Bramhall, John W: The Prayer Life Of Christ ~ Luke 3:22

We turn to the Gospel of Luke tonight. The Gospel of Luke. Tonight we would like to trace very quickly, but very thoroughly, we trust, for our edification, the prayer life of the Lord Jesus when he was here upon the earth. You and I, who belong to the Lord Jesus and have been saved by his grace, we have two- a twofold great privilege. One is to be worshippers when we come on the Lord's Day morning to remember the Lord Jesus and pour out our affection and devotion and appreciation to the Lord for what he has done for us at Calvary. That is worship. There is another responsibility that is given to us, which we've been enjoying even tonight, and it is prayer, the ministry of prayer. Now, prayer is not particularly worship, though it could be included in worship, but prayer can be intercessions, prayers, supplications, and intercession with thanksgiving. But prayer was very most important in the life of the Lord Jesus. There have been many examples of prayer in the history of God's people of this age, and you and I may have been, I know I have been greatly blessed by the account of men of prayer in this Christian age that I've had the privilege of reading. But the supreme example of prayer for you and for me is the Lord Jesus himself. And in the Gospel of Luke, Luke, the only one who does this, Luke traces the occasions, certain occasions in the ministry and life of the Lord Jesus, telling us when he prayed. Now, there is no question of doubt. The dependence of the Lord Jesus upon his Father was constantly a prayerful condition. For prayer can be and should be termed dependence upon God. We know from the life of the Lord Jesus, every word that he spoke, he said, I got it from my Father. Every prayer that he made was undoubtedly an expression of the dependence he felt as a man upon his Father. No person ever lived a more dependent life upon God than the Lord Jesus Christ. Can I repeat that again? Though he was the eternal Son of God, yet when made incarnate as a man, there never was one who was more dependent and totally dependent as a man should be, upon God above. And prayer is the expression of dependence upon God. But Luke is the one who tells us, as stated, when he prayed. Go with me to the third chapter in the Gospel according to Luke, first of all. Chapter three in the Gospel of Luke, and I would like to begin reading at verse twenty two, Verse twenty two. At the baptism of the Lord Jesus, when baptized of John in Jordan at the commencement of his ministry, we read, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice. I beg your pardon, let me begin at verse twenty one. I should, verse twenty one, most important, then the other. Now, when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized. Note the next words, and praying. Luke is the only writer who emphasizes that at the baptism at Jordan, the Lord Jesus was praying. John records that baptism in his gospel. Matthew records it in his gospel, but only Luke is the one who declares when he was baptized, he was praying. And the heaven was open, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased. Now note the occasion. We note particularly there are no words recorded as to that which he prayed, but from the context and from that which took place when the heaven was opened, when the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended upon him, when the voice of the Father was heard, saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. It was an answer to the prayer. For without question of doubt, commencing his public ministry, he depended upon heaven for guidance, direction, and blessing. My beloved, that's an example for you and for me to recognize only the blessing that we need. We need to have it come from heaven. And so the Lord Jesus began his ministry, his life's ministry, commended not by man, but by heaven. And surely we can recognize that commendation was worth it all the way through his life. Go with me to chapter five if you please. The next occasion, when we read in verse sixteen of chapter five, verse fifteen, let me read verse fifteen and sixteen together. A later occasion, after he'd been ministering, doing miracles. But so much the more went there a, a fame abroad of him. Great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. Now here you can recognize after the beginning of his ministry and the great works that he was performing, people marveled at it. But we read when they thus marveled so and were thus healed, the Savior withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. Now, why did he pray? Go back in chapter four with me, please, if you don't mind. Chapter four, let me read verse thirty seven. I read verse thirty six together with it. After what the Lord Jesus had been doing and the miracle he had thus just performed, they were all amazed. They spake among themselves, saying, what a word is this? For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. Now note verse thirty seven: And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. Now here you find the Lord Jesus, when he began his ministry, began to be famous. But he did not like it. Neither would he receive it. His words that he has spoken in the Gospel of John speak very loudly of that. When he said, I came not, I seek not mine own glory, but the glory of him that sent me. And when he saw himself becoming popular by the people, he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed. My beloved, please let me say, no matter who the preacher is, he's nothing. He himself should not be seen, but the Lord Je- Lord of glory alone. And here is the example that when the Lord Jesus recognized the people were making him popular, he was not anxious to be a popular preacher. And as you read his life, you find he was not. He withdrew himself. God alone was to be glorified. Likewise, in your testimony and mine. And the work of the Holy Spirit is what? Said the Lord Jesus in John sixteen, when he shall come, he shall glorify me. My brother and my sister, let you and I learn by the way of example from our Lord how to withdraw ourselves from the picture that he might be seen. Not I, but Christ. And we need it to find in prayer. Go with me in, if you don't mind, chapter six, the next example when the Lord Jesus was praying. Again, I repeat on this occasion also the Mount of Transfiguration. Let me read from verse twelve and read through verse thirteen. It came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and con- and and no, it's not the transfiguration, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles. Now, on this occasion of him praying, it was brought about because of the danger that he faced. You have that in verse eleven. The rulers were filled with madness. They communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. The destruction of his testimony was in their mind and heart and purposed