John chapter 17 verses 20 through 26. John 17 verses 20 through 26 and it reads. I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word that they may all be one just as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them that they may be one even as we are one I in them and you in me that they may become perfectly one so that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you loved me. Father I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Oh righteous father even though the world does not know you I know you and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name and I will continue to make it known that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them. This is God's Word. Well we're looking at John chapter 17 as we did last week looking at this prayer of Jesus and we continue beginning in verse 20 and this last portion of John chapter 17 reminds us that membership has its privileges. Membership has its privileges that is the tagline to an ad for American Express credit card back in the late 80s and 90s. I don't ask me why I remember that because I didn't have an American Express card back then those cards were not easy to get. Maybe that's why I remember it because I always wanted one. American Express was for the upper class folks. Us mid and low class folks use visa or nothing at all. Now back then when you went into an establishment and you pulled out American Express card people paid attention because membership had its privileges. You know what else has its privileges beloved? And that is being a Christian. I know we don't often think of it in those terms but there are benefits that are blessed benefits to believe in in Jesus this morning. What are these benefits you ask? Well I'm glad you ask. There are many. There are many benefits to believe it in Jesus. There is the part and then the forgiveness of sin. Acts chapter 10 in verse 43 all the prophets testified a Bible says about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. There's also justification that is the idea of understanding that we are right with God that we are in right standing with God that when God sees us he no longer sees an enemy sees a friend. And Acts chapter 13 and verse 39 through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. They're pardoned from sin and have justification. We have adoption sons and daughters. John chapter 1 verse 12 but to all who did receive him who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God. We are now the children of God and as a bless of privilege and since we are children of God then we have the privilege of knowing that we will not be ashamed when we stand before our God. There's no shame in his presence. We are shame free. Romans chapter 10 and verse 11 for the scripture says everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. No shame, adoption is children, justification, forgiveness of our sins. We have a light in understanding. John chapter 12 and verse 46 Jesus says I have come into the world as light so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. We now have light. We now have understanding. We are no longer children of darkness. We are now children of the light because we believe in Jesus. We have peace and joy. Romans chapter 15 and verse 13 may the God of all who fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The world wakes up every day in search of these two elusive mates, joy and peace. And the Bible says that you and I have them freely given to us every day because we believe in Jesus. I would love to. These are just a few. These are just a few of the blessed and marvelous benefits and the privileges that come to those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ. You know, I want to suggest to you this morning that perhaps and maybe the most blessed benefit of all is that we have the intercession of Jesus on our behalf. The blessed benefit of believing in Jesus is now Jesus intercedes for us. That Jesus interceded for us and the Jesus continues to intercedes for us. If you believe in Jesus, the Bible says that Jesus prayed for you and Jesus is praying for you. And as we mentioned last week in John chapter 17, what we read there is that the one to whom the disciples prayed prayed for the disciples. In Luke 11, what we have there beginning of Luke 11 is commonly called the Lord's Prayer. As our Lord's Prayer because it is the Lord's answer to disciples when they put to him the question or the request that the Lord would teach them how to pray. And in answer to their request, Jesus said, when you pray, say, Father, how will be your name, your kingdom come? This is the directive that our Lord gave to his disciples when they asked him if he would teach them how to pray. And therefore we call this popular and well-known passage of Scripture, the Lord's Prayer because it was the Lord's directive to his disciples on what prayer should look like. But it was not the Lord's Prayer and that it was the prayer that the Lord prayed. If you want the Lord's Prayer in that understanding, it to be the prayer that the Lord himself prayed when he prayed then what you have in John chapter 17 is probably more accurately called the Lord's Prayer. But this is what Jesus prayed when it was time for Jesus to pray. He prayed for the glory of God. We saw last week. He prayed for the good of God's people. He prayed for you and me.
But over there are not many places in the Bible. There are not many places in the Bible where you and I can say that we are directly mentioned. I know people, I know we all like to read the Bible as if it's written us. But the fact that a matter is there are not many places in the Bible that you would open up and find that it was directly referring to you. Most of the Bible had us listening in on conversations between others. In the gospels we listen in as Jesus has conversations with his disciples and those he encountered along the way. In the epistles we listen in as Paul talks to the Ephesians as he talks to the Corinthians as he offers encouragement to the Philippians as he instructs Timothy and Titus. We listen in as Peter speaks words of encouragement to the Christians who are dispersed because of the persecution. When we read our Bibles understand that you and I are most of the time just listening in but in John chapter 17 in verse 20 we witness something most remarkable. We are not just listening in but we hear Jesus praying and he mentions you.
