His Deepest Desires Revealed

Just before he was arrested, Jesus prayed for his disciples, but I'm sure one of the impressions. This must've left upon them. So ultimately the impression it leaves on me as I think about listless. I never knew he loved me this much until I hugged him, pray for me will remember the children so Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so today I'm Renewing Your Mind were going to consider one of the passages that highlights this wonderful truth.

Jesus high priestly prayer from John chapter 17 Jesus praised Nunley for his disciples but for you and me when we get her teaching fellow, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson now were coming for our 12 session but that's the last session and are five hours with the last of our Lord Jesus Christ, which probably was about five hours from the time they gathered in the upper room refused to wash one another's feet touch the supper together that food washing the questions and answers amend this marvelous prayer of our Lord Jesus with which this whole section in John's Gospel ends. I don't know about you but when I come to the end off a series of studies like this, I feel two things, and I felt it frequently. The first is that we really just been scraping the surface that is so much more here for us to study. On the other thing is nowhere just about ready to start all over again and it's only one would almost stop the conclusion that we going to understand what a marvelous section of the biblical teaching. A passage like John 15 through 17 actually is when we reach the point.

You remember when all the other disciples have become silent. Judas has left the room.

Simon Peter is probably still deeply put Tom by the knowledge that Jesus has disclosed that he will actually deny the Lord Jesus before the dawn of the next day on the road must become silent in order to listen to Jesus pray on the counter and pray is actually I suspect that never how to play for this was an occasion for Jesus to open his deepest desires to his father and his deepest desire notices we have seen that he might be glorified with his father and on the listen tone he might glorify his father. Remember we saw that the high priest was getting ready for the great day of atonement is prayer covered three concentric circles. He prayed for himself and for his ministry he prayed for his family and formerly of consecration and he prayed for all of the people of God that they would be blessed and pardoned through the sacrifice that he would bring, and we see that this is exactly what Jesus does he praise for his disciples then in verses six through 19 and he prays for his disciples know in verses 20 through 26 he makes it clear but that is a focus to his prayer. You'll notice, for example, in verse nine. I am praying for them. He says I am not praying for the world but for Lois, whom you have given me so he's focusing this prayer not on those who have come to trust him and to love him on.

This prayer is dominated by several features. The chief one is the way in which Jesus gives out a remarkable description of his disciples.

Verse six. For example, mailed those to whom Jesus has revealed the father verse seven. There are those who have believed Jesus words and believed in Jesus first an amazing statement. They are those who, by the measure of their faithfulness have actually brought glory to Jesus people have looked at the way in which they've left all to follow Jesus on the gun to see what marvelous lord and master. This Jesus must be and again in verse 12. They are those who have been protected by Jesus of the interesting thing here is Jesus description of his disciples is much more complicated than his prayer for his disciples, that you notice that his description of them is quite elaborate but his prayer for them is actually very brief. What does he pray he says father keep question that arises in my mind, fearlessness why is Jesus description of them so elaborate and his prayer for them so simple we can get a handle on this. If we can imagine a young Christian man. Let's make this person a man because I think I can get inside the head of a young Christian man. He is a young student at college and for the first time in his life.

He has met a girl that he feels he is completely at home with he feels this is somebody that I could share my life with and share my future with an yet she has given him no indication whether these feelings are reciprocated towards and here he is in season has little study bedroom on his own and he's on his knees, and he's praying about how would he pray he might be kind of inarticulate 18-year-old boys and love tend to be a little inarticulate.

Lord, she's so beautiful. Lord I get on with her so well.

Lord, she discussed everything about even the even the aroma of her perfume. Mother is excellent. She's just she is just absolutely right, father and today on the friend she has the think so much fun and she so admired by all the other boys goes on and on describing up and then he says please log this lesson only she could take notice of me his description of his elaborate because he's fallen in love with her. His petition about is that for very simple and it's the same with Jesus. The collaborative nature of his description of them is an expression of the extent and intensity of his love for them and it's almost as though he is saying since they mean this much to me. Father is only one thing I want from. In fact, is that you will keep them for me that you will keep them for me, that they may be sanctified that they may be what is at home. January is usually the time when the stores have sales even though there seem to be pre-Christmas sales.

The stores of post-Christmas sales, especially if the pre-Christmas sales not done well you see an advertisement for a new couch and you needing a new coach in this coaches effect of the pricing that's exactly the coach I need you go into the store and there is the couch and you see it and then you come right up to the couch on various assignments been placed on Rose for Mrs. Smith and you know you cannot not purchase this coach, this coach belongs to Mrs. Smith know that's the idea that's present here.

