, so His disciples would be hated “because they are not of the world.”  Jesus’ disciples couldn’t expect any approval or acceptance from a world that hated their Lord (see John 15:18-19).  Note:  The world hates Christians because our values differ from the world’s values.  Since Christ’s followers don’t continuously cooperate with the world by joining in their sin, we are living accusations against the world’s immorality.  The world follows Satan’s agenda and Satan is the avowed enemy of Jesus and His people.
2. (vs. 15).  In this verse Jesus said “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”  Since the disciples would be left in a world that hated them, Jesus asked His Father “not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”  The disciples had a mission to carry the gospel so they needed to remain on earth.  But they would also need protection “from the evil” or the evil one, the devil.  Jesus had previously prayed that while He was with them He kept or protected them from Satan and evil, but now He was asking His Father to “keep them” or protect them from “the evil” or again, the evil one---Satan.  Note:  The disciples needed God’s protection as they faced the temptations and attacks from Satan that would surely come as they proclaimed the gospel message to others.  We too, have been entrusted with the gospel (see I Corinthians 9:16; I Timothy 1:11) and as a result, satanic attacks, opposition and temptation will come.  We should continually pray for God’s protection knowing that this is what Christ prayed for us as well.
E. Praying for God to sanctify the disciples (John 17:16-17).
(vs. 16).  Here Jesus went on to pray “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”  With these words, Jesus repeated what He stated in verse 14.  Since He was not of or from this world, neither are His followers.  Like the Eleven, our home is in heaven (see II Corinthians 5:1-2; Hebrews 11:16).
2. (vs. 17).  The Lord continued to pray saying “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”  Since Jesus’ disciples would be left in a hostile world, they would not only need protection from Satan, but they would also need God to “Sanctify them through thy (His) truth.”  To “sanctify” means “to make holy” or “to set apart for special use.”  It is most often used when speaking of someone or something being set apart from sin and unto God for His use.  The word “sanctify” implies being separated from the standards and desires of the world and unto the mind of God.  Jesus indicated that this separation is accomplished by or “through thy (God’s) truth.”  Then Jesus identified what God’s truth was.  He said “thy word is truth.”  Jesus as the living Word (see John 1:1) is the Truth (see John 14:6) and so also is the written Word (see Ephesians 5:25-26).  Note:  Sanctification is the continuous setting apart of believers unto God as they grow in holiness or purity.  This type of sanctification is accomplished by the Word of God (see Ephesians 5:25-26).  As the believer immerses himself in Scripture, which reveals Christ, he is drawn away from the world and is focused on divine truth.  He or she is gradually transformed into Christ’s image (see II Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:9).  The truths or “word” that Jesus gave His disciples are now contained in the complete revelation of God---the Bible.  God has called us to holiness, or sanctification (see I Thessalonians 4:7) which is His will for us.  However, it will only be accomplished as we read, absorb, and submit to the teachings of Scripture (see II Timothy 3:16-17).  Day by day as we apply God’s truth to our lives it will have a purifying effect on us and call sin to our attention leading to confession and restoration.
F. Praying to God to equip the disciples (John 17:18-19).
1. (vs. 18).  Jesus goes on to pray “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.”  Jesus told His Father that just as He was sent into the world by the Father, “even so have I also sent them into the world.”  Jesus compared His sending or commissioning His disciples to spread the gospel to the Father sending Him into the world.  Both Jesus and His disciples were sent with authority to take God’s message of salvation to a hostile world (see Matthew 28:28-20; Acts 1:8).  The sanctified Christian is also sent to the world to reveal Christ through life and word, just as Christ revealed His Father (see John 1:18).
2. (vs. 19).  In this verse Jesus continued to pray “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”  Jesus said that it was for the disciples’ “sake” or on their behalf that “I sanctify myself.”  The phrase “for their sakes” refers to Jesus’ obeying the Father’s will that brought salvation, and also set the pattern for His people’s obedience to His will.  Jesus did sanctify Himself to God’s service as He set Himself apart through death (see Hebrews 13:12) giving His life so that His disciples could be “sanctified through the truth.”   In other words, the disciples would be made holy as they obeyed God’s Word (see Ephesians 5:25-26; I John 2:20-21).  Note:  The disciples could only be sanctified or set apart for God’s service because Jesus set Himself apart to complete God’s mission by dying on the cross. If Jesus doesn’t die, believers would not be sanctified.