He mentions me. Jesus was praying for and about us and offering this prayer to the Father and having already prayed for the 11 disciples who were with him. Jesus said in verse 20 I do not ask only I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word. In theological discussions beloved the question is often asked for whom did Christ die?
Did he die for everyone without distinction or did he die just for the elect? Did he die to save the whole world? Did he die just to save his people, his sheep? Well we're not going to answer that question this morning brothers and sisters but with the question that we are going to answer I think it's equally important and may give you some insight into answering the other question and the question is for whom did Jesus pray? For whom did Jesus pray? Well in John chapter 17 in verse 1 through 5 the Bible tells us that Jesus prayed for himself and then John chapter 17 6 through 19 we saw last week the Jesus prayed for his 11 disciples that were with him.
Then John 17 23 26 he prayed for us he prayed for you he prayed for me he prayed for we he prayed for us as he said those who will believe in me through their word those who would come to know and trust Jesus through the witness and testimony of those first 11 disciples there's something interesting here when Jesus says this beloved when Jesus prays for those who would believe in him through the testimony and the lives of the original 11 disciples Jesus is assuming and therefore assuring the success of the apostles and bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ
he is assuming and therefore assuring that the gospel will not die with the disciples he is essentially guaranteed their success there will be those who will come to trust in me through the witness of these and this is what acts bears out does it not this is what acts bears out in Acts chapter 2 verse 41 after pre after Peter preached the sermon at Pentecost the Bible says and so those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about 3000 so Jesus prayed for them those 3000 that were added on the day of Pentecost Jesus and John chapter 17 had prayed for them but the success didn't stop there I love it and Acts chapter 4 and verse 4 the Bible says but many of those who heard the word believe and the number of men came to about 5000 the number began to grow and to grow through the witness and testimony of the disciples because of the prayer of Jesus and it continued to do so beloved in Acts chapter 13 the verse 48 as the word began to spread even out into the Gentiles even out into the nations and when the Gentiles heard this they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and as many as were appointed to eternal life believe believe in the testimony of Paul and the other disciples and the church began growing bringing in the nations because Jesus prayed Jesus prayed for them he prayed for Peter's the fruit of Peter's sermon at Pentecost he prayed that it would grow up to the 5000 he prayed for the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles as the nations began to believe and trust in the word of the disciples and Jesus prophesied this earlier in John chapter 10 he had prophesied in John chapter 10 that there were more coming where he said and I have other sheep that are not of this fold I must bring them also they will listen to my voice so there will be one flock and one shepherd and now what was he doing now he was praying for those sheep he was praying for those sheep that he prophesied would come he was praying for that flock that he prophesied would be and who are those sheep those sheep are you and me beloved those sheep are us those sheep are all the saints from all the nations who would come to trust Jesus because Peter and John did who would come to believe in Jesus because Matthew and James and Paul and Silas did you know what the great testimony of heaven is the great testimony of heaven and Revelation chapter 7 and verse 9 the great testimony of the grace of God in all eternity is the presence of disciples from every nation tribe and people gathered around the throne of God given praise and glory to the lamb you know why that is possible you know why around the throne of God there will be people from every nation disciples from every tongue disciples from every tribe it is not possible just because the apostles gave witness it is possible because Jesus prayed Jesus prayed Jesus prayed you know what beloved we'll be there we'll be there in that number we'll be there because Jesus prayed we'll be there because Jesus promised in Matthew 16 and verse 18 he promised that he would build his church and the church he promised to build is the church for which he prayed that's us that's us today but love it that is us for whom did Jesus pray he prayed for us and like my mom Jesus prayed had me on his mind took the time to pray for me and I'm so glad that he took the time Jesus prayed for me what did he pray for the Bible says that he prayed for our oneness didn't he pray for our oneness listen to him as he prayed verse 21 speaking of those who would come to believe in him through the testimony of the disciples he said he prayed that they may all be one just as you father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me Jesus prayed that his disciples and as we said already that's including you and me would be one that we would be one
now beloved oneness in the Bible is a very important truth it's a very important concept to understand it is more than just unity the Bible speaks of oneness it is speaking of unity but it is more than just unity it is more than just being united for calls being one is relationship it is it is dwelling together in shalom for the benefit of each other it is the idea of being in relationship that is mutually beneficial because they're it's the same desire the same goal and the goal is not the glory of the one but the goal is the good and glory of the whole and that's oneness it's what the Bible speaks of when it speaks of oneness this is the revelation of God is clear and due to around me chapter six in verse four the Bible says hero is real the Lord our God the Lord is one here is the revelation of the oneness of God God is one there is oneness in God there is this unity this oneness in diversity God is Trinity that Trinity is a tri unity three in one God is one the relationship between the father and the son and the Holy Spirit it's a relationship for the glory of the one true God because God is one there's also a little straighted on human terms in the Bible a marriage between a man and a woman