Jesus teaches us how to pray. All prayers are directed to His Father, our Creator who wills that all peoples gain eternal salvation. Our prayers must essentially express our praise, reverence and desires to serve Him. Such prayers are the most “beautiful” prayers to God (Msgr Philip Heng,S.J.)
The Lord fed His people with the finest wheat and honey. their hunger was satisfied ( Psalm 80 ). Give us daily bread oh Lord
Doa Bapa Kami diantaranya didisain untuk segala kebutuhan kita, termasuk dalam hubungan interpersonal kita dengan sesama. Pada permulaannya doa ini mengikat kita dalam relasi dengan Allah Sang Pencipta, dimuliakanlah namaMu. Datanglah kerajaanMu jadilah kehendakMu diatas bumi seperti didalam surga. Sebuah petisi untuk memuliakan Sang Pencipta diikuti kemudian rencana Allah bahwa kerajaan Allah sudah dekat dan sudah ada di bumi ini dengan kedatangan Sang Putera. Sukacita disurga dihadirkan dibumi , suka cita dan kebahagiaan surgawi yang dihadiri para malaikat dan kemudian orang orang kudus disertakan hendaknya bisa terjadi juga diatas bumi, dalam iman kepada Allah melalui Kristus, damai dean kepastian harapan segenap umat manusia untuk selamat dalam kebenaran Ilahi.
Kemudian kita harus minta ampun karena memang manusia cenderung berdosa dan mengharapkan pengampunan dari Nya. Dalam hubungan inierpersonal betapa banyak terjadi ketidak nyamanan sampai permusuhan yang menimbulkan rasa marah disertai konflik yang sangat mengganggu kehidupan manusia, larena bukankah kita semua mahluk sosial yang selalu berelasi dengan orang lain? Ampuni kami seperti kami mengampuni bukan karena mereka sadar atau minta maaf, namun karena kita berdamai dengan damai dalam diri. Be worthy in feeling and emotion, If there is no peaceful mind and anger just a way toward self destruction, Peaceful mind just inner awareness for well being,
Juga yang utama adalah berilah kami "rejeki", sebagai permohonan manusiawi bahwa kita memerlukan nafkah untuk dapat melanjutkan kehidupan. Sayangnya kalau hanya diatikan sebagai rejeki, uang, pekerjaan, keberuntungan belaka. Ada makna yang lebih dari rejeki, ROTI KAMI SEHARI HARI, bila kita dapat mentransendir dari sekedar rejeki atau roti yang makanan . Ada makna yang melampau (beyong as merely just bread), disini ada ariti ROTI YANG HIDUP, ROTI YANG ADALAH TUBUH DAN DARAH KRISTUS, yang baru kita rayakan pestanya. Roti sehari hari yang dalam trans-substansi bukan symbol menjadi makanan kami sehari hari menjadi Tubuh dan Darahnya yang kudus. Santapan para malaikat dalam kerajaan surga diberikan kepada kita yang percaya untuk mendapat hidup kekal. Oleh karenanya sebenarnya dalam doa Bapa kami yng Tuhan inginkan adalah bahwa kerajaan surga sudah terjadi di bumi tempat kita tinggal. bila kita menuruti perintah perintah dan setia kepadaNya.Bukan sekedar rejeki namun jjuga adalah makanan untuk HIDUP KEKAL.
Doa Bapa kami melampaui segala limit keberadaan semua doa DOA, DEVOSI DEVOSI, PUJIAN PUJIAN, NOVENA NOVENA, CONSOLATION AND SOLACEMENT, dalam menyampaikan kebenaran untuk kita semua, bahwa apa yang terjadi disurga hendaknya juga terjadi di dunia juga, itu yang kita lafalkan setiap kali kita berdoa Bapa Kami, sehingga dengan kedatangan Yesus 2000 tahun lalu bahwa apa yang disampaikan kerajaan Allah sudah dekat artinya sudah berada didunia ini dengan penyertaan Allah Trinitas sampai akhir zaman.
Apakah Yesus berdoa?
