love congregation of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We're walking with Jesus on the way to Gethsemane with the disciples, and we are given this marvelous insight into the intimacy of the beautiful Savior. Beautiful Savior, Son of God, Father, God, they talk together. He earnestly seeks the face of the Father. We get an in-depth look into the communication and love that is in the Trinity. That Jesus now is the Son of God also praises the beautiful Savior, the Son of Man. That the Son of Man now is interceding on behalf of His disciples in verses 6 through 19, by way of extension to us, as we'll see the Lord willing next week. Father in heaven, communicate to them. Make them one as you and I are one. Communicate your love and hope. Jesus prays out of the faith that what he has seen God do, these men believe, is worth it now for him to go to the cross. He's filled with hope for them. Father in heaven, keep them and they will be kept. Reveal to them the word and they will reveal the word. Father in heaven, build your kingdom and these men will build the kingdom. But the greatest of these is love. See how Jesus loves these 11 men. One is gone now. One is walked into the night. One by the prediction of scripture is not one that Jesus would keep. And yet knowing what the plight will be of these men in the world, we have seen that together from John 13 up to chapter 16, they'll be in the world, they'll be hated in the world, they'll be despised in the world, but they will be in the world. And it is the will of Jesus Christ, the King, who's going to build His kingdom, that the missionary soldiers will be left in this world, but they will be kept. That Jesus Christ, the Prophet, is going to make sure that the missionaries go out into the world and that He prays, Heavenly Father, keep them, distinguish them by their message, by the Word of Truth that has been given to them. and that we will see the high priest. Sanctify me that they will be sanctified. Sanctify yourself by your word. Your word is me. I am the word. I am the revelation of God. The law and damnation came by Moses, but grace and mercy and truth comes by Jesus. The way, the truth, and the light. See the prophet, the priest, and the king, the great shepherd, the great I am. the beautiful Savior, Son of God and Son of Man, praying together. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and you have kept your word. Now they have known all things that you have given me are from you. Here is the gift of God the Father to the Son. As Jesus Christ moves through Gethsemane and to the cross, God the Father is ministering to him. And it's interesting that the glory that God the Father is giving, the splendor that he's gonna close Jesus with, are these 11 men. And maybe you children go, really, the 11 disciples? I mean, they don't really seem like they know. They don't really seem like they believe. And we know because we've read the Bible. that these 11 men are going to scatter, Peter's going to deny Jesus three times, and John is going to kind of lurk through the temple courtyards, but he is not going to stand beside Christ, he's not going to be recognized with Christ, and yet Jesus sees something in them. So if you have your Bibles open and you go to chapter 16, just over the page there, His disciples said to Him, verse 29, See, now you are speaking plainly and using no figure of speech. Now we are sure that you know all things and have no need that anyone should question you. By this we believe that you came forth from God. I have manifested them to those you have given me. Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you have given me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you sent me. God the Father, through the power of the Spirit, and all that's coming, and it's going to work harder, has separated these men. And how do we know that these men are elect? Because there's two things going on here. They already were yours, and you gave them to me that they would become more yours. By the faith that you have given to them, and we know of that faith by the testimony that you've given to them. They believe that you have sent me. They believe that I am the one sent from God. They believe that I am the way back to you. Do you see the joy that we sang of when Jesus seeks the face of God, and then the joyful response, even there in the darkness that must loom over our beautiful Savior's soul? That He's gonna die on the cross, that these men are gonna be anything but loyal to Him, but He speaks prophetically. He speaks prophetically, even the language, which in the Greek is easier to do, but He speaks of a thing that is being done towards its completion. He looks into the future and he sees what God is going to do with these men, even in their wobbly, faltering faith. Father, I did the work. Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And on this earth, there are 11 men, and then there are a handful of women, and there are some others, perhaps up to 120, who believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is the anointed one. He is then the prophet, the priest, and the king. And the prophet and the priest and the king is praying out of this faith, hope and love, because what God the Father has done in ministering to Jesus Christ, it's worth it now, my son, to go to the cross. It's worth it now, my king. All the shepherding you have done, and you did take care of them, and you did watch over them, and now I will take care of them as you come back to me. You now, as the priest, give your life for them. because they are worth it, because I have called them out of this world and I have given them to you so that they will be missionaries, they will