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.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
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.
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. 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.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
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.
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.
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.
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).
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