Ia mengajarkan kepada para murid doa yang sampai sekarang digunakan para umat kristiani, barangkali inilah doa yang paling banyak dilafalkan termasuk juga dalam liturgi pengusiran setan doa Bapa Kami yang digunakan dengan Salib oleh para excorcist. Dalam injil synoptik kita membaca bahwa Yesus pagi pagi benar menyendiri untuk berdoa. Ia berkonsultasi dengan Bapa di surga, meski Ia adalah Allah sendiri, sekaligus juga Ia manusia yang membutuhkan doa. Sama seperti di Getsemani , Ia berdoa dalam kesesakanNya menghadapi penderitaan yang akan dijalaniNya.
Bacaan Injil perayaan Ekaristi minggu ini pada hari Minggu menjelang hari raya Pentakosta adalah dari Yohanes 17 : 11 - 19. Keseluruhan perikop Yohanes adalah wejangan seseorang yang akan berpisah meninggalkan orang orang yang dikasihiNya, para murid. Karena sesudah itu Ia akan ditangkap mengalami penderitaan hingga kematianNya. Seperti wejangan seseorang yang akan meninggal, pasti seluruhnya adalah kata kata terakhir. Apakah Yesus berdoa, Yesus berdoa sering kali, ada ditulis dalam Kitab Suci Yesus berdoa, Ia berkonsultasi dengan Bapa disurga dalam kesatuan Allah Trinitas, Ia yang adalah Sang Sabda yang sudah ada sejak semula bersama Bapa, dan Roh Allah yang Kudus berkarya sepanjang masa menyampaikan kebenaran.
Para murid diajar Yesus bagaimana seharusnya berdoa, dengan doa Bapa Kami. Ia juga berdoa untuk para murid, mendoakan para murid sebelum meninggalkan mereka dan menjanjikan kedatangan Roh Kudus sepeninggalnya. Allah Trinitas akan menyertai para murid dan juga kita sebagai pengikut Kristus sampai akhir zaman. Keseluruhan perikop 17 dalam Yohanes, berjudul "Doa Yesus untuk murid murid Nya, sesudah pada perikop sebelumnya Yoh 16, Ia menyampaikan penderitaan yang akan dialami murid murid, yang akan mendahului kemenanga Ia mengalahkan dunia. Damai sejahtera dalam Dia dijanjikan, dan minta agar kuatkanlah hati mereka. Dalam penderitaan, namun dengan damai sejahtera diperuntukan untuk mereka. Yoh 16 biasanya disebut “Wejangan Perpisahan”.Isi utamanya ialah sabda tentang dunia yang akan membenci para pengikutnya, dan tentang kesedihan yang akan mereka alami sesudah Yesus tidak lbersama mereka lagi. Se3perti sebelumnya juga Ia sudah menyampaikan kepadea para murid bahwa dunia membenci mereka seperti menurut Yoh 15, "Jikalau dunia membenci mereka ingatlah bahwa ia telah membenci Aku dari pada kamu,. Sekiranya kamu dari dunia tentulan dunia mengasihi kamu sebagai miliknya". Mereka membenci Aku tanpa alasan. Ia menjanjikan akandatang Penghibur yaitu Toh Kebenaran yang bersaksi tentang Aku, tetapi kamu juiga harus bersaksi. Yang dimaksud adealah kedatangan Roh Kudus sesudah Ia meninggalkan mereka, yang akan Kuutus dari Bapa. Disini tersirat adanya Allah Trinitas yang kita imani, Allah yang satu juga tiga pribadi yang menertai kita sampai akhir zaman, bagi mereka yang percaya.
Dalam perikop Yoh 17, yang sering juga disebut doa ekstensi dari doa Bapa Kami, disampaikan kemuliaan untuk Bapa, dan Anak yang sudah ada sebelum dunia ada, dan agar dunia percaya, bahwa Allah Bapa yang mengutus Dia , dan Bapa adalah satu dengan Dia. Sehingga meski ada pandangan dari Judaism dan Islam, bahwa Sang Guru atau Nabi Isa tidak pernah mengajarkan Allah Trinitas, dari injil Yohanes yang memberi permenungan yang mendalam iman Allah Trinitas banyak disampaikan dalam injil Yohanes. Liturgi perayaan ekaristi dalam doksologi sebelum doa Bapa Kami, imam menyampaikan, " Dengan perantaraan Kristus dan bersama Dia serta bersatu dalam Roh Kudus kami menyampaikan kepadaMu Allah bapa yang maha kuasa segala hormat dean pujian kini dan sepanjang masa. Amin. Puncak dari perayaan ekaristi seakan terungkap dalam doa privilege yang dibawakan selebran. Bersama umat memuji syukur kepada Sang Pencipta dalam kenangan peristiwa perjamuan terakhir, the last supper di ruang senakel yang atas permintaanNya sendiri harus selalu di rayakan oleh para pengikutnya.