be prophets and continue the work that you have done. Beloved, the work of Jesus Christ is a success. I know the Romans would say, what are you talking about? The Jews would say, what are you talking about? The world then and the world today would say, what are you talking about? You Christians are deluded. How can you think that Jesus Christ is a success story? He died on the cross. They put him in a tomb. That's all there is. He lost, and you're losers. And we win. And the devil come, did God really say, is that really who your Jesus is? And we sing, beautiful Savior. Now we cry out, Jesus with your church abide, because we know that he lives. We know that those whom God has given to him cannot be snatched away. Remember John chapter 10, I am the good shepherd and all those whom the Father has given to me are safe, for none can snatch them from the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. one together in the beauty and the power of the trinity this is why the church will go forward this is why the church will survive because of the constant prayers of jesus who prays this way even for his church today and i know on a personal level we all rejoice in that Jesus prays for you and for me, but never forget he prays for the whole church around the world all the time Are there millions of Christians are there billions? I don't know But it doesn't matter because as the group Jesus is interceding for us and in our individual callings and tasks as prophet priests and kings he's calling for us see Jesus as See Jesus, the high priest, interceding for the people of God. My heart was glad to hear the welcome sound, to come into the house of prayer. Jesus is the house of prayer. Come to him, all you who are heavy-laden, and he will give you rest. He will take your burden, and he will bring it to Almighty God. See him there, your Savior, the Messiah, the Holy One. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but those whom you have given me, for they are yours." That's interesting. What are we to make of that? I pray for them, but I do not pray for the world. Jesus is interceding for the disciples who are going to be left in the world. God so loves the world. God is going to redeem the world, but God is going to have to take those born in the world out of the world to leave them in the world to redeem the world. to save a people, and he's praying for these 11 men because he knows what waits for them. I pray for them, Father, because they're yours. Isn't that interesting? That's what the priest does. The priest prays for the ones who belong to Jesus. What does a shepherd do? He takes care of those who are of the flock of Almighty God. There's a flock of the Jews. There's a flock of the Gentiles. But Jesus prays for those who belong to God, the Father. Because that is His work. Because all mine are yours, and yours are mine. I am glorified in them. There it is again. The glory of Jesus is these 11 men going out into the world, surviving, preaching, giving their lives, praying, singing. The glory of Jesus Christ on earth is you all. And I don't think we think about it near enough. How did you come to church today? Did you think about singing? Did you prepare your hearts? Did you come to bring the glory to Jesus Christ? Look what He did for you, how He died on the cross for you, the suffering that He's going there, and in the midst of that horrible, I'm going to hell suffering for you, He prays. Father, I pray for them. because they're yours. You chose them in me, Ephesians chapter one says, but for the foundation of the world. Joseph, you will call your adopted son's name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sin. And so Jesus will not pray for the world that stands opposed to him. And that's interesting, right? I came not to condemn the world, but to save the world through faith, and those who are being born again. And now Jesus is consistent. Now He is going to come again to judge the living and the dead. He is going to do that. And He will save His people from the coming judgment that He will bring. He will do that. But look at your Savior praying for you who belong. This is the joy of being a Christian. This is why we call you to repent and believe. This is why we call you to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why it's so important. The devil keeps asking you. The devil keeps attacking you. The demons keep attacking you. We hope to see that this afternoon in the Belgian Confession about the fallen angels. That the good angels minister to you for your peace. But the fallen angels for your condemnation and destruction and they rattle you. You're not good enough. You are not a child of God. Remember your baptism. I am your Father. I am the Son. I am your Savior. I am the Spirit. I dwell in you. Jesus is praying for them because they belong to the Father in a very positive and a very strong, powerful way. and now I am no longer in the world but these are in the world I have come to you father keep them through your name those whom you have given me now this verse chapter 11 sorry verse 11 of chapter 17 now I am no longer in the world but these are in the world and I have come to you holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are one This is fundamental to why we call this the High Priestly Prayer. And maybe some of you are hearing it. At the end of this service, at the end of many morning services, I leave you with the Aaronic Blessing. And I raise my hands, part of the reason we do that is because we believe when Jesus ascended, he left the brothers with the Aaronic Blessing with his hands raised. And what is that Aaronic Blessing? May the Lord bless you and keep you may