V. PRAYER FOR FUTURE BELIEVERS (John 17:20-21)
A. Jesus prays for you and me (John 17:20).  Here Jesus says “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.”  After praying that the Eleven be sanctified or set apart to a mission of evangelism, He said “Neither pray I for these alone.”  With this phrase Jesus was telling the Father that His prayer was not only for the Eleven who had been with Him for the past three years.  He then declared who else His prayer included.  He said that He was praying also “for them also which shall believe on me through their word.”  In other words, Jesus prayed for those who would be converted to Him through the disciples’ preaching.  Of course this would include believers today, you and me, as well as the original converts in the early church.  It was through Jesus’ apostles and their personal ministries and writings that future believers would come to faith in Christ.  Jesus was praying for all these future believers, including you and me.
B. Jesus prayed for our unity (John 17:21).  Our lesson ends with Jesus praying “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”  This verse is a continuation of the previous verse where Jesus said that His prayer included not only His present disciples, but all those who would come to Him as a result of their message.  He then says He was praying for them so “That they all may be one.”  Jesus’ great desire for all His followers is that they become unified as one body (see Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 10:16-17; 12:13, 18-20; Colossians 3:15).  The Lord likened this oneness or unity among believers to the unity between Himself and the Father as He continued to say “as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.”  This unity has to be demonstrated through a selfless love (see John 13:35).  Christian unity is essential for a consistent witness.  Jesus continued in His prayer saying “that they (His followers) also may be one in us.”  As believers continue to be unified with each other, we are therefore one with the Son and the Father.  Jesus then stated why unity among believers was so important.  It was so “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”  As we remain unified in love and purpose, many people in the world will believe in Jesus.  Note:  If our world does not believe that Jesus was sent from God, it’s our fault.  According to this verse, what will convince people that Jesus was sent by God isn’t a great evangelistic crusade, or a fool-proof argument, or even showing compassion toward the lost.  It’s the unity we have as we love one another as Christians.  That will convince others!  But why is unity so hard?  When a church splits causing an unhappy divorce among God’s people, it provides the world with one more reason not to believe that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour.  Such conflicts among believers send the false and shameful message to the world that Jesus’ claims can be doubted.  Psalm 133:1 declares “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”  Think about it.  Is your church a pleasant place?  Do the believers love one another?  Are they unified in purpose as Jesus was unified with God, testifying to the world that His Spirit of love is within them?  People need to know what to believe and whom to trust.  They need to know that as unified believers we all speak the same thing (see I Corinthians 1:10) and believe in the same God (see Ephesians 4:3-6).  But who will believe the message if the messengers don’t speak with one voice or act in one Spirit?  The unity of believers, nurtured through the truth of the Word is a powerful witness to the world that draws unbelievers to faith in our Saviour.  The glorious unity of the Father and the Son is the unity Jesus wants to give us as a witness to the world.  A global church of believers who are unified by Jesus’ love would change the world!  Sometimes it’s easier to love the lost than it is to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and that’s a shame.  But if we want to be like Jesus, love and unity must be a priority.                            

VI. Conclusion.  As Jesus prepared to face the cross, He was very confident that in spite of what would happen to Him shortly, there would always be those who believe in Him.  Even though His passion (suffering) would begin only a few hours later, Jesus prayed for the Eleven and all who would ever accept Him, including you and me.  His foremost request for us was that we be unified in love and purpose, just as He and the Father are.  How encouraging it is to realize that when believers are struggling to be unified, Jesus is praying for us about that very thing!  As we remain in the love of God, the world will recognize that Jesus was truly God sent.