Bacaan liturgi dari perikop ini juga adalah tentang Firman kebenaran untuk keselamatan hidup kekal dan tak seorangpun akan binasa dan penuhlah suka citaNya dalam diri para murid, karena Ia yang menjaga dan melindungi mereka dari yang jahat. Ada kata kunci yang menjadi penting dalam bacaan Liturgi penanggalan Gereja "Kuduskanlah mereka dalam kebenaran, firmanMu adalah kebenaran" (Yoh 17 : 17). Bisa dibandingkan dengan ayat ayat dalam Kejadian 49, tentang perkataan perkataan Yakub sebelum meninggalkan anak anaknya. Ulangan 29 sampai dengan 34, ketika Musa akan meninggal dunia dan juga dengan Kisah 20 : 17 - 38 sebelum Paulus meninggal. Oleh karenanya perikop ini sering juga disebut "Doa Imam Agung" . High priesly prayer.
BEBERAPA CATATAN DARI FB NET WORKING
Lebih dari setengah abad alias puluhan tahun dibaptis baru tahu dari seminar ttg ekaristi bhw rejeki dl doa bapa kami adl roti hidup, panem (Latin), ΨΩΜΙ (Yunani) untuk hidup kekal. Jadi bertanya kpd diri sendiri, pencerahan apa yg dilakukan gereja thdku selama ini?
Panis Angelicus fit panis hominum Dat panis coelicus figuris terminum O res mirabilis! Manducat Dominum Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis Pauper, pauper, servus et humilis. Roti sehari hari yang Roti surgawi, santapan para malaikat untuk kami agar hidup kekal.
Vera Toha Hampir sama dng pengalaman saya Om Hendra. Saya baru tau makna konsekrasi, makna misa kudus serta arti dari liturgi2 dlm ekaristi baru 4 tahun ini. Bahkan ironisnya itu saya dapatkan justru melalui dunia FB yg katanya cuma dunia maya tanpa manfaat itu. ;) Ada yg salah mengenai katekese di GK. Perlu pembenahan lagi bagi para katekis spy calon2 katekumen benar2 memahami.......
Saturday at 11:36pm via mobile · Unlike · 1
Vera Toha Pengalaman pribadi saya, sewaktu saya katekumen baptis waktu SMP itu, dari total 60x pertemuan katekumen, sekalipun tidak pernah ada seorang imam yg memberikan pengajaran. Semua pengajaran diberikan oleh belasan katekis dng segala macam teknik katekese....... Wajar kl kmdn timbul semacam perasaan malas bg katekumen. Hadirnya mereka dlm kelas katekumen seringnya hanya sekedar formalitas saja spy syarat baptis terpenuhi. ;(
Saturday at 11:43pm · Unlike · 1
Dari wikipedia ""Give us this day our daily bread"See also: Matthew 6:11The more personal requests break from the similarity to the Kaddish. The first concerns daily bread. The meaning of the word normally translated as daily, ἐπιούσιος epiousios, is obscure. The word is almost a hapax legomenon, occurring only in Luke and Matthew's versions of the Lord's Prayer. (It was once mistakenly thought to be found also in an Egyptian accounting book.).[22] Etymologically epiousios seems to be related to the Greek words epi, meaning on, over, at, against and ousia, meaning substance. It is translated as supersubstantialem in the Vulgate (Matthew 6:11) and accordingly as supersubstantial in the Douay-Rheims Bible (Matthew 6:11). Early writers connected this to Eucharistic transubstantiation. Some modern Protestant scholars tend to reject this connection on the presumption that Eucharistic practice and the doctrine of transubstantiation both developed later than this writing. Epiousios can also be understood as existence, i.e., bread that was fundamental to survival (as in the Syriac Peshitta, where the line is translated "give us the bread of which we have need today."). In the era, bread was the most important food for survival. However, scholars of linguistics consider this rendering unlikely since it would violate standard rules of word formation. Koine Greek had several far more common terms for the same idea. Some interpret epiousios as meaning for tomorrow, as in the wording used by the Gospel of the Nazoraeans for the prayer.[23] The common translation as "daily" is conveniently close in meaning to the other two possibilities as well. Those Christians who read the Lord's Prayer as eschatological view epiousios as referring to the second coming—reading for tomorrow (and bread) in a metaphorical sense. Most scholars disagree, particularly since Jesus is portrayed throughout Luke and Matthew as caring for everyday needs for his followers, particularly in the bread-related miracles that are recounted"
Sunday at 12:25am · Like
Hendra Tanumihardja Daily bread bukanlah rejeki, ada unsur yang akan datang, kelak, kehidupan mendatang, epiousios as meaning for tomorrow> Bukan unsur makanan atau materi seperti rejeki sehari-hari, namun roti hidup iuntuk hidup kekal, santapan rohani dalam Tubuh dan Darah Kristus yang kita sambut dalam ekaristi.
