For The Life Was Manifested - Part 1754

Jesus said, "After this manner, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins: for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil." (Luke 11:1-4)

In Matthew's account, we learn more about the context of Jesus' words, and what we have come to accept as the Lord's prayer. Herein, Jesus upon seeing the multitudes has gone up into a mountain with His disciples. He opens His mouth and teaches them many messages of which the Lord's prayer is a part of the message. For example, Jesus speaks of those who are blessed, about rejoicing and being exceedingly glad for great is our reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:1-12)

Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that they are the salt of the earth but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted. "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid; neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light unto all that are in the house." In this context, we are to let our light shine before men, that they may see your good works, "and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

It is here too that Jesus explains to them that "I am come not to destroy the law, or the prophets, but to fulfill ... for verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18)

And somewhere in the midst of a teaching that comprises three chapters of Matthew's gospel, Jesus shares with the disciples about prayer and alms. Jesus then says, "After this manner therefore pray ye; Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ... FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY, FOREVER, AMEN." (Matthew 6:9-13)

Notice the difference in the two accounts. In the latter, Jesus adds, "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen." (Matthew 6:13) We are reminded of who holds the power and the glory forever.

Interestingly, when Jesus prays just before He is betrayed by Judas, Jesus says so much more and yet, in many ways, expands upon His model prayer. Indeed, herein, Jesus pours out His heart for the very disciples who would go (after His death and resurrection) and peach the gospel unto the uttermost ends of the earth. The disciples who believed that Jesus" came forth from the Father and am come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father." (John 16:28; John 16:5, 10, 17)

The Holy Ghost -- the Comforter who is the Son quickened. (Acts 1:2-3; Acts 2:1-47; II John 1:9; I Timothy 3:16) These words powerful because Jesus knows that His time is come, and thus, in encouraging His disciples, He says, "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:31-33)
What does Jesus pray?

Jesus said, "Father, the hour is come: glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might knew Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which Thou gave Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which Thou gave Me out of the world.

Thine they were and Thou gave them Me, and they have kept Thy Word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee. for I have given unto them the words which Thou hast given Me and they have received [them], and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world but for them which Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee, Holy Father, keep through Thine won Name, that they may be one, as we [are].

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name, those that Thou gave Me I have kept and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the world that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou should take them out of the world, but that Thou should keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one' as Thou, Father, [art] in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me, and the glory, which Thou gave Me, I have given them: that they may be one, even as we are one.

I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me, for Thou loved Me before the foundation f the world.

O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me, and I [Jesus] have declared unto them Thy Name and will declare [it] that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:1-26)

Remember, by now, Jesus had already told His disciples -- "I and My Father are ONE!" (John 10:30) Jesus had already told His disciples, "If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him and have seen Him .... Have I been so long time with you, and yet, hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, "Shew us the Father?" (John 14:6-18)

While the disciples would see Jesus no more, He had not intentions of leaving them, for Jesus said, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." (John 14:18; Acts 1:2)

As the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, "which the world cannot receive because it sees Him not, neither knows Him but ye know Him for He dwells with you and shall be in you." (John 14:16-21, 23)

Indeed, Jesus is both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:36) He is both Lord and Saviour. (II Peter 3:2) God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16)

Therefore, don't be drawn into the pollutions of the world, or entangled therein by false teachers who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them. Rather, learn of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ every day -- the dayspring from on high who willingly visited His people. The Son of man is the Lord of glory.

"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our's only but also for [the sins] of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments ... But whoso keeps His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him." (I John 2:1-5)

Stand in the offering plate.