      

           

 







 

A Model for Prayer

                                                      Sunday School Lesson 

                                            

Lesson: Luke 11:1-13                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (Luke 11:2).

I.  INTRODUCTION.  Prayer is universal.  Every religion practices prayer in some form.  However, much of it is meaningless repetition (see Matthew 6:7), and some of it is empty meditation.  Anyone who believes in God is naturally inclined to pray and the many different ideas about prayer demonstrate how important it is to learn what prayer is and how we are to pray.  Most people learn to pray by observing others in their families and churches.  But if we are to learn the distinctive qualities of Christian prayer, we must look first to Jesus Christ.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  Sometime during the third year of His ministry, after teaching throughout Galilee (see John 7:1), Jesus returned to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7:2-10).  He spoke in Jerusalem and then visited His friends, Mary and Martha in the tiny village of Bethany on the slope of the Mount of Olives (see Luke 10:38-42).  This is where our lesson begins. 
III. NEED FOR PRAYER (Luke 11:1).  No doubt Jesus’ disciples had noticed Him praying on many occasions during His ministry.  Our first verse says “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”  Watching Jesus pray probably made the disciples feel that they lacked something when they prayed.  As a result, after Jesus finished praying in a “certain place,” not made known to us, one of His disciples “said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”  As Jewish men, the disciples were quite familiar with traditional Jewish prayers, yet as they followed and watched Jesus, they saw something different in His prayers.  So they asked Him to teach them how to pray.  They knew the prayers to say, but they needed to know how to address the God they knew.  The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray “as John also taught his disciples.”  This indicates that the disciples knew that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray, so they also wanted Jesus to them how to really pray.