- Konon waktu diterjemahkan dianggap bangsa Indonesia tidak mengenal roti yang hanya dikenal oleh para sinyo sinyo dan noni noni, ya underestimate lah. Padahal dari zaman dulu ada yg keliling gerobag dengan teriakan brod brod .....semacam Tan Ek Tjoan dan semacamnya.. Gpp yang penting diimani yang diminta bukanlah rejeki hari ini, namun roti hidup yang akan datang untuk kehidupan kekal. Bukan hanya untuk hari inio namun "daily". setiap saat butuh sarapan rohani dari Tubuh dan Darah (pestanya minggu depan) dari kurban Kristus yang menderita, disalib mengalami kematian dan kemuliaan kebangkitanNya. Jadi bukan rejeki berupa materi dan semacamnya tapi sakramen Kudus yang menyelamatkan melalui ekaristi.
"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus (John 17)
Study By: Bob Deffinbaugh
Introduction
The story is told of a preacher who was shaking hands at the door of the church after his Sunday morning sermon. One outspoken member of the congregation thanked the pastor for both messages. “But I only preached once this morning,” he gently corrected. “Well, pastor, I meant the one you preached and the one you prayed.”
Some preachers seem to find it easier to pray their sermons than to preach them. (I can well remember amusing myself by timing them from week to week.) I would hope this is not because it is easier to say some things with ‘every head bowed’ than with people looking you straight in the eye. And lest we parents feel too smug here, we often pray little sermons to our children. For example: “Dear Lord, help little Sally not to leave her bed unmade and to be more respectful of her mommy and daddy.”
Another misuse of prayer is what I call the ‘evangelistic prayer.’ This is often prayed at church, but the most striking form of it is the restaurant version. Someone, normally with a booming voice, prays at sufficient volume for the entire restaurant to overhear. Usually every fork clatters to the plate, waitresses freeze in place, and all conversation stops. The prayer always includes a concise presentation of the gospel.
I have always been irritated by such forms of prayer for it appears they were not intended for God at all. Having said this, I must recognize that some of the prayers of our Lord were addressed to the Father, but were intended to be overheard. Among other examples I would include the prayer of Jesus for the raising of Lazarus (John 11:41-42) and this prayer in John chapter 17.
The high priestly prayer of Jesus serves as a fitting conclusion to the upper room discourse of chapters 14-16. In verse one of chapter 17 John informs us that this prayer is to be understood as a kind of conclusion to the Lord’s teaching in chapters 14-16. “These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, he said …” (John 17:1a). It is my personal opinion that this prayer, the longest of Jesus’ recorded prayers, was intended to be overheard by His disciples. One purpose of this prayer was to bring comfort and hope to the troubled hearts of the disciples. It may have been more effective at the moment than all the teaching of chapters 14-16. While a measure of assurance resulted from the words of our Lord in chapters 14-16 (cf. 16:29-30), much more comfort and faith would be gained in the light of their fulfillment (John 13:19; 16:4). This prayer must have done much to calm the troubled hearts of the eleven.
Let us look carefully at this prayer, then, to find the comfort that it afforded the disciples. And let us remember that it was not only a prayer for the eleven, but for Christians of every age (John 17:20).
