Jesus Prays for Himself



Last Sunday Nico dealt with the certainty of God’s promise. This also applies to God’s warnings as well as His encouragements.As we have explained before, God gave Moses and the Jews strict rules to follow in setting up the temple worship, offerings as well as rules for living in a pure way. All of these were looking beyond in to the future coming of the Messiah. All of these were a shadow of the things to come and as such were all pointing to Jesus Christ. We will go further with an important part of regulations that covered the function of the High priesthood.Hebrew 7: 1-10 The King of Righteousness7?For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2?to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3?without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.4?Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the [a]spoils. 5?And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6?but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7?Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8?Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9?Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10?for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.We see here that it has always been God’s plan to create a High Priesthood that was lasting. This was already indicated in Gen. 14: 18-20, before the Levites were existing and Psalm 110, after the Levites were in their priestly function for several hundreds of years. Psalm 110 speaks of a priest who will not come from the tribe of Levi. Yes, God determined that from the descendants of Levi the High Priests and other priests should come. However, He made it also clear that this was far from perfect. God needed somebody who did not have the shortcomings that by nature the Levites had. God needed something much better that could please and satisfy Him.God’s planFrom V1 & 2, we understand that Melchizedek, was king of Salem, priest of the Most High God.It is important that you remember the following sequence in God’s plan:God’s plan for creation, before time began, was that His son would be the center of His plan.God choses Abraham, sets him apart and blesses him and his descendants.God sets apart Melchizedek as a priest and King of righteousness and peace, V1&2.Abrahams wins an important battle and pays tribute to Melchizedek. In return Melchizedek blesses Abraham.Many years later, Israel is a nation, Moses leads them and the OT system of Levitical priesthood is established.Many years after that, David, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes Psalm 110, speaking of a priest of a different order – order of Melchizedek.Jesus arrives, ushering in a change of priesthood, according to a different order than that of Aaron and the Levites. Their time has passed including the laws pertaining to that system.Jesus the King of Peace and High PriestA few days before His death on the cross, Jesus was recognized during the triumphant entry by the common people of Jerusalem as the long-awaited king.John 12: 12-15, The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13?took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:“Hosanna!‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’The King of Israel!”14?Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:15?“Fear not, daughter of Zion;Behold, your King is coming,Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”And a little later, just before crossing the Kidron Valley in to the garden of Gethsemane, where He would be arrested, Jesus showed us what His role is as a High Priest. You could read it in John 17, the High Priestly Prayer. Our Lord prays essentially about three matters. First for Himself, then He prays for the eleven apostles and then for the whole church down through the centuries.Jesus Prays for Himself17?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 [a]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 [b]with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6?“I have [c]manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7?Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8?For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.Before interceding for the believers, notice that Jesus first presents Himself to the Father. Just like the Levitical High Priest had to do before he could intercede for the nation of Israel.Twice Jesus asks to be glorified, in two different ways and for two different reasons;He asks to be glorified in and by means of the cross, “The hour has come”. He immediately adds ads that by means of His death He will glorify the Father, “Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You”.He prays to be glorified by returning to heaven, “glorify Me together [b]with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was”. The glory He had when creation began. Before He became the Redeemer, He was the creator of all things. And now He upholds all things, Heb. 1:3, The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.All that Jesus has done found its completion in the cross. That is why He says “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do”. This death is the capstone of that work.Jesus Prays for the apostles, V8-19It divides in to three sections:He prays for them because they belong to Him.Then He prays that they may be kept from the enemy, from the world and evil.Finally, that they may be sanctified.Here are the reasons why Jesus prays for the Apostles, V8-11.For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.9?“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10?And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11?Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep[d] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.The Apostles are a gift from the Father and He is glorified in them. V11-13, Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep[d] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12?While I was with them [e]in the world, I kept them in [f]Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is [g]lost except the son of [h]perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13?But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.Jesus commends them to the Father’s care. To be kept in an unbroken unity. Jesus kept all the ones given to Him by the Father. Except the “son of perdition”. (another example of somebody falling away)Jesus reveals the Truth to the world and as it is believed, it will fulfill His joy in us.But what is it that they have to be kept from?V14-16, I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15?I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16?They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.Jesus saw the terrible danger these men faced. He understood that the world would hate them, fight them, and undermine them every way it could. Why? Because He had given them the Father’s word.Sanctified, V17-1917?Sanctify[i] them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18?As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19?And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.Sanctification means to separate or set apart for a specific purpose. The Apostles are sanctified for a specific job. As Jesus was sent to us to do the will of the Father, so He was going to send the Apostles in to the world. Jesus sanctified Himself for their sakes.Jesus Prays for all believers?“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who [j]will believe in Me through their word; 21?that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22?And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23?I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.24?“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25?O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26?And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”The prayer is for everyone who believe in Jesus through the word that the Apostles bring. The truth we believe in is founded on the truth that the Apostles gave us.Jesus prays for unity among the believers. A unity that reflects His unity with the Father,” that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us”. Through this unity the world may believe that the Father has sent Jesus. Jesus expresses in His prayer a deep intimacy with the Father and this intimacy may be in us and He in us, “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”Intimacy with the living God is the key to vitality and fruitfulness. It begins with the recognition of Jesus as sent from God and believe that He is our great High Priest, who continues His intercessions for us. ................
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