When Jesus prays for the preservation and the sanctification of his disciples. He's praying that we will be reset for him. He's praying that nobody else no other power will be able to touch us and to spondylitis.

You see the way in which he prays about this. He essentially prays that we will be kept from the damaging influences of the world. In verse 11, he prays for his disciples. Holy father keep them in your name because I am no longer in the world with them he's wanting them to be preserved in the world. He's praying that will be close out from the flash the flesh does is it tends to cause disintegration in our relationships with one another, we see that in the family. We certainly see that in the church and so he praise heavenly father keep them together because they are mine and you have given them to me and he prays do you notice in verse 15. They will also be kept from the evil one. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one and so he is embracing these 11 men, I'm sure they'd never had anyone pray like this for them. This, of course, the town Jesus pray before and remember how they had gone to Jesus and said, Lord, teach us a prayer like John the Baptist taught his disciples of prayer and you giving them but to framework of reference that we call the Lord's prayer, but in a sense is really the disciples prayer listen to, but know that hearing the Lord's prayer know they are healing the way in which he's opening his soul to his heavenly father. I'm sure one of the impressions. This must have left upon them. Certainly the impression it leaves on me as I think about my/I never knew he loved me this much until I found him pray for me think about the way in which the letter to the Hebrews, which is so much about the high priestly ministry of Jesus takes the sound and says this was Jesus intercession for his disciples while he was on but now he lives in heaven forever to make intercession for his people is a glorious picture not only of how Jesus prayed for them, shooting his ministry, but it must be a wonderful indication to them.

When Jesus had returned to heaven, but the master would continue to intercede for them in such a way that they would be kept for Jesus by the power of God's prayer moves to the thought of these concentric circles. He prays for himself. He prays for these contemporary disciples test that throughout this whole section is a little expression that he keeps on using about. It's almost as though this is Jesus favorite way of thinking about his disciples and now as we transition to the part of the prayer in which he prays for us as his disciples. What do you think is Jesus favorite way of thinking about you will.

He's praying a Sunday for those whose father has given to him my friend. Wonder if you've ever thought about yourself that way as a Christian I am somebody, the fatherless placed his hand on and said to his son. My son I want you to have. I want you to have him some of us perhaps of keepsakes of people who have loved us that perhaps some of you have metals from your grandfather, are something that belongs to your mother on day you hold onto these things because of who gave it to you this what Jesus is saying here is sinful that I love these pie disciples I've been with them for three years of led them taught them some of them for three years.

I'm going to save them. But you know what makes the most valuable to me is that there your love gift to me and I want to make sure that your love gift to me is kept by your grace, so that I can bring them back to you and say father here on the loved ones you gave me and now I'm bringing them back to you and I want you to show the marvel of your love.

Also for lamb on this list that spills over into Jesus prayer for us. Notice how this begins in verse 20. I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their warrant.

These are the ones you have given me in your love for me before the creation of the world. But what does Jesus want for us. First of all, he prays for unity to see that in verses 20 through 23, that they may all be one, just as you father doubting me and I in you, but they also may be in Oz, so that the world may believe that you have sent me some common knowledge but to 50 years ago it was commonly thought that what Jesus was praying about here was the organizational unity of the church. I suspect that was very far from his line displaying here is for the spiritual unity and fellowship of believers and for their love for one another so to make an impact on the one old people would say as they came among Christian people is only one conceivable explanation for this kind of love. This is not resource on Jesus is the only explanation for this kind of love is one of the reasons I think why we need to understand better what we are, as church fellowships, but is the single most important element in our evangelistic witness to the world because it's what we become in our relationships with one another. But when those who are not believers are drawn Santa.

No church was like this. I didn't realize there was this kind of fellowship.

This kind of mutually steam. I remember listening to a young woman speak about the fact that she hated everything but evangelical churches stood far until she found herself being drawn into an evangelical church and was pressed to ask and answer the question, how is it that these people stand for everything. I hate yet, these people have the very thing for which I long and which I lack and this is Jesus prayer that they may be one as we are one and all that the world may believe that you sent me to be his Savior. So he prays for our unity and then that is a second thing for which he prays this is particularly to be found in verse 24, and perhaps the most moving statement of all father. He says I desire that they also, whom you have given me I remember is not speaking about Oz who have come to believe in him through the teaching of the apostles. I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me. Clear to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world mother a couple of things here that I want you to notice if you will. The first is the way in which Jesus expresses his prayer father. He says I want. I desire the so different verses from the prayer that he will make within a couple of hours in the garden of Gethsemane father. He says if there is any possible way for me to escape drinking.

