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Call to worship: John 3:25-30

Text: John 17:20-26

Summary:

Looking ahead to future generations of Christians, Jesus finishes His priestly prayer for His people with a petition, a passion, and a promise. He prays for our Word-centered unity as the children of God, and for its missional effect in the world. He articulates His passion for us, that we see His glory and, in that, we're challenged to esteem His glory above all the matters of life. And He makes a promise to that end, that as He's made God known to us, He will continue to do so, so that we become the Body of Christ, filled with the love of God. Let's join our Lord in praying for the very same excellencies of love and grace.

Sermon Outline:

1. Jesus' final petition for His people (17:20-23)
2. Jesus' ultimate passion for His people (17:24)
3. Jesus' closing promise for His people (17:25-26)

Prepare

Discussion Questions:

1. Read John 17:20-26.
2. In 17:20-23, to whom does Jesus extend the effectiveness of His prayer? By what means will any and every believer in Jesus Christ come to believe in Him? What is Jesus' final petition for His people? What does it say that He triples down on it (17:21, 22, 23)? How does our unity relate to the unity between the Father and the Son? What does our union with Christ have to do with it?
3. What is the basis of this unity? What is the purpose of this unity? What does the tail-end of v. 23 add as it relates to purpose? Why would that addition also be a compelling argument for the world about the truth of Jesus? How should we think about Christian unity according to this prayer of Jesus? How should we think about schism and division amongst Christians and churches? Think well on the grounds, attributes, and purposes of the unity for which Jesus prays. Notice the elements of 1) Word (v. 20), 2) union to Christ/nature/adoption (vv. 21-23), 3) mission (vv. 21, 23).
4. In 17:24, Jesus expresses His greatest passion or desire for His people. Read it. State it aloud. And marvel. What is it? What is His glory? Or from Whom does it come? How should it strike us that Jesus personally desires and will personally see to our seeing His glory with our eyes? If it is His passion, shouldn't it be ours? Is it? Shouldn't we be driven by that sight? Are we? If our eternity is to behold His glory, shouldn't our days on earth be given to preparation for that? Are they? Shouldn't we long for souls to see what our Savior longs for us to see? Do we?
5. In 17:25-26, Jesus returns to His distinctiveness from the world, as well as our own in Him. How does He address the Father? How is the world about to show that it doesn't know God? How does Jesus show that He does? What does it mean that He has made God known to us? What's the closing promise that He makes to us? In what ways is it a most lovely and consoling promise? To what end will He make good on it? What is the result of His manifesting power today? As He makes God known to us, what indwells us? What do we become? Go back and read Ephesians 3:14-19.