LenosOn: Sunday School Lesson--The Perfect Father

19 April 2016

The Perfect Father

Theme: God is the Father

Scripture: John 17:1-26

A1 Outline

B1 Jesus's Prayer
- C1 Jesus prays for Himself John 17:1-5
- C2 Jesus prays for His disciples John 17:6-19
- C3 Jesus prays for all believers John 17:20-26

A2 Notes and questions

B1 God is Father
- C1 Who is His only begotten Son? (Jesus)
- C2 How is He father to believers? (Adoption. Romans 8:15-23 and Galatians 4:5-6).

B2 What are some of the responsibilities of fathers? (Some things)
- C1 Compassion, Psalm 103:13
- C2 Not to make angry, Colossians 3:21
- C3 Instruction and discipline, Proverbs 3:11-12

B4 In what is called "The Lord's Prayer" we notice a pattern.
- C1 "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples." So He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say: Our Father in the heavens, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." " (Luke 11:1-4, EMTV) Cross Reference is Matthew 6:9-13.
- C2 The pattern is different in John 17 where Jesus prays for himself then others, though He praises and thanks His Father throughout.
- C3 When we pray are we supposed to follow a formula?
- C4 Do we use a formula to converse with our spouse or a good friend?

B5 As He prays where does Jesus look? (Up, "...He lifted up His eyes to heaven...").

B6 John 17:1
- C1 What hour is Jesus speaking of? (The hour of His trial and crucifixion).
- C2 Jesus asks the Father to glorify Him. Did the Father glorify Him? How?
- C3 What was Jesus's purpose for God to glorify Him?

B7 John 17:2
- C1 How much authority does Jesus have?
- C2 What is eternal life? How does this differ from eternal death? Which lasts longer? (Both are eternal).
- C3 Who can have eternal life?
- C4 How is God justified to give eternal life? (1 Corinthians 5:7 also because of His resurrection).

B8 John 17:3
- C1 Why does Jesus say is eternal life?
- C2 What are we to know? (The only true God and Jesus Christ).
- C3 The idea of know is to recognize. Compare John 17:23, John 10:38, 1 John 5:20, and 1 John 4:7-8. It is also used in a continual sense that we keep on knowing and know better. Compare Hosea 6:3 and Jeremiah 9:24.

B9 John 17:4, what was God's work for Jesus? (God's plan for salvation, God's plan for belief, God's plan for the Christian life).

B10 John 17:6-8
- C1 What were the things that Jesus did?
- C2 What were the ways the disciples responded to Jesus's message?
- C3 What was absolutely essential? (Received my words, believed, and surely known).

B11 John 17:9
- C1 Why does Jesus exclude the "world" (the unbelievers)? They are rejecters. Can they become believers? Yes. A note in Handfuls of Purpose on this passage reads, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world" (John 17:9). As soon as we become separated in spirit from the world, we come under a new set of laws in the Kingdom of grace. We are dealt with as children of God, not as the mere offspring of His creative power. Christ loves His own with a love which is peculiar to His own. While He has the love of pity for the world, He has the love of pleasure for His own. Because they are in heart for Him, He in heart and power is for them; so all things work together for good to them that love Him."
- C2 Compare Luke 22:32, Luke 23:34, Hebrews 7:25

B12 John 17:11, what does it mean that Jesus prays for them to be one? Does "one" mean a unity regardless of doctrine? There must be a standard of faith to which we agree. See here.

B13 John 17:12
- C1 Who is the "son of perdition?"
- C2 Why was he not kept? (He never was a believer).
- C3 Why is the term "son of perdition" used to describe Judas Iscariot? It is for a certain type of unbelieving rebel who has had great light and understanding but rejected it to follow the evil one. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:3, John 13:2, John 13:27, John 6:70.

B14 John 17:13, what is Jesus's joy? See John 15:11.
- C1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of our God's vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him. " (Isaiah 61:1-3, HCSB)
- C2 Jesus prayed for these to have the same joy that Jesus has. Jesus has great joy and wants others to have it as well. We can have Jesus's joy if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). Compare Daniel 9:4, John 14:23, John 15:10, and 1 John 5:2-3.

B15 John 17:15. Jesus prays for us to be keep from the evil one (satan and his deception and lies). See Luke 22:31-32, Zechariah 3:1, and 1 Peter 5:8.

B16 John 17:16-19
- C1 Our loyalties and home is heaven. We love that King, His laws, and rules.
- C2 Sanctify means a separation for use from what is ordinary. It is to make us holy as He is holy. What does Jesus say sanctifies us? (Truth). Remember that the Bible is the ONLY source of 100% truth.

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