This cop will you find out way for me to completely different kind of prayer there. He says not my will be done, but you will be done here he comes to his father and says father. This is my will let my will be done what guidance can he play back.

Well, of course, the reason is able to pray this prayer is because he's going to pray that prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. This prayer that he makes before the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane is about what will take place because of the prayer he makes in the garden of Gethsemane because he prays father you will be done.

I will go to the cross.

I'm willing to die for their sin's I'm going to sacrifice myself for the father liked to tremble at the thought, but you will not my will be done on because the father has found about prayer.

The Fatherland says to his son. As you remember the second Psalm tells us my son asked of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance is another thing I wanted to notice because Jesus is here telling his father what he most wants for himself and curiously what he most wants for himself involves us this almost as a hissing father. I don't want these things for myself.

Unless I can have them with these disciples. You've given me and whom I love and what is it he wants, he says I want them to see me in my glory. I can remember the year this first happened, perhaps some of you were watching on television. It was the Wimbledon man's final many years ago the Wimbledon tennis tournament to the second of all of classic snacks about. Apparently we have the most expensive strawberries in the world. If you have strawberries and cream of the Wimbledon tennis championships and notice, that is the decorum about it doesn't really people shouting and yelling and interviewers.

You do not coming on and asking people how they feel about losing year. I think it was the Australian tennis player Prakash won the Wimbledon men's championship since he had one a month, and if you saw this.

Instead of keeping on with the etiquette.

He did something that many now do something clambering over all the spectators until he caught to the competitors box where his coach and his family and those who were his chief supporters. He went running the embracing memo. I noticed last year. I watch if I have been demoting the Scotsman who one Wimbledon did the same thing and forgot to hug his mother in the process and go back to his mother on as I saw this festival.

Likewise doing this thing, the answer is very simple.

These were the people who had stood with him in the toughest times. These were the people who had seen him in times of injury. These were the people who had watched him in times of defeat and they had still stood by him and he wanted to express to them what it meant for him. Now two of entered into the glory of becoming the man's champion and I think you're something of laughter in the Lord Jesus father Lisa the 10 singly in my temptations. These are the ones who have been with me when I'm being demeaned Lisa the 10 in a few hours actually going to govern around the margins of the cross and watch me being humiliated explores made naked lifted up on the cross, crucified, these are the ones who are going to ponder the meaning of my cry father file for you forsaken me on the cross he wants them who have been with him in his days of humiliation to see in his legal splendor and glory and not something Jesus prayed for us as well as for land because in a different way.

We have seen the Lord Jesus demeaned we hear the Lord Jesus despise we sometimes feel the pain of being his disciples and being his followers we find ourselves at times overwhelmed by the mystery of the situation of belonging to the church in a world like this here is encouragement and our future benediction.

This prayer will be honest.

Father, I desire those you have given me, should be with me where I to see my glory, the glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world, and on that day, another fresh way we will be singing to the Lamb of God who is the lion King of the tribe of Judah, and think of him as these ones would think of him and say in my place condemned he student fall on my blessing did he pray hallelujah what a Savior we said in the beginning of these studies are so important for Jesus to stand at the center and at the end of the studies we feel we want him not only to be at the center, but we want him to be all and all he has created will be true for you because his father gave you to before the foundation in his love for from St. Miss Dr. Sinclair Ferguson in the final lesson in his series lessons from the upper room were glad you could be with us today for Renewing Your Mind. Dr. Ferguson also wrote a book by the same title and they were offering both resources today for a donation of any amount to Wagoner ministries will send you the book in paperback and an e-book form as well as the digital download of the video series, and that by the way, there's plenty of additional content in Dr. Ferguson's book so just ask for lessons from the upper room when you call us at 800-435-4343. You can also make a request online@renewingyourmind.org this is a theologically rich and heartwarming study of Jesus final moments with the disciples before he was arrested, you'll learn how you can be of good cheer, despite the trials that you may face and how the Holy Spirit guide you, so we hope you'll contact us and request lessons from the upper room by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson. Our phone number again is 800-435-4343 Scripture confronts us with the reality that being born again is the necessary gateway to the kingdom of God. I hope you join us next week for the opening lesson from Dr. Steven Lawson series the new birth next Monday. Here on Renewing Your Mind