Day 193: John 18:28-40 & Psalm 76 - What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, "My Kingdom is Not of This World"?

Today's Reading: John 18:28-40 & Psalm 76

Get the full reading plan

What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, "My Kingdom is Not of This World?"

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” - John 18:36, ESV

When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. What did He mean? 

People have been trying to recruit Jesus to be the spokesman for their cause since He walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Like the brothers who tried to get Jesus to settle their inheritance dispute for them, people have wanted Jesus to be on their side in their petty worldly disputes. Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate to be examined to see if He was trying to take over the Roman Empire. But Jesus didn't want to rule as Roman emperor. That would have been a major demotion for Him! 

Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; it transcends all earthly powers. Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, exalted to the right hand of God Almighty! What is sad is how often Christians have forgotten the words of Jesus. 

Jesus specifically said, "If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting." Remember, He told Peter to put his sword away, and He healed Malchuis' severed ear. Sadly, in the centuries that have followed, Jesus' followers have picked up their swords again and again, attacking unbelievers in a vain attempt to advance the kingdom of God by force and even attacking each other. It is shocking how often Christians have been willing to violently attack other Christians in the pursuit of earthly political power. 

We must not drag Jesus into our petty battles and use His name in vain to attack our enemies and advance our pet causes. We do this so easily and flippantly at times, and we need to repent of how cheaply we regard our Lord and His kingdom. It shows how much our hearts covet our worldly idols and how little our hearts regard Christ's heavenly kingdom. Jesus is indeed the highest and most glorious King and His kingdom is far better than any earthly kingdom of agenda. Let us worship Him!

Prayer Based on Psalm 76:

In the church, You are known, O God;
    Your name is great among Your people.
Your dwelling has been established in our hearts and our midst by the Holy Spirit,
Here You have broken the curses of sin and death,
    and You frustrate the warfare of our enemy against us.

Glorious are You, more majestic
    than the mountains full of prey.
The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
    they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
    were unable to use their hands.
At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both rider and horse lay stunned.

But You, You are to be feared!
    Who can stand before You
    when once Your anger is roused?
From the heavens You uttered judgment;
    the earth feared and was still,
when You, O God, arose to establish judgment,
    to save all the humble of the earth.

Surely even the wrath of man shall praise You;
    the remnant of wrath You will put on like a belt.
May we fulfill our vows to You, O Lord your God, and perform them;
    let all Your people bring gifts
    to You, who are to be feared,
You who cut off the spirit of princes,
    who are to be feared by the kings of the earth.

    

Special Post: Election Day 2016 - Romans 13 & 1 Timothy 2:1-8 - How Should We Relate to Our Government?

The regular schedule of reading in the Gospels and the Psalms will resume tomorrow, which will be numbered Day 193: John 18:28-40; Psalm 76. Today, we are taking time to think about how Christians are called to relate to our governments.

Today's Reading: Romans 13 & 1 Timothy 2:1-8

How Should We Relate to Our Government?

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:7-8

     First, for some background: When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans and his first letter to Timothy, he was a citizen of the Roman Empire, having been born in Tarsus, a city which had the birthright of Roman citizenship. The emperor of Rome was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known to history as simply Nero. Nero was not a Christian, nor was he a virtuous man. He persecuted Christians violently after a fire destroyed much of Rome in the year 64; during this persecution, he executed Paul by beheading and Peter by having him crucified upside-down. Later, in the year 68, Nero committed suicide at the age of 30. 

     While Paul was a Roman citizen, the Roman Empire was not a democracy and he was not responsible for voting in emperor elections. Thus, voting itself is not addressed in Paul's letters, but instead he addresses how we should relate to the governments we have. Nevertheless, we who do have the right to vote and have been given greater participation in our earthly governments can learn much from Paul about how we should relate to our governments, including how we should vote.