IV. PATTERN FOR PRAYER (Luke 11:2-4)      

A. Worshipping God and desiring His will (Luke 11:2).  This verse says “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”  Jesus replied to His disciples’ request to teach them to pray by giving them a model prayer that we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer.  However what is really the Lord’s Prayer is found in John chapter 17. This prayer in our lesson tells us how we are to pray not specifically what we are to ask for.  This makes it a model for our prayers.  The teaching of this model prayer is very clear.  Jesus began by saying to His disciples “When ye pray, say, Our Father.”  We should start to pray addressing our God by remembering who He is and who we are.  God is our Father and we are His children.  We have trusted in the Lord Jesus and have been born again (see John 3:3, 7) and adopted into the family of God (see Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-7).  The title “Father” indicates relationship.  God is a person to whom we as believers are related.  Only those who know Him personally through Jesus Christ (see John 14:6-7) can address God as “Our Father.”  Jesus addressed God as His Father (see Mark 14:36) and He told His followers to do the same thing.  All prayer involves worship which means that we recognize the unique character and attributes of God.  After acknowledging God as Father, Jesus added “which art in heaven.”  Since God is in heaven that means that He is far above us in every way, including our understanding.  God is above us as sovereign Lord and King, yet He is reachable as our Father.  Jesus then added “Hallowed be thy name.”  The word “Hallowed” means “treated as holy.”  The word “name” refers to God’s Person and character.  Therefore, when we pray we are to worship God as the Holy One and hold Him in the highest regard as the One who is completely separated from sin.  Prayer includes praise and worship, but it also includes petition or asking God for things.  To express this, Jesus began by saying “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”  Our whole desire and prayer should be that God’s will or desire be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven.  In heaven God’s will is perfectly and completely done.  We should pray for that perfect and complete will to be done on earth as well.  Although we may ask that God’s will be done on earth, it will not be done completely and perfectly on earth until His “kingdom come.”  In other words, only when Christ returns and reigns here on earth will God’s will be perfectly and completely accomplished on earth.  Therefore, we are to pray for the Lord’s return to usher in the millennial kingdom reign on earth (see Revelation 20:4-6).  In fact, this is seen in the very last prayer in the Bible (see Revelation 22:20).  While we are here on earth, we should be praying to God to hurry Christ’s return because we want to see His will perfectly and completely done “as in heaven, so in earth.”  We may not always know what is God’s will in any situation, but we should still pray for His will to be done, because His will is always right and good.
B. Making our requests (Luke 11:3).  Still referring to the things we should ask God for, in this verse Jesus said “Give us day by day our daily bread.”  This means asking God to meet our daily physical needs.  “Bread” refers to all foods and here includes all the physical and material provisions we need to live daily.  When we ask for this in our prayers we are showing our dependence on the Lord for everything.  No matter what we may think, ultimately God is the one who really provides for our health and ability to get the things we need.  So, be aware that any good health and prosperity that we enjoy can be quickly taken away.
C. Seeking forgiveness (Luke 11:4).  In this verse, Jesus shows that we must also request that God meet our spiritual needs.  Jesus said “And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”  The phrase “And forgive us our sins” does not refer to salvation because as God’s children we already have that, for only we can call Him Father.  Instead, it refers to our daily sins that need to be forgiven in order to restore us back in communion or fellowship with God.  As children of God we have both relationship and fellowship with the Father.  Since we are saved once and for all, we can never lose our relationship with God (see Ephesians 1:12-14; 4:30), but we can break our fellowship with Him when we sin (see I Corinthians 10:20-21; I John 1:2-3, 6-7).  Jesus added that we ask God to forgive us our sins “for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.”  The word “indebted” views our sins here as debts.  They are debts because they cannot be paid off, they must be forgiven.  God’s forgiveness of us is closely related to our forgiveness of others or those who are in our debt.  For sure, this doesn’t mean that we can earn God’s forgiveness by forgiving others because God’s forgiveness is by grace.  But if we don’t forgive others we are sinning and can’t be in a right relationship or fellowship with the Father.  If we ask for God’s forgiveness we must be willing to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (see Colossians 3:13).  Note:  It was necessary for Jesus to put “And forgive us our sins” in the model prayer because His disciples would have never heard Him pray this. Jesus had perfect and unbroken fellowship with His Heavenly Father.  There was never any sin in His life that needed to be brought to God for forgiveness.  However, His disciples then and now needed this special instruction.  It should also be noted that we have no reason to expect, nor can we pray with any confidence, that God would forgive our sins against him, if we don’t sincerely, out of Christian love or charity, forgive those that have at any time offended or hurt us. The last request or petition Jesus includes is “And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”  This portion of the prayer is difficult to understand depending on how we define “temptation.”  If we understand “temptation” to mean being tempted to do wrong, we would be asking God not to do something that He already can’t do---tempt us with evil (see James 1:13).  On the other hand, if we understand “temptation” to mean “testing” as it often does in Scripture, we would be asking God to keep us from something that He sometimes wants us to endure (see Job 23:10).  Probably the best way to understand “temptation” here is as a request that God in His providence will spare us from needless temptations.  Sometimes our words and actions can put us in situations where temptation can overwhelm us.  We should pray that God will keep us from this.  Note:  The Lord doesn’t tempt us to do wrong, but He does want us to learn to resist doing wrong and do His will.  In this regard, the Lord Jesus in His temptation in the wilderness provides us an example.  He consistently quoted God’s Word to refute Satan’s statements and was able to demonstrate how we should handle similar situations.  The phrase “deliver us from evil” probably should read “deliver us from the evil one” or Satan.  We should pray that God will deliver us out of the devil’s hands.  God is to be depended upon, and sought for our deliverance from all evil; and we should pray, not only that we don’t run into evil, but also that Satan does not bring evil upon us.  Again, if we understand this phrase to mean being delivered from the evil one, that is, the devil, it suggests that we should pray particularly against the devil and his possessions.  The disciples were given the ability to cast out devils, and therefore needed to pray that they might be guarded against any spite Satan would be sure to have against them. 
