Promise in Prayer
v24. Not until He sat at the right hand of the Father interceding on our behalf. All things are given to us through and by what Christ did at the cross. (Rom 8:34) In ourselves we are unworthy to receive any favor from God. We are dependent upon the gift that Christ purchased by His death, not for Himself, but for His faithful followers.
v25. Through the Holy Spirit.
v26. What day? When you become born again or Pentecost? Both, for new believers when they are born again, but for the disciples it was Pentecost. Because of Christ’s sacrifice we are considered as sons and daughters of God the Father and can go directly to Him with our prayers.
v27. (Gal 5:6) A living trust in God’s grace expressed in acts of love.
v30. He is omniscient. (Heb 4:12-13)
v32. Their faith was weak. They would scatter that very evening. Good thing He doesn’t rely on our amount of faith, but on God’s ability even after we fail.
v33. Not an outward peace, but peace of mind and spirit. God is in control no matter how bad it seems.
The following prayer of Christ’s is in four parts; prayer for Himself, prayer for the disciples, prayer for future believers, and a review of His mission to the world.
Part 1
v1. Prayed in the presence of the disciples.
v2. Through the finished work of the cross. All prayer should aim to honor God. If we pray for healing the reason should be to glorify God with our bodies, for success to serve Him with our resources, etc.
v4. How did Christ glorify God? Obedience. We will honor God by doing His will. We must do the work God has appointed us to do, according to our ability.
v5. Show that He had given up that glory to become flesh. This did happen at the Resurrection.
Part 2
v6. Not that they were perfect, but obedient.
v8. “Received” – believed through faith, but not necessarily understood. Accepted. Shows what and how we are to believe.
v10. Shows the unity and equality of Christ and God. Only Jesus can say Yours are Mine. We all should say all mine are Yours. Our lives and all we have a given to us by the Father to be used for His glory. Glorified in them because they believe.
v11. The world is hostile to Christians. One in love and unity. Asks for them to stay unified, not to become unified. When we are born again we are in unity with God and the church. However, corruption and deception bring about division. This is what is is asking to keep them from.
v12. Jesus had been protecting them from sin and outside influences like the Pharisees.
v13. What is this joy? Think of the time in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t know sin. They had joy since they were in a perfect environment and they knew God. They had nothing to compare their joy to. The joy Christ gives to us is even more joyous since we know sin and it’s consequences. We can now compare the corruption of this world to the joy in Christ.
v14. Truth.
v15. He wants them to remain on the Earth until their ministry is complete. He doesn’t ask for them to gain power, money, worldly things or even to be delivered from this hostile territory. We are to take up our cross, not outrun it. He instead asks to keep them from sin to do good and glorify God. This is spiritual prosperity. To overcome the world, not to be kept from the world.
v16. Why did He say this again? See v14. To remind them that He did not take part in worldly things so they can use Christ as their example of living.
v17. Not only to be kept from evil, but to be made good. To be made holy through the Word. Set apart to be used by God.
v18. Not away from the world, but to the world to save it.
v19. His death on the cross completed the truth for us to be sanctified with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Part 3
v20. Now for all believers still to come. This is why the gospels were written.
v21. Jew and Gentile, all denominations. We are to proclaim the same tenants of faith. Strength in unity. To glorify God by reaching the lost.
v22. Together in purpose.
v23. Through love, possible because of the love of the Father. We are to love one another, this will allow others to see Christ in us and they will desire it.
Part 4
v24. (Rev 21:23) It is as if His joy won’t be made full until the Church is with Him.
v25. If you have seen the Son then you have seen the Father.
v26. “Will make it known” – through His Word by the Holy Spirit. How do we know that we know Him? (1 Jn 2:3) With the love of God through Christ in action by our obedience. Which this love then returns to the Father.