     From Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2, here are some basic biblical principles for us to pursue:

1. We should obey and submit to our governing authorities, especially when they are pursuing their God-ordained purpose. Governing authorities are instituted by God to keep peace, punish evil and promote justice. We should vigorously participate in the processes of government to encourage them toward that end, and then we should support them when they are pursuing God-ordained good purposes. This doesn't mean we should disobey them whenever we disagree with them. No one is perfect, and we will not always agree with our governments about the right way to keep peace, punish evil and promote justice. We should still support and obey them, unless the government is clearly doing evil or requiring us to do evil. In those cases, the Bible gives us examples of civil disobedience. 

2. We should pay taxes. Governments have a right to collect taxes to do what they need to do. We cannot withhold our taxes simply because we disagree with certain things the government does or how it spends the tax money we pay. Rome didn't use its tax money for only just and righteous causes. Part of the tax money was used to build coliseums and support gladiator death-matches. Still, Paul says clearly that Christians should pay their taxes.

3. Give the honor that is due to the office that God has appointed. If God has put someone in an office of authority, we should render proper honor to that person. This doesn't mean we can't criticize, disagree, petition, lobby or campaign against the policies or practices of the office-holder, but we must seek to uphold the dignity and respect due to the office of authority. 

4. Pray for the government. Christians should be praying daily for our president, the Supreme Count, our Congress, governors, mayors, etc. Paul specifically calls for these kinds of prayers by Christians, even in our gathered worship.

5. Finally, see your relationship to government and all "political" activity in light of God's call to love our neighbors as ourselves. What brackets Paul's teaching on government in Romans 13? It is both preceded (in Rom. 12:9-21) and followed (in Rom. 13:8-10) by teaching on love, specifically on loving your non-Christian neighbor. So we should relate to our government and engage in all "political" activity in the context of loving our neighbors as ourselves:

Let's let these clear commands frame all of our political discussion and activity as believers:

• Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
• Love one another with brotherly affection. 
• Outdo one another in showing honor. 
• Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 
• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
• Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 
• Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 
• If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 
• Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 
• Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

So vote your conscience as an act of love to your neighbor in wanting the best leadership for them. But don't let your voting choice be an excuse for failing to keep God's clear commands to love your neighbor as yourself, in all of the ways Paul specifies.

How can we pray for our leaders? Here are some resources to help:

http://www.billygraham.org/pray-for-leaders/ 

https://gotquestions.org/pray-for-leaders.html  

Day 192: John 18:19-27 & Psalm 75 - Why Does Evil Prefer to Act in Secret?

Today's Reading: John 18:19-27 & Psalm 75

Get the full reading plan

Why Does Evil Prefer to Act in Secret?

“I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” - John 18:20-21, ESV

Jesus offers such a contrast with the operations of the Jewish leaders. He spoke openly in the synagigues and in the temple. He taught large multitudes and always said exactly what He meant. The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, preferred to act in secret. They conspired in hished whispers in the shadows. They sent questioners to challenge Jesus, pretending to ask sincere questions while intending to trip Jesus up when He answered.

Those who are doing right and speaking the truth have no need to be ashamed or to hide. They can speak clearly and openly, saying exactly what they mean in front of a watching world. Jesus exemplified this. It's not that He wasn;t careful, wise or nuanced in what He said. He was sensitive and spoke accurately, insightfully and creatively, but He never pretended to be something He wasn't. He was never two-faced, hypocritical, insincere, manipulative or scheming. 

We can do some honest self-evaluation by asking ourselves who we more closely resemble, the Jewish leadership or Jesus? Here are some self-diagnosing questions we can ask to check ourselves:

1. Do we tell people what we think they want to hear instead of the truth?
2. Do we pretend to agree with someone just so they'll like us when we don't really agree?
3. Have we been guilty of telling someone one thing to their face and then saying the opposite behind their back?
4. Do we ask people questions in order to try to trap them or manipulate them? 
5. Do we engage in gossip in order to undermine someone's position or authority?

If we find that our pattern of speaking and relating does resemble the Jewish leaders more than Jesus, we need to then have the courage to ask ourselves why we're doing this. Usually, deeper sin issues will be underlying such behavior. Do we fear the reactions of others if we do speak the truth? Are we trying to protect or promote ourselves? Are we people-pleasers or pride-driven manipulators? 

