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The Prayers Of Jesus Pt 4

August 30, 2024 • Pastor Joe Sabolick Ph.D. • John 17:1–5, Matthew 5:44–45, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Isaiah 43:26, John 16:24


 Jesus, The Lord in Human Flesh~ 

The Master Teacher, used parables and analogies to communicate profound spiritual truths in ways that were accessible to ordinary people. 


One of the most significant moments where He expressed deep spiritual insight was in His prayer in 

John 17 It was the Very Prayer Were Jesus Prayed For You as Your Intercessor~ 

This prayer is divided into three parts: 

Jesus praying for Himself, 

His disciples, and all believers. 


Today, we will focus on the first part, where Jesus prays for Himself.


The Setting of the Prayer

It's important to understand the context in which Jesus prayed. 

When you are facing Obstacles-

You Pray According to the Situation~  

This prayer takes place after the Last Supper, where Jesus had just washed His disciples' feet, predicted Peter's denial, and given them final teachings, including the promise of the Holy Spirit.


In the face of His impending crucifixion, 

Jesus turns His heart towards heaven and prays.


 John 17:1-5 records His words:

1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,

 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 




The Structure of Jesus' Prayer: 


His Request 

His Reason

His Rejoicing


The Submission: 

Jesus begins with a statement of resignation: 

"Father, the time has come.”


 (John 17:1). This is a moment of acceptance, acknowledging that the hour of His suffering has arrived. 


It's a powerful reminder of His earlier words at the wedding in Cana when He told His mother, "My time has not yet come." (John 2:4). 


Now, the time has indeed come for Him to fulfill His purpose on the cross.

Like the psalmists who cried out to God in times of distress—

Psalm 22:11 “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help” 


—we too can come to God in our moments of need, knowing that He hears us…


The Request: 

John 17:1 Jesus then makes His request: "Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you."


 His desire is not for personal honor, but that through His glorification, the Father would be glorified. 


This is a profound example of how our prayers should be oriented—not towards self-exaltation, but towards the glorification of God.

In our Families Our Loved Ones and even our enemies~ 



Mat. 5:44-45 

But I say unto you, 

Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, 

do good to them that hate you,

 and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ...



Even as Jesus faced betrayal from denial, and crucifixion, 


His prayer was that God’s light would shine through Him, directing others towards the Father.

People Need The Lord Today~ 



2 Corinthians 4:4

4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, with the intention the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them…

People are following The blindness of satan willing because they have rejected the truth of God’s Love and Compassion~ 

They walk in hatred ~ 

Romans 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

Believing in Every Lie that comes down the pike of Religion~ 

Religion is Humanity’s attempt to reach God 


The order and the structure of the cosmos point to an intelligent mind


1. Moral Absolutes point to some Moral law giver 


2 life Comes From Life 

I’ve never once Have I’ve seen Life come from Non life 


3 From One Cell comes a giraffe, zebra and a palm tree? 


4 Forth Piece of Evidence 

FREE WILL 


If there is no God You’re just hunk of biochemical Reactions 

You’re not free 

You’re determined by your biochemical reactions~


5th no Change in any of the Species~ Different forms but a cat is a cat a dog is still a dog~  



TIME SPACE AND MATTER 

God answered this in Genesis 1:1 

In there beginning TIME God Created The Heavens SPACE and the Earth Matter  


Evolution is just a Religion based on a false belief system based on theories and speculations~ 

To Rule out God’s Governing in ones life~ 

You Came From God and you were made in His Image~ 


As Jesus Prayed~ 

 This is a call for us to mirror this attitude in our own prayers, 

Asking that our lives reflect God’s glory.

2 His Reason: 

John 17:4 "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."


Jesus provides a Reason for His request by reminding the Father of the mission 

He was sent to accomplish: 

 Isaiah 43:26 God said “Put me in remembrance”.

Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, put God in remembrance of His promises to them. 

When we are in need, I

t’s good to put God in remembrance of His promise to us. 

It also encourages our faith to confess His promises, time and time again, and bring them before His throne of grace. 

Has God promised you something.

 Never let go of the divine promise, put God in remembrance, confess His word, let God know that you have not forgotten His promise to you, and let Him know that you believe in His word; His promise for your life….





He asks to be glorified, 

not for His own sake, 

but because His work on earth was done, 

and through His glorification, others would be drawn to the Father.

It was for the World and it was for YOU~ 


John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full

Ask That Your Joy might be full~ 



This is a lesson for us as well. 


When we pray, we should consider how our requests align with God’s will and His purposes. 

It’s Your Fathers Good Pleasure To Give you The Kingdom~ 


God Is a Giving God~ He expresses His Love By Giving Us All that we have~ 


Our lives should point others to God, just as Jesus’ life did…


3 His Rejoicing

John 17:5"And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”


Finally, Jesus reiterates His request: 


This is a profound statement of Jesus’ pre-existence and His unity with the Father. 

It reminds us that Jesus’ glorification was not just about His earthly mission, but about His eternal identity of His Deity~ 




As we reflect on Jesus’ prayer for Himself, we can learn several key lessons for our own prayer lives:

Acknowledge the Reality of Our 

Situations: Like Jesus, we must face the realities of our circumstances with the POWER OF GOD TO BRING THE DESIRES OF OUR HEART TO PASS~ 


Whether we are in times of joy or opposition, 

we can pray with honesty and faith, knowing that God hears us.


Praying for God’s Glory: 


Our prayers should be focused on God’s glory~ Where He is Glorified and We are in Unity With The Holy Spirit In our Lives~ 


When we ask for things, let it be with the desire that our lives will reflect His goodness and lead others to Him.



Trust in God’s Plan: 


Jesus trusted in the Father’s plan, even when it led to the cross. 


We, too, must trust that God’s plan for our lives is good, even when we don’t fully understand it.

Desire to Be More Like Christ: 

Ultimately, our prayers should lead us to a deeper communion with God and a greater reflection of Christ in our lives. As we pray, let us ask God to transform us so that we may glorify Him in all that we do.