is described as oneness Genesis chapter two verse 24 therefore man shall leave his father and his mother and shall hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh there's an idea of oneness this relational unity where there is the goal not of the glory of the one person but the glory of and the good of the whole what they become unified is one and this is the fruitfulness of the believer as a result of his or her oneness with Jesus that's what it means to be a union with Christ to be one with him where it says in John chapter 15 and verse four abide in me and I in you that we bear fruit as we are one with Christ what Galatians chapter one and verse 12 reminds us that we are one in cry of verse 27 rather that we are one in Christ and Christ is in us bringing us into relationship oneness with God here is the point Christ in us we in Christ bringing us into oneness with God beloved you do understand what sin did sin came and broke our oneness with God that's what happened in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sin they broke that relationship and it came became not about the glory of God but it came about the glory of them and oneness was broken in Christ comes to bring us back to reconcile our union with God to make us once again one with him so the Bible says in 1st Corinthians and 1st Corinthians chapter 5 verse 18 and 19 all this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself making us one again through Christ reconciling us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to him himself bringing about again the oneness the oneness that comes only through Christ God sent Christ so that we might once again be one with him that's why the Bible says then in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13 for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body you see how important this oneness is beloved now now on when you read one all this is going to come back to you believe for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks slaves or free doesn't matter we were all made to drink one spirit we are one in the spirit we are one in Christ we are one in Christ why Jesus pray this beloved this is so critical this is so critical to understanding our relationship with Jesus it is so critical to understanding our relationship with the world that we understand that we are one in Christ it is critical to our testimony to the world that we understand that we are one in Christ there is a unity beloved don't miss this there is a unity in humanity all humanity there's a unity in all humanity because every man and every woman is created in the image of God everyone and therefore everyone has dignity everyone has purpose because this is the unity of humanity but not everyone is in Christ and therefore there may be a unity in humanity but there is not a oneness there is not a oneness because oneness is not rooted in the image oneness is rooted in Christ oneness is not rooted in image bearing oneness is rooted in Christ we are not one with the world we are one with Jesus we are one in Christ in Christ therefore
we have this one unity this one unity and yet that unity must not be mistaken as it often is for uniformity it is not uniformity beloved we are in Christ we are in Christ but we are not all the same our oneness is not that I become like you
and this is often been the mistake that people make is that in order for us to be one I have to become like you or you have to become like me the fact that a matter is beloved we will not all look the same we will not all like the same things we will not all vote for the same people we will not all worship the same way in other words in other words like in the world in Christ there are distinctions did you hear what I said just like in the world in Christ there are distinctions the difference is that in Christ our distinctions do not define us now too often beloved too often we let our distinctions define us and we do that because that's what the world does and it gives testimony to us being more like the world than being like Christ when we allow our distinctions to define us and in that we act and we think more like the world than we care to admit this is the root of racism this is the root of prejudices this is the root of nationalism racism is boasting in the distinction of race nationalism is boasting in the distinction of your nation and the world boasting these distinctions because this is all the world has and so this is all this is what they're going to boasting this is what they're going to hold on to because this is all they have all they have is Republican and Democrat that's it all they have is black and white that's it all they have is men and women that's it all they have is rich or poor that's it if it's this is all they have this is that in which they glory this is where the identity is found and since the identity it's found in that they have to defend it to the help
Christ our identity is in him is there distinctions yes but we don't glory in them we glory in Christ and you have to take my word for it listen to the Apostle Paul Philippians chapter three again in verse four if someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh if anybody else think that they have more reason to glory in the distinction he says I put them all the shame listen to my credentials circumcised on the eighth day a people of Israel a real person of Israel Marius a real Hebrew Paul says I'm a real Hebrew Israelite in regard to the law of Pharisee as for zeal persecuting the church as for righteousness based on the law I was thoughtless
but whatever were gains to me I now consider laws for the sake of in fact I'll do you one better I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things and consider them garbage that I made gain Christ that's what Jesus prayed for that's what Jesus prayed for beloved distinctions are easily made and therefore they're easy to glory in I am a black man just in case you hadn't noticed
I am reformed and you can make no mistake about that I am American and I am glad to be it but more important than any of these beloved is that I am in Christ and therefore I am one I am one with men and women who are not black I am one with those who are not reformed I am one with men and women who are not American but if they are in Christ then I am one with them because we are in Christ and this is what Christ pray for this is what Christ pray that we would disavow any type of distinctions so as to be a non person but that we would not glory in
