When we think of The Lord’s Prayer, we usually think of the prayer that begins with “Our Father, who art in heaven”. What if I told you that there is another Scripture passage which could more accurately be called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Gospel of John, the Apostle records a much longer prayer that the Lord Jesus made to His Father, which many have called the “real” Lord’s Prayer. Let’s take a quick look this morning at a portion of this.
In Matthew 6:9-13, we read what has traditionally been called the Lord’s Prayer. It was given that name in the early 3rd century. It is a very beautiful prayer, one that we recite all the time, and more importantly, is one that the Lord taught His disciples when they asked Him how to pray. Some people today have said that it more rightly should be called the Disciples Prayer, as it was taught to the disciples, and that what we read in John’s Gospel could be called the Lord’s Prayer. This is Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, and in our portion of this chapter, we read where He prays for Himself (vs. 1-5), and also prays for His disciples (vs. 6-11).
As our Scripture opens, we read where Jesus prayed to His Father for Himself. He spoke of how the “hour has come”, which refers to the time when He will give His life for the redemption of mankind (vs. 1). The cross was not an accident. It was a divine appointment, one that Jesus specifically came to earth to accomplish. He went to the cross both willingly and knowingly. The cross is the supreme display of God’s glory. The Son was obedient which glorified the Father, and the Father glorified the Son through His resurrection and exaltation.
Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify Him with the same glory He had when He was in heaven, before the world was (vs. 5). One way that Jesus will be glorified is when people come to know Him as Savior, and receive salvation and eternal life. Jesus defined eternal life as knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent (vs. 3). Contrary to the belief that everyone will go to heaven and have eternal life, Jesus said here that only those who know Him as Savior will have eternal life in heaven.
Jesus spoke of the glory that He had with the Father before the world was (vs. 5). This is one of the clearest statements of Jesus Christ’s deity. He was pre-existent from all eternity. We also see that He is equal with the Father. This is a cornerstone text for the doctrine of the Trinity.
Next, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples (vs. 6-11). Jesus had displayed and shown the Father’s Name to the disciples. He presented and revealed to them God’s character, His truth, and His nature. The disciples’ faith was evidence of Jesus’ work in them. Their faith was genuine, they had accepted His words as divine revelation (vs. 8).
Jesus then explicitly stated that He was praying for them, not for the world (vs. 9). He was praying for those who have accepted Him as their Savior, those who are genuine believers and disciples. Jesus’ prayers are particular and purposeful. We enjoy a unique relationship with Him, which is contrasted with the world.
Not only did He pray for us, but He reassured the disciples, and us, that He prayed that we will be kept through His Name. He prayed that we will be protected, unified, sanctified, and sustained against the evil one. Our security rests in God’s keeping power, and His Name, His character, is the guarantee. Jesus’ prayers hamstring Satan. We can depend upon His prayers, and we know that the Father always hears the prayers of His Son.
Finally, we see that Jesus prayed for unity among the believers. However, this unity is to be based on truth, not just for the sake that we all get along with each other. We must never compromise the truth for getting along with those who do not hold to Scriptural truth.
As we close this section of John’s Gospel, where Jesus prayed a prayer to the Father that the disciples heard, we can rest in Christ’s authority, knowing that our salvation is grounded in His power. We can trust in God’s keeping power. Our security is rooted in His Name. And then we can pursue unity in the truth, not in compromising any of what God has revealed as truth in His Word.
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