“Jesus Prays”
I'm a pastor, as you know. And partly because I often wear the uniform in public, I will have people occasionally stop me and want to talk. It leads to some interesting conversations. But often times those people will ask me to pray for them. I think many times, they must reason (mistakenly) that a pastor is more holy than the average person, or that my prayers have some special conduit to God. Or maybe, they simply assume that I will actually be inclined to pray and follow through on it. Whatever the reason I'm happy to do it.
I've said it before, that one of the pastor's jobs and greatest privileges is to pray for his people. Your pastors do pray for you, the members of our congregation. And we do it far more than you know. We do it both collectively and individually. We pray intentionally and as occasions come up. We don't always tell you. Perhaps we should tell you more often. But it is one way the under-shepherd cares for the sheep. And we're glad to do it.
By the way, on this mothers day, we might also mention that one of the best and greatest works a mother does for her children is to pray for them. Even when they are grown and gone, and there seems nothing much left she can do for them in their busy lives, a Christian mother still prays for her children, her family.
But here today is something far better than having another Christian, or even a pastor pray for you. It's better than having all the pastors pray for you all the time. In our Gospel reading, Jesus prays. And he prays not only for his disciples, he prays for you, too. What prayer could be better than his prayer? What petitions could be more appropriate or necessary? Who has your best interest in mind as much as Jesus? Who can be more certain to be heard, than the beloved Son of the Father from eternity?
In John 17, Jesus prays – we call it his “great high priestly prayer”. Because one job of the priest is to pray, to intercede, to serve as a go-between, representing the people before God. Jesus, the greatest such advocate, the highest high priest that ever was – prays. John 17 records this prayer, which Jesus would have prayed on Maundy Thursday as part of his “Farewell Discourse” in John 14-17. Let's consider exactly what Jesus prays for, when it comes to his prayer for his disciples, and for you:
First, he prays to his Father, “Keep them in your name”. To be “kept” and guarded in the name of the Father is no small thing. God's name itself is a great treasure and privilege to know, but even more so that he places his name upon us. And though Jesus doesn't say it here, it's also true – that we receive the name of the Father, Son AND Holy Spirit. That triune name is placed upon us in baptism. And it comes with promises. Forgiveness, life, salvation – all belong to us in his name.
The name of the Father is a prominent concern for Jesus. It's the first petition in the other famous prayer of Christ – the Lord's Prayer. “Hallowed be thy name”. Luther explains the meaning – that God's name, which is certainly holy in itself, would also be kept holy among us.
All of this ought to teach us many things. That the name of God is kept holy, placed first and foremost. That our regard for God, who he is and what he does, should be of highest priority. That no other gods ought to come before him. That nothing false should be taught about him, or in his name. That we regard his name as holy, along with everything that bears it. And that we, who bear that name, live up to it – keeping ourselves from sin, and trusting in his grace when we fail.
But Jesus prays that God will do the keeping. Which only makes sense. Just as God alone does the saving, so does God alone do the keeping of us in the faith.
Jesus' second request is tangential to that. He prays that his disciples would be kept, in order that, or with the effect being this: that they may be one. Unity. Oneness. It is something to be desired for Christians.
Of course, it's something that is often lacking. Not just with the disciples who argued which one was the greatest, or who competed for thrones at Jesus' left and right hand. But also with all his people who suffer from the divisions that sin causes. “I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Cephas”, the Corinthians argued. And even today, we see the sad divisions of Christianity on the macro and micro scales. From the divisions of denomination – down to the fractured relations of individual Christians. Jesus wants none of it. He prays against it all. He desires “that they may be one”.
Outwardly, we don't see Jesus' prayer being answered. It seems that as time goes on, there's ever more and more division in the Church. There's less oneness and more scattering and breaking apart. But let's remember a few things. One, the church is not truly divided. All who have true faith in Christ are members of the body, one, holy, Christian and apostolic church. The universal, the invisible church, the whole number of believers in Christ from all tribes, nations, places and times. There is a oneness, a unity that supersedes even the outward divisions that set us against each other. There will be, on the last day, only sheep and goats – not Lutheran sheep, Baptist sheep, Anglican sheep, and non-denominational sheep.