V.  PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER (Luke 11:5-8).  After establishing the model prayer our Lord used an illustration to encourage his followers to be persistent in prayer.
A. A simple request (Luke 11:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  In order to encourage His disciples to pray with persistence, Jesus gave them a parable, an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.  He said in this verse “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves.”  Jesus began with a hypothetical situation that the disciples could identify with.  He posed a situation in which a man received a guest late at night and had no food to give him.  Hospitality was a sacred duty and people depended on one another while travelling.  People tried to be prepared for unexpected guest, but Jesus speaks of a man who was not prepared.  So he went to a neighbor, here called “a friend” and asked for three loaves of bread.  Note:  The loaves requested were probably pancake-shaped, the thickness of one’s thumb, and was as large as a plate.  Pieces were broken off by hand (see Matthew 26:26) rather than cut.  The neighbor in need thought three of these loaves would be enough.  Jesus posed the question putting the disciples in the position of the unprepared man.  In essence Jesus asked them “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.”  One other point should be noted.  The man in need of the bread asked his friend to “lend” him the loaves, so he fully intended to replace what he was given to him. With the story Jesus said the man also said to his neighbor “For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?”  The man told his neighbor that he had a visitor on a journey stop by his home and he had no food ready to give him.  Travelling in that day was often done at night to avoid the heat of the day.  There were few options for lodging and they were seldom able to alert friends in advance of their arrival.  It wasn’t that the man was poor, it’s just that the family had eaten all the food that they prepared for themselves that day.  Very rarely were there any leftovers.
B. A repeated request (Luke 11:7-8).
1. (vs. 7).  This verse says “And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.”  The neighbor didn’t want to be bothered so he said to his friend outside his door, “Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.”  He didn’t want to be bothered first because he said “the door is now shut.”  In the Greek, the meaning is “the door has been shut to stay shut.”  The door had been locked for the night.  Locks in the ancient Near East were often large bolting bars thrust through rings.  Unlocking doors was noisy and difficult in the darkness; so the idea of unlocking one’s door at midnight, even for a friend was not pleasant.  The man gave another reason why he didn’t want to get up and help his friend.  He said “my children are with me in bed.”  This evidently was a one room house in which part of the room was for sleeping.  In many homes in Jesus’ time, mats were unrolled at night and placed on a raised platform on one side of the room for sleeping.  The whole family slept together in this area; so the father could hardly have gotten up and unlocked the door without disturbing everyone in the house.  Therefore, he told his neighbor, “I cannot rise and give thee.”  The word “cannot” in this context does not refer to an inability to open the door, but it refers to opening the door as being an inconvenience.  The friend was not willing to overcome his inconvenience.  This man didn’t claim not to have any bread or object to giving it to his friend.  He just didn’t want to be bothered under these circumstances.  Note:  The details of this illustration were simply given to fill in the story.  Neither the loaves nor the individuals involved are symbolic.  This parable has one simple point: persistence pays off.  Even an earthly friend would give help to us when we persistently seek it.
2. (vs. 8).  At this point, Jesus interjects His own answer to His original rhetorical question (see verses 5-6).  He said in this verse “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”  Jesus’ words “I say unto you” hints at the direction His teaching was about to take.  The friend wouldn’t get up to give his neighbor bread because of their friendship, but he would get up because of his neighbor’s “importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”  The term “importunity” means persistence.  The Greek word for “importunity” has the idea of a shameless, unabashed boldness that dares to ask for something and won’t take no for an answer.  The neighbor was not ashamed to continue to appeal to his friend until he was given the bread.  The importunate friend was persistent, but since his plea was for someone else and not for himself, he remained steadfast.  Note:  We must come to God with boldness and confidence for what we need (see Hebrews 4:16), as a man does to the house of his neighbor or friend who, he knows loves him, and is inclined to be kind to him. We must come to God for bread, meaning that which is needful, and which we cannot be without. We must come to him by prayer for others as well as for ourselves. This man didn’t come for bread for himself, but for his friend.  Remember, the Lord accepted Job when he prayed for his friends (see Job 42:10).  We cannot come to God in a more pleasing way than when we come to him for grace to enable us to do good for others.  Friendship didn’t sway the reluctant friend to get up to help his neighbor, but “importunity” or persistence did.  In fact the friend who felt he was being pestered by his neighbor was willing to give not only three loaves but “as many as he needeth.”  If the neighbor needed more than three loaves, his friend was willing to give it to him because of his persistence.  