Once we have uncovered our deeper sin issues, then we have good news: If we confess our sin, He will forgive us and cleanse us. (1 John 1:9) If we admit we have used our words to manipulate and self-promote and deceive, Jesus is the truth who can set us free. Only in Jesus can we be freed to speak the truth in love for the glory of God and the good of our neighbors. 

Prayer Based on Psalm 75:

We give thanks to You, O God;
    we give thanks, for Your name is near.
Jesus dwells in our hearts by faith
    by the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit.
We recount your wondrous deeds,
   the great salvation You have worked for us
   and applied to our needy souls.

Lord, You speak and say to us:
“At the set time that I appoint
    I will judge with equity.
When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its pillars. 
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
but it is You, O God, who executes judgment,
    putting down one and lifting up another.
For in Your hand, O Lord, there is a cup
    with foaming wine, well mixed,
    the wine of judgment and wrath
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
Jesus has drunk the cup of wrath for Your people, O God.
All the horns of the wicked You will cut off,
    but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
And we give thanks to You, O God,
   for it is only by Your grace and by the righteousness of Jesus   that we are the righteous who are saved and not the wicked who are condemned.

Day 191: John 18:12-18 & Psalm 73 - How Does God Use Even His Enemies to Accomplish His Will?

Today's Reading: John 18:12-18 & Psalm 73

Get the full reading plan

How Does God Use Even His Enemies to Accomplish His Will?

It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. - John 18:14, ESV

Annas and Caiphas by James Tissot
Brooklyn Museum

Caiaphas was the high priest, but he was not a good, God-honoring man. His family was very powerful and influential. His father-in-law, Annas, had been high priest, and though he had been removed from office, he still had great influence in Jerusalem. Annas' five sons and his son-in-law, Joseph Caiaphas, each served as high priest over Israel. Caiaphas wanted to protect his family's lucrative position. They accumulated great wealth and influence from the money-changing and animal-selling in the Temple. They saw Jesus as a threat.

But Caiaphas was still the high priest, and as the high priest, he had a key role to play in Jesus' work on the cross. He had prophesied that it was better for one man to die for the people of God than for the whole people to be condemned. Now, he meant that it would be better to kill Jesus, even if it was an unjust death, in order ro keep the Romans from crushing the people in an attempted uprising. But God put the words in His mouth and God intended by them that Jesus would die for the sins of His people; He would be condemned that His people might be spared from God's judgment.

Now, as high priest, Caiaphas was condemning the substitute sacrifice. Just as on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would lay his hands on the scapegoat and then sent it outside the camp to be condemned in the place of the people, Caiaphas laid hands (siezed) Jesus and condemned Him to die outside the city walls. Just as the high priest would offer up the nation's passover lamb, so He offers us Jesus to Pontius Pilate.

Caiaphas wasn't the only enemy of God to be used for God's redeeming purposes. Caiaphas is serving in a similar role to that of Pharaoh of old, a corrupt leader used by God to deliver His people. Earlier in the history of God's people, He had used Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery and set up the deliverance of God's people. God also used Judas in His redeeming plan.

God can use anyone. God can out words in their mouths and lead them to act to carry our His purposes. He doesn't do so by overriding their wills and forcing them to do what they didn't want to do. Joseph's brothers, Pharaoh, Judas and Caiaphas all did exactly what they wanted to do, but each of them perfectly fulfilled the purposes of God for the good of His people.

These powerful truths should give us great confidence. God uses all things for the salvation of His people and the glory of His name. No matter how evil, selfish, cruel or wicked people may be, they only end up doing what God has planned, for the redemption of His people. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, even blessings that flow to us through the hands of evil men!

Prayer Based on Psalm 73:

Instead of envying or fearing the wicked in the world, we should pray Psalm 73:

Truly You, O God, are good to Your people,

    to those who by grace are pure in heart,

    trusting in Christ and not in themselves for salvation.

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

    my steps had nearly slipped.

For I was envious of the arrogant

    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For they have no pangs until death;

    their bodies are fat and sleek.

They are not in trouble as others are;

    they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

Therefore pride is their necklace;

    violence covers them as a garment.

Their eyes swell out through fatness;

    their hearts overflow with follies.