but that we would glory in Jesus so that our oneness would be manifested why pray for oneness why would it be necessary for Jesus to pray for oneness he prayed for oneness for love it because like trials and troubles in this world Jesus knew divisions would come as well the nature of sin because of sin trouble is in this world because of sin trial is in this world and Jesus prayed don't take them out of the world keep them through the troubles keep them through the trial and he also prayed that we would be one because divisions whether it's Peter being divided from Paul what is Paul being divided from Barnabas whether it's the Lutherans against the Anabaptists or the Anglicans against the Methodist or the Presbyterians against the Pentecostals and the Baptists just against everybody and all this division beloved does not discredit the prayer of Jesus in fact what it actually does is establish it establishes it because you see despite all the vision that we often see and despite the division that we experience and we hear and we read about on the daily basis the reality is this the church redeemed by Christ the church headed by heaven is one it is one we are one because Christ died we are one because Christ was raised we are one because Christ prayed we're one we're one and he didn't even just pray for us to be one he prayed for us to be perfectly one perfectly one so therefore he not only prayed for our oneness he prayed for our perfection verse 23 he reminds us of that that our unity or oneness is unto our perfection Christ doesn't just pray that we would be one he prayed that we would be perfectly one the idea here of perfect and this idea of perfection is the understanding of complete of that which has come to full maturity a finished product this is the oneness that the Father has with the Son Christ reminds us a complete mature relationship perfected this is the unity of the Trinity and Jesus is prayer is that we would be in him like he is in the Father and how is he in the Father he is perfectly related to the Father full complete mature perfect relationship as any praise that we would be in him like he is in the Father and this is the unity therefore this is the oneness that we strive after this is the unity and the oneness we seek when we seek to be like Jesus this is the idea that our oneness that our oneness is not you becoming more like me or me becoming more like you but our oneness is when each of us is becoming more like Christ this is what Christ is praying he is praying for our perfection our perfection and oneness and that perfection comes as we become more and more and more like Christ and as we become more and more like Christ guess what happens we become more and more one the closer we get to Christ the closer we become to each other
the goal of our instruction then and the goal of our Lord's prayer ultimately is that we would be like him as the reason came that he would redeem a people who would be like him when Jesus prays for our perfection he prays for us to be with him doesn't he he prays that we would be with him to be where he is why because perfection is ultimately in his presence so it is Father he says Father he says in verse 24 Father I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me because you love me before the foundation of the world his desire it's for us to be perfect one with each other
one with him and therefore his desire is for us to see him Jesus wants you to see him it's what he wants but in order to see him it takes perfection the Bible says Matthew chapter 5 verse 8 there is a perfection there's a purity of heart that is needed to see God and while Jesus was on the earth he walked with his disciples and every now and then they got glimpses of that perfection every now and then they got a little window a peak into his glory that's what John John chapter 1 in verse 14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory the glory as the only son from the Father we got a glimpse of it when he came and he dwelt among us it's what Peter says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 16 for we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty when John James and Peter went upon the mouth of transfiguration in Matthew 17 and Jesus gave them a glimpse of who he truly is they got a glimpse of that glory there were glimpses every now and then have beloved even the disciples never really really so Jesus the promise and the prayer of Jesus is that we would see him this is the promise this is the prayer of our perfection this is the hope of the apostles first Corinthians chapter 13 in verse 12 the bible says for now we see only a reflection as in a mirror but then we shall see face to face now I know in part then I shall know fully even as I am fully known this is the goal and the glory of every blood-bought believer to see Jesus it's a desire this is the desire this is the harsh desire of Christ for us did you hear that this is Christ's desire he prayed Father I desire that they would be with me that they would see me now beloved what our desire is one thing but what the Lord of glory desires is something all together different in Psalm chapter 34 and Psalm 37 verse 4 the bible says the light yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart beloved there's never been anyone who delighted himself more in God than Jesus and would not God therefore give Jesus the desire of his heart and what is desire of his heart is that we would be with him his desire is that we would see him first John chapter 3 and verse 2 the bible says beloved we are God's children now but what we will be has not yet appeared but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him because Jesus prayed Father let them be with me so that they might see me so that they might know my glory not the glory of the incarnation not the glory of the crucifixion not the glory of the resurrection but the glory of Christ before the foundations of the world
there is a glory that is yet to be revealed when we shall see him as he is has always missed the glory and the oneness that he had with the Father before the world began and that is the glory and the oneness that he is bringing songwriter headed right when they said if I never walk upon those streets of purest God if I never sit beside the crystal sea if I never see that mansion prepared to be my final home I just want to see Jesus died for me oh how beautiful it will be to see that glory the world has never known oh I want to see him the song says to look upon his face there the sing forever of his saving grace on the streets of glory let me lift my voice and care the past home and let's ever ever to rejoice