VI. FOUNDATION FOR PRAYER (Luke 11:9-13)

A. A habitual practice (Luke 11:9-10).
1. (vs. 9).  Now Jesus says to His disciples “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  Jesus used this parable as a basis for a personal promise to His followers.  He wanted the Twelve, as well as all who would later trust Him to know that the promise was His own.  Therefore, He emphatically stated “And I say unto you” giving them some concrete instructions.  If they followed them, God would answer appropriately.  Jesus gave three commands, “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” which are all in the Greek present tense indicating continual action.  Jesus was telling believers to do what the persistent friend in the parable did---keep praying until the answer comes.  We are to “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” repeatedly, not being deterred or discouraged if the answer is slow in coming.  Each of these three commands or imperatives were accompanied by three promises: 
a. The first exhortation or command is “Ask” and the promise is “and it shall be given you.”  Jesus didn’t mean that God will give us anything we ask for.  He meant that God knows our need better than we do and will graciously meet it as we continue to ask.  The answer may not come in the form we want it to, but it will be the best answer because it comes from an omniscient and loving God.  If we are to see results in prayer, we must keep asking.  The Greek word for “ask” here is the word used to describe an inferior addressing a superior.  That’s how we need to approach God.  Note:  When we pray days, months and even years without receiving an answer, we might conclude that God is merely a heavenly onlooker who lacks both the power and interest to meet our needs.  But Jesus emphasized that perseverance brings results.  God may be testing our faith; so we “ought always to pray, and not to faint” (see Luke 18:1).  Asking reminds us that we are dependent on God and will also cultivate faith and humility in us. 
b. The second command is “seek” and the promise is “and ye shall find.”  Much of prayer consists of seeking the Lord’s will and guidance.  His written Word contains His will for the ages as well as for individual lives.  We need to “seek” discernment as to how our lives can best help fulfill His eternal plan.  This involves seeking guidance for even the most mundane details of life.  Jesus promised that those who “seek… shall find.”  Therefore, if we keep on seeking His will, we are assured that we will never be without His guidance.
c. The third command is “knock” and the promise is “and it shall be opened unto you.”  Jesus urged His disciples to keep knocking.  The word “knock” stresses the urgency with which we are to pray.  Christian prayer sometimes takes the form of knocking.  There are some doors that are closed and only God can open.  How many of us have prayed for years that an unbelieving relative’s hard heart will be penetrated by the gospel?  Jesus promised that persistent prayer for these opportunities will be answered (see Acts 14:27).
2. (vs. 10).  Here Jesus says “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”   In this verse Jesus repeated the promise but with a different emphasis.  Of special importance is the word “everyone.”  The promise is not for a select few, but for everyone who meets the conditions for relationship with God the Father.  Since this entire passage was addressed to the disciples, the promises don’t apply to unbelievers.  However, all believers can be assured that none of us are so insignificant as to be ignored by God, nor are any of our petitions so unimportant that they will go unnoticed by Him.  Note:   Jesus said “For every one that asketh receiveth.”  By grace, even the meanest saint that asks in faith can receive.  The psalmist said “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him” (see Psalms 34:6). When we ask God for those things which Christ has in this text directed us to ask for: that his name may be sanctified, that his kingdom may come, and his will be done, we must be importunate; we must never hold our peace day or night; we must not keep silent, nor give God any rest, “until he establish, until he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (see Isaiah 62:6-7).
B. An earthly illustration (Luke 11:11-12).  In these verses, Jesus poses three rhetorical questions to His disciples designed to draw a contrast between man and God.