The Prayer of Jesus for Himself (17:1-5)
There is one word that dominates Jesus’ prayer for Himself in verses 1-5—glory. It occurs in some form five times in these verses. Initially, it seems unfitting for Jesus to pray that He might receive glory for Himself. Looking more closely we find there are several observations concerning this request for glory which put the matter in a different light.
(1) Jesus requested that He be glorified in order to bring further glory to the Father. Jesus’ petition was not to receive glory independently from the Father, but to be glorified to the praise of the Father. “… Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee” (John 17:1 b). “And now, glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, …” (John 17:5). Satan wanted to usurp God’s position and glory (Isaiah 14:12-14). He wanted to receive glory independently of God. Jesus prayed for glorification in order to exalt the Father.
(2) Jesus requested the glory which rightfully belonged to Him. “And now glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was” (John 17:5). When the second person of the Godhead left heaven to become God incarnate, He temporarily set aside His glory (Philippians 2:5-8). This ‘kenosis’ was illustrated by the washing of the disciples’ feet in John 13. Our Lord did not lay aside any of His deity, but rather added perfect humanity to His deity.157 When the work of the cross was completed the glory which was momentarily laid aside was given back to Him. This, in part, is that which Jesus requested in His prayer.
(3) Christ’s glory was earned at the price of the cross. In addition to the restoration of the glory which our Lord possessed prior to His incarnation, there is additional glory which was earned by His earthly life and ministry. He had glorified the Father by His earthly life of obedience and submission (John 17:4). He was glorified, along with the Father in the salvation of men by His work on the cross (John 17:2-3). It is because of Christ’s willingness to set aside the glory that was rightfully His in order to save sinful men that the Father gave Him even greater glory.
“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
What a beautiful commentary these verses in Philippians chapter two provide on the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus prayed to be glorified so that the Father would receive glory (Philippians 2:11). Jesus received the glory that was already His (Philippians 2:6), but because of His work on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8) was given an even greater glory (Philippians 2:9-11).
The matter of suffering and glory must be kept in proper perspective. The Christian experience is not one of grim determination which causes one to face a life of suffering and sorrow with glory to follow later. The Christian life is the abundant life (John 10:10b). It is one of joy and peace.
Nevertheless, trials (James 1:2-4,12), persecution (John 15:18ff.; 2 Timothy 2:12) and suffering (Philippians 1:29) are an inseparable part of the Christian experience. In times of difficulty, our faith is deepened (James 2:3), our fellowship with God is enriched (Philippians 3:10) and we experience deep joy in the midst of difficulties (John 17:13; 1 Peter 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:10). In suffering and adversity we come to appreciate God as our great reward, as well as our rewarder.158 When all of our human resources have been spent, we find our sufficiency in Christ alone (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
The suffering of this life takes many forms. It may be that of opposition from friends and loved ones (Matthew 10:34ff.; 1 Peter 4:4). It can be a physical or mental experience. It may involve setting aside temporary pleasures for eternal rewards (Hebrews 11:24-26). It may be the normal failures and frustrations of our humanity (Romans 7:15ff.; 8:18ff.) as we attempt to live in a way pleasing to God and as we await our final glorification.
We should not only say that Christian suffering leads to glory, but that in many cases suffering is glory.
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24-26).
We are told that Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (verse 26). Moses came to view his sufferings as glory. So also the sufferings of the Savior were a part of His glory as well (John 12:27–28).
The Christian life is a mixture of the bitter and the sweet. We have a good measure of life’s pleasures and fulfillments. There are also the bitter experiences of suffering and sorrow. These the Lord sweetens with His presence and peace, blending the bitter and the sweet in such a way as to bring about His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). There is no lifestyle more desirable than that of the disciple. There is none more difficult. But He gives greater grace to meet life’s trials and provides His strength for our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9).
It must also be said that suffering is not the only way to bring glory to God. To believe this would be to become Christian masochists. Our Lord glorified the Father by His words and works, by revealing Him to men (John 1:14; 17:4). We glorify God by our faith in Him and our obedience to His Word. The disciples brought glory to our Lord before they experienced suffering for His sake (John 17:10). In short, we bring glory to God when He manifests Himself in our lives, whether in times of triumph or trial, of success or suffering.