They scoff and speak with malice;

    loftily they threaten oppression.

They set their mouths against the heavens,

    and their tongue struts through the earth.

And they say, “How can God know?

    Is there knowledge in the Most High?”

Behold, these are the wicked;

    always at ease, they increase in riches.

I thought that it was all in vain that I had sought
    to keep my heart trusting in Christ

    and had washed my soul in the blood of Christ.

For all the day long I was stricken with envy and persecution

    and rebuked every morning by my doubts and fears.

If I had allowed myself to give voice to my envy and doubt,

    I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

But when I thought how to understand this,

    it seemed to me a wearisome task,

until I went into the sanctuary of God;

    and when I sought You in worship,

    in Your house and among Your people,

    then I discerned the true end of the wicked.

Truly You set them in slippery places;

    You make them fall to ruin.

How they are destroyed in a moment,

    swept away utterly by terrors!

Like a dream when one awakes,

    O Lord, when you rouse Yourself, You despise them as phantoms.

When my soul was embittered,

    when I was pricked in heart,

I was brutish and ignorant;

    I was like a beast toward You.

Nevertheless, I am continually with You;

    You hold my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

    and afterward You will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from You shall perish;

    You put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to You.

But for me it is good to be near You, my God;

    I have made You, Lord God, my refuge,

    that I may tell of all Your works.  

Day 190: John 18:1-11 & Psalm 69 - Why Did Peter Strike with His Sword?

Today's Bible Reading: John 18:1-11 & Psalm 69

Get the full reading plan

Why Did Peter Strike with His Sword?

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) - John 18:10

In today's passage, we see Peter do something incredibly rash and foolish, even for impetuous Peter: He draws his sword and strikes Malchus, the High Priest's servant, cutting off his ear. The other Gospels tell us about this sword strike, but they don't name the assailant. John alone tells us both the name of the offending disciple (though we probably could've guessed that it was Peter) and the name of the afflicted servant, Malchus. 

John also is the only Gospel-writer to tell us what happens right before Peter swung his sword. When the crowd of temple guards and officials comes in the middle of the night to arrest Him, Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am.” (John 18:4-5) Now the ESV and most other English translations add "He" after "I am," but John simply tells us that Jesus said, "I am." This "I am" statement is really the culmination of the "I am" statements of Jesus throughout the Gospel of John, a final and clear assertion of His identity as the great I AM, the LORD God Almighty, right before He is unjustly arrested.

But Jesus does more than just say "I am." He clearly did so with great power and authority, for "When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground." (v. 6) So, here we see Jesus identifying Himself as "I am" and the whole crowd of armed guards falls to the ground. To me, this makes Peter's actions even more strange and seemingly pointless. Why draw your sword to defend someone who had just knocked a whole crowd of people to the ground with two words?

Remember that earlier in the evening, Jesus had told Peter that he would deny Him three times. Peter had objected to this prediction and pledged to stay by Jesus' side, even if it meant dying with Him. Here Peter is both showing his earnestness and trying to help Jesus out of a tough jam. He's going to lend a hand, and a sword, to Jesus' cause, to help Him be victorious. 

When will we ever learn the lesson of Peter's foolish sword-swinging and stop trying to either prove ourselves to Jesus or else lend Him a hand to help Him out? Abraham and Sarah thought they would lend God a hand and have Abraham sleep with Hagar, Sarah's handmaid. As a result, Ishmael was born and serious conflict was introduced to Abraham's house and the world. 

God know what He's doing. Jesus has already validated and fulfilled every promise of God. The plans and purposes of God will stand fast. We don't need to worry and we cetainly don't need to try to help God out. We do need to trust Him and follow Him, letting Him do what He wills and accepting His ways as better than ours. Once we do that, and put our swords away, we will begin to find His peace.

Prayer Based on Psalm 69:

Save me, O God!

    For the waters have come up to my neck.
My sins overwhelm my soul

   and the accusations of my enemy haunt me, tormenting me.

I am weary with my crying out;

    my throat is parched.

I am desperate for Your forgiveness and deliverance. 