1. (vs. 11).  In this verse Jesus asked two rhetorical questions as He said “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?”  The first question Jesus asked was what father would give his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread?  This question like the two that follow anticipates no for an answer.  The father would not give his son a stone.  This would be substituting a useless object for nourishing food.  We can hardly fathom a father playing such a cruel joke on his son.  The second question also anticipating a no answer was “or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?”  How horrible it is to offer one’s son such a repulsive substitute as a snake for food.  This would’ve been worse than a stone, both are disgusting and frightening.  No right thinking, loving father would do this.
2. (vs. 12).  In this verse Jesus asked a third rhetorical question also anticipating a no answer.  He said “Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?”  Jesus was not asking whether the father might mistakenly give his son a scorpion, but whether he would do it deliberately.  Jesus’ implication here is that this would be unthinkable.  This would be substituting an object for food that was not just useless or even frightening, but it was deadly!  In essence, Jesus was asking His disciples, what father could be so sadistic as to treat his son this way?   To the contrary, we would expect even the most degraded human to deal with their offspring with care and concern.  Even animals usually do that much.  Jesus’ point is that fathers will surely give their children good things when they ask for them.  They won’t give them harmful things like a stone, serpent or scorpion instead of the good things they request like bread, fish or an egg.
C. A loving Father (Luke 11:13).  In our final verse Jesus said “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  Jesus drives home the point of His illustration.  If sinful men give good gifts to their children, how much more will God give good gifts to His children?  With the phrase “If ye then, being evil” Jesus was giving God’s assessment of mankind.  Many today want to reserve the word “evil” for the thugs, criminals, monsters, and mass murderers of the world.  But Jesus knows that all men are naturally sinners (see Romans 3:9-19, 23; 5:12).  He didn’t try to prove it, He just stated it.  The word “if” can be rendered as “since.”  All of us, no matter how well intentioned we may be, have a nature flawed by sin that is incapable of pleasing God.  This flawed nature also taints our human relationships.  Yet for all of this, according to Jesus, we are still able to give our children good gifts.  We have enough moral sensitivity to tell good from evil.  Since we are in this sinful condition and still know how to give good gifts to our children, Jesus asked “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”  The word “Father” shows the parallel of God with earthly fathers implying the same kind of intimacy between Himself and His own.  He will give His children gifts even surpassing earthly fathers.  In Matthew’s account of this passage, he writes that the Father gives “good things” to those who ask (see Matthew 7:11).  But here in our text, Luke singles out the greatest gift of all, “the Holy Spirit.”  Of course the Holy Spirit’s power is in view here.  This is what we need in every situation that calls for prayer.  The Holy Spirit is indeed the Father’s special gift to man (see John 15:26).  Note:   At that time the Holy Spirit had not yet been given to all believers; so it was proper for a devout disciple to pray for His presence in his life (see Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8).  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit empowered some saints for specific tasks (see Exodus 31:2-11; I Samuel 16:13), and now He indwells all true Christian believers (see John 14:16-17; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13-14).  He effects our spiritual growth and through us He promotes God’s witness throughout the world (see Acts 1:8).
    

                           

VII. Conclusion.  In this week’s lesson, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father is delighted to have us come to Him in prayer.  He enjoys our fellowship and is eager to meet our needs.  Therefore, we ought to express those needs boldly and repeatedly.  If He doesn’t answer immediately, or if the answer doesn’t always take the form we anticipated, it’s only because His love has dictated something better than we could have imagined.  The purpose of persistent prayer is not to convince God or to wear Him down so that He gives us what we want.  Persistence reveals to us the true nature of our prayers.  Sometimes we are not persistent because we are not very serious.  God is not a vending machine that automatically gives us what we want when we insert the right prayer.  He’s a person, and if we want His will and His best, we must approach Him with earnest faith and persistence.