The prayer of our Lord reveals that He has already glorified the Father by His earthly life and ministry (verse 4). But now the hour of His death had come (verse 1). As He had glorified the Father by His life, now He prays that He might do the same in His death.
Here is the touchstone for many Christians today. Are we as willing to live for the glory of God as we are to die for it? A willingness to do either will free us from much of the agony we experience in facing the future. The joy of the apostle Paul in the face of his sufferings in that Roman jail was that which resulted from his willingness to live or die, to prosper or to perish, for the glory of God and the progress of the gospel (Philippians 1:18-26).
Have you ever made this commitment, my Christian friend? It is the dedication of which the apostle Paul spoke in Romans chapter twelve, verses 1 and 2. Have you asked God to glorify Himself through you? It may mean suffering, it may mean success. Most likely it will mean both. That is the commitment a true disciple of our Lord must make. It is such unconditional surrender to the purposes of God which brings Him glory and results in our good.
The Prayer of Jesus for His Disciples (17:6-19)
From His request concerning Himself our Lord quickly turned to the needs of His disciples, for it is in them that He had been glorified (verse 10). And it was in them our Lord would be glorified after His resurrection and ascension.
The request of the Lord Jesus was founded upon several factors.
First, He accomplished His earthly task of revealing the Father to the disciples (verse 6-8). It is interesting to note how positively the faith of the disciples is stated. I believe the perspective of the Savior throughout this prayer is from the other side of the cross. Our Lord assumed the fact of His death, burial, resurrection and ascension. From the other side of the cross the disciples would be fully assured concerning all Jesus said and did to reveal the Father to them.
Second, our Lord assumed the consummation of His ministry in the work of the cross. Our Lord prayed, “Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as we are” (John 17:11b). The request of Jesus is based upon the name which the Father has given to Him. In Philippians chapter two we are told that, as a result of His humiliation and obedience unto death, the Father gave Him a name above every other (Philippians 2:9). That name, I believe, is the name Jesus (Philippians 2:10). Jesus (or its Old Testament counterpart, Joshua) meant ‘Yahweh is salvation.’
The name of a person in the days of our Lord represented a person’s character. The character of our Lord in His earthly life and ministry is well depicted by the name, Jesus. It is on the basis of our Lord’s character as God’s Savior for man that this prayer of our Lord is grounded.
Third, our Lord’s prayer is based upon the fact that those for whom He prayed were true believers: “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine (John 17:9). The disciples were believers because they belonged to the Father and were given to the Son (17:6,9-10). They were believers also because they came to faith in the person of Jesus Christ as the One sent from God (17:8).
The Lord’s petition on behalf of His disciples was that the Father keep them: “Holy Father, keep them in Thy name …” (John 17:11b). This keeping was done by the Lord while He was with His disciples (verse 12), but now He is returning to the Father (verses 11,13). The keeping of the disciples has several facets:
(1) The keeping for which Jesus prayed involved the eternal security of His followers. Our Lord had already spoken to His disciples concerning the frailty of their faith under fire (John 13:38; 16:31-32). Praise God that our future does not rest upon the strength of our faith, but in its object. Keeping is God’s work, not ours. It is ours to abide (chapter 15), and His to keep.
Judas was not an exception to the rule. Our Lord did not fail to keep Him. He was the ‘son of perdition’ (verse 12). He was never saved (John 13:10,11), so he was not lost out of the keeping hand of God. His destruction was a fulfillment of his character and destiny, as well as of prophecy (verse 12).
(2) The keeping of the disciples involved giving them joy in the midst of the world’s hatred and opposition, verses 13-14. They were not of the world, just as the Savior was not. Consequently, the world would hate them and oppose them. The Father’s keeping included joy and steadfastness in this opposition.
(3) The keeping of the Father included protection against the attacks of Satan, verse 15. “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” Our Lord’s prayer does not guarantee that we will be kept from Satan’s attack (Ephesians 6:10ff.; 1 Peter 5:18-9), but that we will be preserved in times of Satanic opposition. God does not promise we will avoid testing, but that we will endure it.
(4) The keeping of the Father includes the sanctification of the believer. “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). This sanctification is a far cry from mere separation. This spacial view of holiness was held by the Pharisees. They were only concerned with external separation (cf. Mark 2:15-17). Their ideas stemmed largely from a misconception of Old Testament sanctification. God, however, is not impressed with externalism, but with the condition of the heart (cf. Matthew 6:1-18; 23; Luke 16:15).
