The Messiah’s Secret – Jesus’ Prayer John 17

Lectionary Reading: John 17: 6-19.

Jesus' prayer recorded by John took place just before they left the house for the Garden of Gethsemane. It was very much a prayer that reflected what was going on at the time. 

Short Power Point Presentation 
From Jesus' prayer we thought about our own prayers: we usually start by addressing God with a title that reflects our relationship with God and our reverence towards him. Several titles were suggested: Father, Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Lord and Father God etc. 
In Jesus' prayer he spoke of his fellowship with his Father, his Father always heard his prayers. He noted that his disciples believed in him and his words and that he had been sent by God. Jesus recognised that prophecy had to be fulfilled in Judas. Jesus was concerned about his leaving his disciples, he was concerned for their safe keeping. He asked his Father to keep them safe from the evil one. 

In our prayer we know that God always hears our prayers and we asked for strength and for unity with Jesus and each other and the Lord to keep us safe. Our current situation at St Mary's that is relevant to our prayer, is that the Lord would choose the person who will become our next Priest-in-charge. 
Jesus put emphasis on the name that God his Father had given him 'Jesus' the name above all names. Jesus promised that when we pray in his name: "Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son: if you ask anything in my name I will do it." John 14: 13, 14. So we end our prayer in Jesus' name. Below a short, but to the point prayer.

Father God,

we know you always hear us when we pray in faith.

Strengthen us and unite us in Jesus, and may the Lord chose the next person to be our Vicar.

Keep us all safe from the evil one.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We have looked at Jesus’ prayer and we have gathered what was upper most in his thoughts. He was concerned not for himself, but for his disciples, for them to be kept safe from the evil one.

While Jesus was praying in the house, Judas was no doubt telling the chief priest where Jesus could be found and collected his thirty shekels of silver the price for betraying him.

Some 500 years before Zechariah prophesied 

“Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty shekels of silver.” Judas fulfilled when he left the Passover meal to meet with chief priest.
The second part of the prophecy, “Then the Lord said to me, “Cast it into the treasury” the lordly price at which I was paid off by them. So I took the thirty shekels of silver and cast them into the treasury in the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 11: 12, 13. RSV Bible.
This was fulfilled when Judas heard that Jesus had been condemned to death, he took the money and threw it into the treasury, saying that he had betrayed innocent blood, which meant the sinless blood of the Christ, God’s Saviour of the world. Matthew 26: 14-16, 27: 3-5

In our Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26.reading it is recorded that they brought up the number of Apostles to 12 to fill the apostolic office that Judas had left vacant.

It was on the evening of the day of the resurrection were Jesus opened the disciples’ minds to understand the prophesies in scripture concerning himself. So, they were aware of the prophecy which Peter quoted  ‘Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it’; and ‘ His office, let another take.” Psalms 69: 25. 109: 8. Luke 24: 44-48.

This prophecy was fulfilled when the chief priest purchased a ‘desolate place' without the presence of God’ a burial site with the betrayal money to bury strangers in and the office of an apostle that was to be that taken up by someone else. Acts 1: 20                                              

In Acts 1: 21, 22 we have a Job description for an Apostle.

The office fulfilling Jesus’ prayer and the criteria stipulated by Peter: The Apostles looked for those  among the followers who were of the same mind one with each other in their faith and words of Jesus and those who had accompanied the disciples during Jesus’ ministry from the days of John the Baptist up till Jesus’ ascension and could testify to his resurrection.  (Jesus chose twelve disciples from among his followers. Luke 6: 12).

There in the upper room of the house at Jerusalem after Jesus’ ascension were 120 disciples and followers were gathered, probably not many from among 109 disciples would be eligible for the office of 'Apostle', Joseph and Matthias were candidates. 

I have on many occasions wondered why they cast lots (under law) to choose the one to take Judas’ place. I now realise why they cast lots to discern the Lord’s will, it was to fulfil another prophecy, Proverbs 16: 33 “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord.”  Matthias was chosen by the Lord to be the twelfth Apostle.

In Jesus’ prayer he spoke of his disciples as being as he had been, in the world but not being part of it. They had taken part in Jesus’ ministry walking with the God of heaven putting into practice his teaching and commands and having the joy of their Lord in their heart, the kingdom in their midst, but I think Jesus was also pointing to his ascension

John 17: 5 “And now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made.”

Last Thursday the church celebrated Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven

When Jesus ascended into heaven he united heaven and earth and this means to us today, we are citizens of heaven while we still reside on the earth.

Visual Aid

We have been given a passport into heaven through Jesus’ prophecy and promise, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3: 16. Given as a free gift through faith in what Jesus has done for us on the cross.

So as ambassadors for Jesus’ kingdom we offer people a passport into heaven.

Last Thursday at Chatterton Hey House we started our Alpha Course and we were offering this heavenly passport, so that they too can declare that Jesus has taken away their sins upon himself, and know his forgiveness, and like Jesus be raised up with him and are free to enter into his kingdom while being alive on earth.

So as ambassadors for Jesus in our present life, we are also seated with the Lord our God in heavenly places, Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Colossi, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things that are on the earth.“ Colossians 3: 1, 2. 2.12-15.

Our Lord God calls people to fulfil his tasks, with the mind and Spirit of Christ.

In our current situation here at St. Mary’s like the Apostles we soon will be in that position for someone to take up the office of Priest-in-charge leading our two churches. It is good to note that the burden has been taken away from those who will be chosen from our governing body the Parochial Church Council to interview the prospective candidates, as the choice that they make on our behalf will be of the Lord’s choosing.  Just as our present Vicar and his wife have been called to fulfil the appointment at two other churches.

The apostles and followers spent time in prayer.

Following the example of the Apostles they prayed before they cast the lots, and so we give our situation over to the Lord in prayer (not casting lots) resting in the knowledge that Jesus will send his choice to St Mary’s and St Paul’s.