O God, you know my folly;

    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from You.

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord.

    At an acceptable time, O God,

    in the abundance of Your steadfast love answer me in Your saving faithfulness.

Deliver me

    from sinking in the mire;

let me be delivered from my enemies

    and from the deep waters.

Let not the flood sweep over me,

    or the deep swallow me up,

    or the pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O Lord, for Your steadfast love is good;

    according to Your abundant mercy, turn to me.

Hide not Your face from Your servant;

    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.

Draw near to my soul, redeem me;

    ransom me because of my enemies!

You know my reproach,

    and my shame and my dishonor;

    my foes are all known to You.

But I am afflicted and in pain;

    let Your salvation, O God, set me on high!

You have answered me with the perfect righteousness of Your Son.

I will praise Your name, O God, with a song;

    I will magnify You with thanksgiving.

When the humble see it they will be glad;

    those who seek You, O God, will see their hearts revive.

For You, O Lord, hear the needy

    and You do not despise Your own people who are prisoners

    held by our sin and by the oppression of our enemy.

Let heaven and earth praise You,

    the seas and everything that moves in them.

For You save Your people

    and build up Your church,

and people shall dwell there and possess the new heavens and earth;

     the offspring of Your servants shall inherit it,

    and those who love Your name shall dwell in it.

Day 188: John 16:25-33 & Psalm 67 - Does Jesus Promise Us a Life of Trouble?

Today's Reading: John 16:25-33 & Psalm 67

Get the full reading plan

Does Jesus Promise Us a Life of Trouble?

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33, ESV

Do you know the difference between the indicative and the subjunctive mood of a verb? Wait! Wait! Don't tune out yet! Don't run away screaming and fearing recurring nightmares of your 8th grade grammar class! Let me explain:

Verbs are the words that tell you what's happpening (or has happened or will happen) or what may happen (or may have happened or might happen in the future). Verbs that indicate past, present or future reality are in the indicative mood; they indicate. But verbs that tell you what might or could or should happen are in the subjunctive.

What difference does it make? In John 16:33, these mood differences make all the difference. Jesus says, "In this world you will have tribulation." That's indicative. That indicates reality. In this world, you definitely have tribulation. It not just what might be, what could be, what is possible or even likely. Tribulation is the reality of life in this world. 

Something else essential is indicative here, too: Jesus says, "I have overcome the world." That's also indicative. Jesus had definitely and truly overcome the world. It's interesting that Jesus speaks of this overcoming as a finished and accomplished reality (perfect tense) before He goes to the cross and is raised from the dead. He leaves not a sliver of doubt about His overcoming. It's a definite reality.

So, where is the subjunctive? "In me you may have peace." Peace is to be found in Jesus alone, because He alone has overcome the world. But there's no guarantee that we're going to have it. We may have it. It's possible. The reason why Jesus speaks the things He says in this whole final teaching to His disciples in John 14-16 is so that they may have peace in Him.

So how does may have peace move out of the subjunctive into the indicative? How does "may have" become "have"? By faith. The fact that peace is found in Jesus is not in question, because He has overcome the world. The question is whether or not we will trust in Him. In this world, we will have tribulation. Jesus has overcome the world. Only in Him alone may we have peace, and that comes only by faith.  

Prayer Based on Psalm 67:

Lord, be gracious to us and bless us
    and make Your face to shine upon us,
that Your way may be known on earth,
    Your saving power among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the nations, tribes, peoples and tongues praise you!

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for You judge the peoples with righteousness
    and guide the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise You, O God;
    let all the peoples praise You!

The earth has yielded its increase;
    You, our God, shall bless us.
You shall bless us;

    that all the ends of the earth may know and fear You alone!

Day 189: John 17 & Psalm 68 - What Does Jesus Pray for Us?

Today's Reading: John 17 & Psalm 68

Get the full reading plan

What Does Jesus Pray for Us?

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. - John 17:20-21, ESV

In John 17, we read Jesus' prayer for His people. Many people have said that this is the true Lord's Prayer, and that the prayer we call The Lord's Prayer should really be called The Disciples' Prayer. Others have called this Jesus' High Priestly Prayer. As Jesus knelt in the Garden on the night He was betrayed, He agonized in prayer. 