The legalistic forms of Christianity of our present day equates sanctification with mere separation. We think we are holy ‘because we never allow ourselves the occasion to be in the world. We hide behind church walls as though the church building was a fortress against worldliness. We spend all of our time in church activities so that we cannot be among the lost. This is not sanctification. There is a great difference between being ‘in the world’ and being ‘of the world.’ Dr. Billy Graham once defined it as the difference between isolation and insulation. What a difference there is.
There is no better illustration of sanctification than that of our Lord Jesus Christ (verses 16-19). Our Lord was physically untouched by man’s sin in the sanctity of heaven. There, God was untouched by the sins of men. But He left the blessedness of heaven in order to remove the blemish of sin from men. Even as the Holy God was no less holy for entering a sinful world, neither are we for living in the world. This is our calling (verse 16).
If our sanctification is not synonymous with separation, what is it? We can see it best defined in the work of our Lord. “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:19). Our Lord was not sanctified by separation, but by dedication and obedience to the will and the work of the Father. Ultimately, this sanctification took Him to the cross of Calvary. And it was this work of the Son which assures the sanctification of every saint.
We are sanctified by the work of Christ on the cross. We are also sanctified by the Word of truth (verse 17). As we trust in the Lord Jesus and devote our hearts to do His will we can live holy and blameless lives in the midst of a sinful world.
The Prayer of Jesus for All Believers (17:20-26)159
The petition of the Lord Jesus for all believers primarily concerns Christian unity:
“… that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me” (John 17:21-23).
It is vital that we recognize the vast difference between unity and uniformity. Unity is best demonstrated in diversity; uniformity is threatened by diversity.
Our Lord chose as disciples men who were radically different in temperament, personality and political philosophy. It was because of their glaring differences that their unity was so evident.
In the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul teaches that diversity is not opposed to unity; it is essential to it. How could the body function rightly if every member were an eye, or an ear, or a mouth? True unity demands diversity, and diversity displays true unity. Marriage could be used to further illustrate this principle.160
I say this because some churches seem to be trying to turn out ‘cookie cutter Christians’ who look alike (dress codes), think alike (credal codes, often concerning non-essentials) and act alike (codes of conduct). Sad to say, such legalism does not display true unity, nor does it constitute true spirituality. It simply teaches Christian conformity. But when the peer group changes, so does creed and conduct. This is all too frequently seen as our young people go off to college. We have not taught them to think, but to conform.
If unity is not to be found in uniformity, it is to be seen in union. “I in them, and them in Me that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst love Me” (John 17:23). The unity of the trinity is unity of being, of essence and of purpose. We are the children of God by faith if we dwell in God and He dwells in us (verse 23); there is then essential unity, between the believer and God, and also between one believer and every other.
Our unity, then, does not lie in nonfundamental (I did not say unimportant) factors, but in being a true believer. Unity should not be hindered between two believers who hold differing views concerning the details of our Lord’s return, or concerning the doctrine of eternal security, important as it is. Too many Christians think of unity only in terms of those who think and act alike. Often unity is expressed only within a church or a denomination, if at all.
Notice that unity is a vitally important matter. In the last moments of our Lord’s earthly ministry, He prayed for it. It is the way Christians are identified in a world where everyone ‘does his own thing’ and values personal independence and liberties above all else (verse 23). Here is the mark of the Christian community—unity.
In verse 24 the Lord prayed for reunion. He will shortly be led away to His trial and execution. After His ascension He will no longer physically walk among His people, until they are reunited with Him. It is for this reunion that our Lord prayed. “Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).
Finally, in verses 25 and 26, Jesus prayed He might continue to minister to His own, even in His physical absence. “O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:25-26).
His work of revealing the Father was done, and the disciples had come to know God through His life and ministry. And yet He desired to continue to reveal Himself in them and to abide in them. This I take to be the substance of His request in verse 26.
It is a great prayer which our Lord allowed His disciples to overhear in their hour of anxiety and distress. It is little wonder that the Spirit of God has preserved it for us as well.
Conclusion
Before we leave this prayer of our Lord, let us focus our attention on it so far as we are instructed by this prayer about prayer.
