Our Lord's Intercessory Prayer

by Dr. George Jacob

"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." JOH 17:1.

Our Savior's intercessory prayer begins with "Father," which is a word of confidence that is unmovable. The word "Father" instills confidence in the heart of a child. A child has no concern of who is paying the taxes, the rent or the utility bills. He is confident that his father will provide for him. It demonstrates the sweet parental relationship of Him whom He addresses. A little child can be turned loose in a crowd of people and feel totally lost, but as soon as he can take his father by the hand, he is confident and has nothing to worry about.

By use of the word "Father", Christ is demonstrating a confidence that what He asks will be granted. He lifted up his eyes to heaven in holy reverence and spoke the central theme of this prayer-that the Father glorify the Son, so that the Son may glorify him. Is this the central theme of our prayers? Are all of our requests centered on that which will bring glory to our Father?

See how blessedly our Savior's actions in His hour of greatest trial still correspond with His teachings. What we say must correspond with what we do. Christ not only commands prayer, but He also reveals how His Father's being glorified in the Son must be the central theme of our prayer as we see in JOH 14:13. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." His entire motivation of granting what we desire is that His Father might be glorified in His doing so.

See the blessed promise the Lord Jesus Christ uses to commend obedience to such a precept in JOH 15:16. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." He promises a blessing upon obedience for praying this type of prayer. If we do not do what He has commanded us, we may not expect the Father to give us what we ask.

Now to this precept and promise, our Lord adds His own example. The Lord does what He commands us to do. If Christ who is coequal with the Father prayed so earnestly in the hour of trial, how much more must we obey His precept to obtain the promises, that He be glorified in the trial we are in.

1TH 5:17-23 says, "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The Lord is looking at our hearts to see if this is our desire. This does not mean that we will be perfect. Our best righteousness outside of Christ is like filthy rags in the sight of God. The Lord is looking at our hearts. He wants a heart religion. He wants us to come before Him in a childlike spirit addressing Him as our Father, with a desire to do His will. We must strive for holiness. This does not mean that we are holy in ourselves. This is talking about taking up our cross and crucifying our flesh.

See Also:

The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit's title of the Spirit of Truth reveals His qualifications to guide the flock of Christ because of His absolute incapacity of error. The Holy Spirit is incapable of error, and that is why He is so fully qualified to guide.

The Eden is within
When Christ, the Lily of the valleys, is planted in the garden of our hearts, His love is "As the lily among the thorns." When we appreciate the love of Christ, we see the sinfulness of sin. We will join forces to cultivate and pluck out those thorns and thistles by the sweat of our brow.

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