From the other Gospels, we know He wrestled with the agony of His coming crucifixion, where He would be the object of His Father's wrath due for our sin, as He would become sin for us. But Jesus' prayer life on this final night with His disciples was more than "Father. if it is possible, take this cup from me. Yet not as I will but Your will be done." Jesus also spent time alone praying for His disciples and for the church that would arise from the disciples' testimony.

Jesus begins with simple words pregnant with great meaning: "Father, the hour has come." In John's Gospel, this particular hour is a reference to the cross, to the fulfillment of Jesus' mission to do the Father's will by offering Himself up as a sacrifice for the atonement for our sins and the appeasement of God's wrath. So Jesus is fully aware of the imminent approach of the cross. This is His final time of extended intercession for His people before He offers Himself for us. So, what does He pray?

1. "Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you." Nothing is more centrally important that the glory of the Father and the Son, the glory of God. It is what God is most concerned to display and what our souls most need to see. God cannot give His glory to another, because He alone is God. We must not seek any other glory but the glory of God, for all competing glories are cheap, hollow, lifeless, fraudulent.

2. "Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me." Jesus came to reveal God to His disciples, and to bring us to know God, for "this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Now, He is praying that His disciples would be kept believing in Him, knowing Him, trusting only in Him. He knows that our only hope of security, protection and salvation is found in Him alone. 

3. "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one." Jesus' desire is not a protection by removal from danger, but by being kept by the power of God even in the midst of danger. Specifically, we need to be kept from Satan's deceptions and ensnaring devices.

4. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." As Jesus sends us into the world, we must be sanctified (set apart) by the truth of God's word. We must be kept as we keep the word in our hearts.      

5. "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." This part of Jesus' prayer is often mis-understood. People often think Jesus is here praying for external organizational unity for His church, but His prayer is deeper and more profound. He is praying for our unity to Him and the Father, which will truly unite us with one another. Unity is not achieved through an organization but by union with Christ. I am truly one with everyone who is truly one with Christ - not because we belong to the same organization, but because we truly belong to Him.  

So, this is how Jesus prays for us. We see the same pattern and priorities reflected in Paul's prayer for the church, too. Is this how we pray for each other?

[NOTE: Earlier in October, I had the priviledge of attending the Reformation Worship Conference at Midway PCA in Powder Springs, GA. There, Dr. Robert Godfrey from Westminster Seminary California preached a wonderful three-part sermon series on John 17. In it, he summarized Jesus' prayer in three requests: Glorify Your Son (vv. 1-5), Guard Your People (vv. 6-19) and Gather Your Elect (vv. 20-26). Two of these messages are available on SermonAudio.com.]

Prayer Based on Psalm 68:

O Lord God Almighty, our Heavenly Father,
You are supreme above all earthly powers.
You reign with absolute sovereignty and majesty.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    far outlasting and outshining the passing kingdoms of men.
For thousands of years,
    your people have trusted in Your promises,
        have praised Your name and have seen Your power come to our rescue again and again.

O Lord, let the nations know that You are God!
Show them Your power and let them tremble in awe of You.
Send forth Your kingdom to the ends of the earth
    through Your missionaries who preach Your Gospel
        and carry Your kingdom to the ends of the earth.

O Lord, let Your own people worship You
    with fear and trembling, with holy reverence.
We are too flippant, too self-centered, too shallow and too passive in our worship of You.
We treat worship as another form of entertainment,
    but You do not exist for us to have another diversion, another fun experience,
You are God Almighty and Your power and glory and wisdom and love know no limits.
    Let us worship You in holy fear. 

O Lord, cast down Your enemies from before You.
May those who oppose You
    and who seek to destroy Your people
        and overthrow Your kingdom be frustrated and defeated.

Arise among us, drive away the oppressors of Your people,
    and let Your people delight in you and find our joy in You.
You are the Father of the fatherless and the Protector of widows.
Care for Your people.
    Satisfy us in Your loving care.
        We need You, our Father. In Jesus' name, Amen!