(1) The Presuppositions of This Prayer. A prayer such as this one cannot be made apart from several premises. First of all, it assumes the sovereignty of God in the salvation and keeping of men. True believers are those who belong to the Father and are given to the Son (verses 6,9-10). Their salvation is procured by the work of the Son (verses 2-3) in which we believe (verses 6-8). Once saved by God, men are kept and preserved by Him also (verses 11-19). There is no more comforting thought than that our salvation rests securely in the hands of God.
Also, this prayer assumes the sufficiency of the work of the Son on the cross, procuring and securing their salvation. All that our Lord requested is promised on the completed work of Christ on the cross (verses 11,12). The Savior is not a mere man, but the Son of God. Who else can claim to have been with the Father in eternity past (verses 5,24)? Who else but the Son of God can claim that everything which belongs to the Father is also His (verses 9,10)?
(2) The Power of This Prayer. While we are not specifically told so, this prayer must have had a tremendous impact on the hearts of the disciples. We can assume, since this prayer has been preserved for us, that it was intended to bring peace and assurance to our troubled hearts. If we believe in the One Who prayed it and in the sufficiency of His work at Calvary, what right have we to worry and fret?
I would like to go one step further by suggesting that we may not have realized the value of praying for others in their hearing. Numerous times I have gone to the bedside of those facing surgery and found that a prayer of assurance and protection brings peace of heart and soul.
I would suggest that this prayer provides us with an excellent model for prayer on behalf of another Christian. It seeks the glory of God, even at the price of personal suffering, assured that what is for God’s glory is ultimately for our good (indeed, our best). It confidently petitions for divine protection, not from suffering, but from Satan, spiritual collapse, and opposition. It seeks a greater unity among true believers, and looks ultimately for a reunion with our Lord.
While we do not know the precise program of God for our lives, or others, we are assured of the fact that God’s purposes will be achieved: His glory, our good (Romans 8:28ff.), our sanctification and union with our Lord and other Christians.
(3) The Price of Prayer. Let us not leave this prayer of our Lord without seriously considering the price of it. Every request which our Lord made on our behalf necessitated the personal sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Apart from His finished work in His death, burial and resurrection and ascension, these words would be mere wishful thinking.
The price He has paid for man’s salvation is one none of us could have paid. It was paid once for all, and never needs to be paid again (Hebrews 9:24-28). But there is a sense in which our prayers have a price. Can we pray that God will minister to others without a commitment to minister in any way we can? Every prayer has a price tag. Let us be mindful of our responsibilities when we pray.
157 “The Lord had become flesh: a real human baby. He had not ceased to be God; He was no less God then than before; but He had begun to be man. He was not now God minus some elements of His deity, but Godplus all that He had made His own by taking manhood to Himself.” J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973), p. 50. I would highly recommend your study of the entire chapter, “God Incarnate,” pp. 45-56.
158 “In Hebrews 11:6 we’re told that God is the ‘rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.’ And in Genesis 15:1 God said to Abraham: ‘I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’ Somebody said the difference between Patrick Henry and the average American today is that Patrick Henry said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death,’ and the average American today just says, ‘gimme.’ Sometimes we make a Santa Claus out of the Lord. We want the gifts and not the Giver, we want the blessing more than we want the Blesser. We need to get over the ‘gimmes.’ The Christian life ought to follow the pattern of the Lord’s prayer. It begins with His name, His kingdom, His will and then ‘give us this day our daily bread.’” Vance Havner, “Things I’ve Learned in the Night,”Moody Monthly, June, 1974, p. 29.
159 One should probably use caution in making too much of the distinctions between verses 6-19 and 20-26, as though the first section was only for the eleven and the remainder exclusively for believers of a later time. In fact our Lord prayed for unity among the eleven (verse 11) as well as for all believers (verses 21-23).
It may be best, then, to understand verse 20 as saying, in effect, “This prayer is not only for the eleven, but for all true believers.” In this case there is little distinction made as to the benefactors of this petition, and simply a change of emphasis in the requests which are made. Verses 6-19 deal more with protection, 20-26 with unification.
160 Even in the Godhead there is an illustration of unity in diversity. Father, Son and Spirit are equally God, yet there is diversity of role and function.
