The High Priestly Prayer

Redemption Hill Church

The High Priestly Prayer

John 17:1-26

March 5, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel

This Sunday we stepped back into the Gospel of John with chapter 17. This chapter is commonly referred to as “The High Priestly Prayer.” Matthew, Mark, and Luke all emphasize Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane in their Gospels, and the failure of the disciples to stay awake with Jesus. John gives us a view into a prayer that Jesus brought to the Father before entering the garden.

It is profound that we get to listen in on Jesus’ final prayer before His betrayal and arrest, the same prayer that His disciples heard that night. In it we see Jesus plead to the Father for Himself and God’s glory, for His disciples, and then for those who will believe in Jesus through the word of His disciples. That’s us! On the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested, He prayed for the Church, all who would believe the testimony of His followers. It’s a prayer we need to hear and to take seriously as we join Jesus in praying for the same things.

Follow Me

April 23, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • John 21

This Sunday we finish the Gospel of John with chapter 21. This chapter brings the third time that Jesus appeared to His disciples. This time, though, they were up in Galilee and had gone out fishing. In the gray twilight of dawn, as they were coming in to the shore, Jesus came. As the scene unfolded, Jesus helped gave them a miraculous catch of fish, but also had a small charcoal fire with fish laid out on it for breakfast as they came in. After breakfast, Jesus turned to Peter and lovingly brought him close, restoring him in his calling and closeness.

Seeing & Believing

April 16, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • John 20:19–31

We will continue in John this Sunday with John 20:19-31. This passage picks up on Sunday evening, the same day that Jesus called Mary by name and sent her to tell the disciples that she had seen Him. Poor Thomas wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came to them that Easter evening. We have no idea where he was. He could have been out on a walk, or getting a bite to eat. All we do know is that he wasn’t there. When the other 10 disciples told him that they had seen Jesus, he said that he wouldn’t believe it until he had the same chance they had to see him. Thomas wanted to see and touch Jesus, the places where the nails had gone through His hands. This passage has given Thomas the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” I don’t think that’s quite fair, but there’s no changing it at this point. If nothing else, this passage shows us that there is no shame in having doubts. It’s not dangerous or wrong to ask questions. Christianity is not a leap of blind faith. It is a belief in real events that have been attested to by eye witnesses. This Sunday is for the skeptic, for those who want clear facts and realities in order to believe. After all, as an old professor of mine would say, “The heart cannot rejoice in that which the mind rejects as false.”

He is Risen!

April 9, 2023 • Pastor Bill Riedel • John 20:1–18

We will continue in John this Sunday with John 20:1-18 – the resurrection! We get to see the very initial discovery of the open tomb, a foot race to go see it, and a faithful woman who lingers, looking for Jesus, only to be commissioned as the very first person on earth to tell others that He is risen. We are going to dig into this passage to see what God’s Word calls us to