Series: Discovering the Life Changing Gospel
The Real Lord’s Prayer
John 17:1–5 (HCSB)
1 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, 2 for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent —Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed.
- WE MAKE OUR REQUESTS KNOWN TO THE FATHER.
v. 1 “Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You…”
- Jesus models how to petition the Father.
- Jesus asks the Father to glorify the Son, so the Son can glorify the Father.
Isaiah 42:8 (HCSB)
8 I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.
Romans 11:36 (HCSB)
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
- If Jesus needed to ask the Father for something, how much more do we need to make our requests known to Him to bring Him glory?
- WE PLEASE GOD WHEN WE LIVE OUR PURPOSE.
v. 2 “…for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him.”
- Jesus looks ahead to the fulfilment of His purpose on the Cross.
- Each one of us must live out our purpose.
- WE EXPERIENCE SALVATION WHEN WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
v. 3 “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent —Jesus Christ.”
- Jesus’ prayer calls for relationship, not just knowledge.
- We experience eternal life when we fully connect with God.
- WE GLORIFY GOD BY COMPLETING THE MISSION HE HAS GIVEN US.
v. 4 “I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.”
- Jesus anticipates the completion of His mission with the Cross, Resurrection and Ascension.
- We glorify God when we live on mission.
- WE RECEIVE ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR US BECAUSE OF THE PLAN HE PUT IN PLACE.
v. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed.”
- Jesus looks to return to His rightful place of the Throne of God.
- Living the plan God has for us brings glory to Him and honor to us.
The real Lord’s Prayer finds Jesus petitioning the Father in the last moments of His earthly life. He models the prayer of petition available to us as we live our purpose on this earth.