But on the other hand, we must acknowledge, here in these last days, that these divisions are caused by sin and false belief. And we ought to strive to avoid them when we can. We ought to be reconciled with our brothers when one sins against another. And we ought to seek the truth as best we can find it, and attach ourselves to that confession of faith that gets God's word right. It's not as though the differences are indifferent. God's word matters. Unity is based on the truth. And to the extent that we can, we ought to purse it here – in fulfillment of Christ's own prayer, “sanctify them in truth – your word is truth.”
Satan would divide us over things that don't matter, and teach us false unity where true divisions exist. He will tell you God's word doesn't matter, but how you look does, or where you come from. Don't be fooled. Unity is found in the truth. And Jesus desires it for all his people.
Next Jesus prays for us to have joy. Not just any joy, but his joy fulfilled in ourselves. We Christians often distinguish between happiness and joy. Happiness, a fleeting emotion that comes and goes based on the happenstance of the moment. But joy – a deep and abiding cheer based on the promises of God in Christ – a delight of heart that knows all these passing troubles are not the end of the story. Jesus has joy. His greatest joy, the greatest joy of the Father and the angels in heaven, is when the sinner repents and believes and is saved. Nothing pleases him more. And so also our joy must follow. For our joy is derived from his.
Our joy, first of all, is in the salvation Christ has accomplished at the cross. It's in the resurrection, by which he destroyed death. It's in the promise of our own resurrection and the life of the world to come, paradise restored, all things made new. No matter how bad life gets, no matter how dark the night of sin, we know that a better day will dawn. Our joy will be fulfilled and completed in the kingdom that is to come. There, God himself will wipe every tear from our eyes.
The joy that he has, the joy that is fulfilled in us, we wish to see fulfilled in others. This is why he sends us into the world. This is the mission impulse of the Christian church. Joy abounds, overflows, it goes forth into the world.
But the world is a dangerous place. The world hates Christ, that is, the unbelieving world. And those who hate Christ hate also his disciples. We are not of the world any more than he is. But we are in it. We are subject to all the venom the world spits at us, all the seething rage of those who hate Jesus but can't get to him, but they can get to us.
Moreover, there is the evil one. The roaring lion always on the prowl. Jesus knows the opposition we face. He knows the pitfalls and perils of persecution. In praying this way, he also warns us of it, just as he often warned the disciples. But he also shows his desire to keep us, and have the father keep us, in the midst of so many dangers.
Being kept from the devil and the evil world doesn't mean you won't have problems. Look at all the problems the devil was allowed to create for poor Job. No, being kept from the devil means being kept from the only real harm the devil can do to you. And it is what he wants most of all – to destroy your faith. To lead you away from Christ. To bring you, in misery, into his company – and to share in his final judgment and punishment. Sure the devil and the world delight in seeing the faithful suffer – but all the more if they can turn that suffering into despair and unbelief. If they can convince you that God hates you, has forgotten you, or is himself just a big lie.
Jesus prays for you, but he doesn't just pray. He goes a long way toward answering his own prayer. He dies and rises to accomplish salvation so that you are kept in the name of the Father. He teaches his disciples his word, and sends them to all corners of the world with the Gospel. That message of Christ crucified is the power of God for salvation, and the root and source of the deepest joy – his joy, fulfilled in you. And Jesus sends his Holy Spirit, the Comforter, the Helper, to enlighten you with his gifts, and to lead you into all truth.
That's his last request in this prayer, his final petition, “sanctify them in your truth”. Make them holy by your word. Set them apart from the world, even apart from their own sinful flesh – by the power of your promise. So Jesus prays, and so God the Father does, by the working of the Spirit. So the Triune God does through the blessings of baptism, and in the absolution of every repentant sinner.
Jesus prays, and he prays for you. He prayed his high priestly prayer on that Holy Thursday, and he continues to intercede for you with the Father even now – from his high throne in heaven. And if the prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects, how much more, how much comfort is there in knowing that the Son of God and Son of Man, the God of Gods who is one of us, the Ruler of all things – is on your side, has your benefit in mind, and wants every good blessing for you? Jesus prays. And we say, Amen.
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