The Son’s Desire

John 17:20-26

About the Sermon

In the Old Covenant, priests had highly symbolic clothing. Among it was a breastplate, which contained four rows of precious stones, each inscribed with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. As the high priest went about his work, he did so with the names of the people on his heart. Jesus, our great high priest, is hours from the cross, and we are on his heart. So he prays. He prayed for his glory. He prayed that we would be kept. And now, he prays for our unity in John 17:20-26. But unity isn’t an end in itself, it’s unity that points us toward the Son’s desire, what he ultimately wants for his beloved people.

About the Series

The hour has finally come. Years ago, at a wedding reception in Cana, Jesus told his mother his hour had not yet come. Across the years, the Jews could neither arrest nor kill Jesus, for his hour had not yet come. But now, in John 17, his hour has come. On the night of his arrest, just hours before the horrors of the cross, Jesus spent the evening preparing his disciples for his departure. And when he finished teaching, he prayed. He prayed for his disciples, and astonishingly, he prayed for you. Soon to be lifted up in shame, Jesus first lifted you up in prayer. A prayer for your protection from the spiritual dangers of a world set against the Lord and his own. And in this prayer, there is enough truth, and even more glory, to sustain you to the very end.
The hour has finally come. Years ago, at a wedding reception in Cana, Jesus told his mother his hour had not yet come. Across the years, the Jews could neither arrest nor kill Jesus, for his hour had not yet come. But now, in John 17, his hour has come. On the night of his arrest, just hours before the horrors of the cross, Jesus spent the evening preparing his disciples for his departure. And when he finished teaching, he prayed. He prayed for his disciples, and astonishingly, he prayed for you. Soon to be lifted up in shame, Jesus first lifted you up in prayer. A prayer for your protection from the spiritual dangers of a world set against the Lord and his own. And in this prayer, there is enough truth, and even more glory, to sustain you to the very end.

Sermons in the Series