the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you may the lord lift up the light of his countenance the glory and the sunshine of his face in good favor towards you and grant you his peace you see it there holy father keep through your word or through your name those whom you have given me And Aaron was called, and the high priests were called, and when you address the people in my name, this is how you will address them. Father in heaven, bless them and keep them. Cause your face to shine upon them. And now Jesus praying in that same way, in your holy name, according to your character, according to everything that you are, Almighty God, in terms of your integrity, in terms of your honesty, in terms of your truthfulness, in terms of your righteousness, in terms of your justice, in terms of your salvation, covenant, and redeeming work. Keep them. Psalm 121. I lifted my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. The Lord will keep you. And that Lord who keeps you never slumbers nor sleeps. He keeps your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Jesus is praying according to the Psalms that he sings. May the Lord bless you and keep you. Father in heaven, bless and keep them. Because if you do not bless and keep them while they are in this world, then they will surely fall. I have done that work. I have kept them in your name. I am the revelation of your name. I am the Word. I am the Logos. I am the communication of your love and mercy to them. I have kept them in your name. Those whom you have given to me, I have kept. And none of them is lost. kept them in the blessing you asked me to do it because I am the king I am the shepherd and in your name I was the prophet and in faith I believe that you would keep them in the hope and the surety that you will keep them because you love them and I love them and the greatest of these is love because I love you father in heaven and you love me and none of them is lost except the son of perdition. We're going to meet the son of perdition in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3. The sense of the son of perdition in terms of that title, in this case Judas Iscariot, or 2 Thessalonians, there's lots of discussion about who that is, and I'm not going to get into that now. But the point is for the son of perdition there is no salvation. For the son of perdition, there is only condemnation. Judas Iscariot was appointed to betray Jesus Christ, and Jesus says, Father in heaven, I loved you so much, I let the 12th do this. That's what's really going on. I guess theoretically we could say Jesus can convert who he wants, but he will not, because the Father has not given that one to him to keep, but to let go. to keep and then command him to go do the devil's dirty work. Beloved, see the love of Jesus Christ for you, who uses his power to plunge him into this depth of sorrow and betrayal that the scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in them. Isn't that an interesting way to talk? They would have my joy fulfilled in them. They're going to be in the world. The world is going to hate them, but they will have joy because they will be one in the spirit and one of the Lord. They will have joy in their hearts because they will know what forgiveness is. They will have joy because they're doing the great commission work. They're going to do that, these 11, in a very specific preaching way, and you will do it in the way God has called you in your respective offices, beloved. And this is my command, that you love one another, that your joy may be full. What king is like that? We look at what went on this week again with our own government, and it seems like a lot of things are happening, but not our joy. That doesn't seem interesting to them. That my joy in you, Father in Heaven, would be in them. because I love them. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but yet you should keep them from the evil one. Let's go back to another song. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. Yet though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Though I will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, though I do walk through the valley of the shadow of death. So children, you know what that means? You can't herd, you can't walk behind sheep. So a shepherd would walk through the valley of the shadow, so there'd be big valleys from the mountains, then the sun would be blocked out. That's where the robbers were, that's where the wild animals were, and they would pick off the weak. the weak sheep. And then the shepherd walks in front of them, and the sheep will always follow. Now people, by our nature, we don't follow too easily. We all, like sheep, have gone our own way. But then the shepherd comes, and Jesus says, they hear my voice, and we walk to the valley of the shadow of death, and we will fear no evil, because God is keeping us. Jesus has kept us. Jesus is praying for us. We will fear no evil, for Jesus is with us. His rod and staff, they will comfort us. The Lord is our shepherd. His rod and staff will comfort us. And we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever as He anoints our head with oil, and our cup overflows. But it means we have to stay in the world. And that's why, too, sometimes we talk about white flight or we talk about soul flight, this flight of getting out of this world and, Oh, Lord, just take me. Well, be careful with that. It is hard here, and we do long for glory, but this isn't about escapism. Father in heaven, what work do you need me to done to get me to glory? Beloved, we are here for a reason. And if it seems that the world is crumbling around us, that the church is under more persecution than ever before, don't forget this prayer of Jesus. Keep them, Father. Keep them in your name. I have kept them. You keep them. Watch over them. Bless them. This is what the King does so that our joy would be full and we're filled with the peace that passes understanding. And don't forget what happens to a Judas Iscariot who walks into the valley of the shadow of death and never leaves it. but you and I will walk through it and get through the other side. My help is in the name of the Lord who keeps us from all harm, who does not let us stumble. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world. They are not of the world. You're not of the world, beloved. That is your call. So stop running back to it. The disciples have to really think about what power is, what power in the kingdom of God is. They've got to think about foot washings and becoming servants and dying on a cross. And what about you? What about your delusions of grandeur, your desire for greatness, your need to constantly be loved? We are not to be like the world. We're not to be of the world. We are to be in the world because God has pulled us out because we're the hope of the world. The only way they're gonna come to faith is through you by bringing the word that Jesus has given, including this word, as he reveals himself to us in the way of salvation. There's a reason Jesus is praying out loud so the disciples can hear this. Can you imagine them hearing this prayer? What is he talking about? And then the Holy Spirit comes, and they see the resurrected Jesus, and then they go out into all the world, and 10 of these 11 will die martyrs' death, and John will be exiled, and we know quite what happened to him. And they will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but they will be kept, and the church will grow, and the kingdom of God will be built, and then we'll see how the Father in heaven will move from them even to us. They are not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. You have sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world. And for your sakes, or for their sakes, I sanctify myself that also they may be sanctified with the truth. I will now go to the cross. and I will die on the cross for their sins. I will go to the cross so that they may be redeemed. I will go to the cross so that they will have the good news to bring. I am the word. Father in heaven, let my word, it's bigger than scripture now, in Hebrews chapter one and two. Now he speaks through Jesus Christ. He's speaking through Jesus Christ, which we have in the word of the Lord. That's great and it's beautiful. But in Jesus Christ, we have the way back to the father. who sent his son to die on the cross for our sins because he so loved us. And in him we have the revelation that gets us through the night of the valley of the shadow of death that allows us to fear no evil because our sins are forgiven for the sake of the work of Jesus Christ. Sanctify me. I am the priest and I'm going to offer myself as the lamb, which gets back to that Passover they have just celebrated. Then to the Lord's Supper, this is my body, He takes the bread. This is my blood, He takes the wine. My body and my blood has been given unto a complete remission of all our sins. I have been sanctified out of the world as the Son of Man because I am the Son of God. And in the Son of God and the Son of Man we have a union, a unity, that wonderful a priori oneness. And in that oneness, beloved, it's not federational. It's not denominational. It's not because we would all sing out of the same songbook, or we would all share the same church order, or that we would all share the same confession. That would be great if we could. And it's sad that there's brokenness in this church, and then there's brokenness in the churches around the world. But Christians, despite their differences, are sanctified, called out of the world, and unified in this confession of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In Him we are sanctified, not in the church, not in our doctrinal stance only. but in the doctrine and the truth of God's word. Your word is truth, and the truth will set you free. Remember what God said to Joshua, rule by the word and the spirit. Remember what God said to Saul, through Samuel, and then to David, rule by the word, not left, not right, rule by the word. Now we have a Jesus who will do it. Your will be done, your kingdom come. Father in heaven, give us this day our daily bread. Feed them, lead them, guide them, keep them, forgive them their sins, sanctify me that they may be sanctified. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory. So lead them not into temptation, lest they should fall. Father in heaven, I'm going back to you now. I'm going back to the glory that you gave And I'm going to receive that glory, and through me, the new Adam, the new prophet, the new priest, the new king, I am going to rule the heavens and the earth, and through these eleven men, I will be glorified. And through the church by extension, I will be glorified. See the beautiful Savior. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Go in faith. Believe in Him. Go in hope. We will be kept until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He calls you out of this life as you walk to the valley of the shadow of death. Fear no evil, for you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. But see the love, for the greatest of these is love. Love your father, love the son, love the beautiful saviors, true God and true men, and pray. Jesus, with your church, abide. Jesus, keep praying for us. Jesus, lead us and guide us into the way of hope and truth everlasting. And don't forget that on earth you are the glory of Jesus. Amen.