to be accomplished if they could. What did the Lord Jesus do? He spent all the night in prayer over that testimony and its future. Without question of doubt, knowing the purpose for which he had come, knowing for the need of the continuation of that purpose after he had done the work upon the earth himself. The work must be carried on by others. And he spent a whole night in prayer, which resulted, as you read on in the chapter, the appointing of the twelve apostles. My beloved, please let me say as the result of this all night prayer meeting, the apostolic ministry had was fulfilled. At the beginning of the church, at the foundation of the church's history, the apostles and New Testament prophets laid the foundation, and they laid it well, but it was an answer to the prayer all night by the Lord Jesus. Now to chapter nine, please, which is the transfiguration scene. Let me begin reading at verse twenty seven to have the context clear. But I tell you of the truth, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glittering. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory and spake of his deceits which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Again, we repeat, it's the unusual, but it is the proper emphasis of Luke, writing in his gospel concerning the man. We know that Matthew presents him as the king. Mark presents the Lord Jesus as the servant. John presents the Lord Jesus as the very Son of God. Luke presents the Lord Jesus in all the humble, faithful dependence upon God that was his. And here we have him on that Mount of Transfiguration, and Luke alone is the one that declares he went up to the mountain to pray, and as he was praying, the transfiguration took place. Why did he pray? Again, I say, we may not and we do not have the substance in words of his prayer, but the opening verse which we read, verse twenty seven, he made the forecast, and you find it in the other accounts of Mark as well as in Matthew. He foretold that before very long there would be some living who would see the glory of the kingdom of God. And he had made a declaration of God's promise. And I'm hum- humbly believe he was praying for the word to be fulfilled. Please let me say, there is no question of doubt that for the fulfillment of this statement that he made, and why did he make it? Well, if you read the context, he told Peter, James, and John to say nothing about it till after his death. But when you get to second Peter chapter one, it's Peter that tells of the wonderful experience of being with him on the Holy Mount and saying, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty, and we heard the voice from heaven. And the Lord Jesus, without question of doubt, knew as a man to fulfill the promise that had been declared. He must pray it through. My beloved, may I suggest, if you and I want to fulfill the word of God, we better pray through. Take the promises. Pray them through, as he did on this occasion. Look with me at chapter eleven please, verse one. Chapter eleven and verse one, this is the next occasion, the fifth occasion that Luke writes regarding the Lord Jesus praying. Again, we re-emphasize the words of his prayer are not mentioned. It came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Evidently, John the Baptist taught his disciples to pray. We don't ever read up to this occasion that the Lord's disciples were praying. But on this occasion he was praying and when ceased, then one came to him and said, Lord. And let me tell you what he didn't say. He did not say, Lord, teach us to preach. We're quite often more desirous to preach than we are to pray. But he comes to the Lord Jesus with a prayer, a petition, Lord, teach us to pray, and you have the Lord's Prayer, so called, which is a pattern prayer for that occasion and that time. But may I be reminded, please? May I be re- remind- now just take, don't take the Lord's Prayer for your pattern to pray now, though you can find some patterns in it, but you better go as a Christian to John chapter fourteen, fifteen, and particularly fourteen, because you got a new relationship with God the Father as his children now. And the Lord told his disciples, he said, you can now ask in my name. The Lord never mentioned his name in this so-called Lord's Prayer. After this manner of prayer, he's saying our Father, but in John fourteen and following in many scriptures, you and I can now pray in his name. And you may ask what you will of my Father in my name. You've got my authority, and if you ask according to the conditions, I'll do it. Lord teaches to pray. Now you may ask a good question, what was he praying about? Well, I wouldn't be surprised he was praying about the prayerlessness of his disciples. One made the statement, well made, the best cure for prayer for prayerlessness is prayer. Do it. Start it. And there's no question of doubt. The Lord was concerned. May I emphasize once again, for all the ministry that he was performing, and even to this occasion, the Lord Jesus was dependent upon his Father to bring it to pass. One of my best friends in the Lord, in my early days of youth, I never forget a statement that he made, though he forgot it himself for many years until I reminded him of it. The words of Psalm sixteen and verse one where the psalmist says, Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust. And that whole psalm is the psalm of the life of the Lord Jesus, from beginning to the end, in perfect dependence upon God above, as he lived and walked. But he made this statement, the dependent man is the independent man. I got the meaning. My beloved, are you and I depending upon God? Or upon ourselves or others? The Lord Jesus may have been praying because of the prayerlessness of his disciples that they may be awakened to the need of it, and they were. Go with me now to chapter twenty two in Luke. Quite a jump, but this is the next occasion when Luke records when the Lord Jesus was praying. Chapter twenty two in the gospel of Luke's gospel in Gethsemane. Let me read verse thirty nine, going down, if I may, through verse forty six. He came out and went as he was want to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed. My beloved, may I say, you'll never, and I will never, no other man will ever, no other person will ever be able to compare with the prayer life of the Lord Jesus. He's always a stone cast further. In the dependence upon God. And on this occasion, you know it well, Gethsemane with all of its darkness. And we read his prayer here, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. Now, beloved, let's realize this has got nothing to do with his ministry that he had in the past, but it's he's facing the judgment of the cross, the cup which his father is to put to his lips, and it's nearing, and he prays, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel from- unto him from heaven, strengthening him. Now, beloved, it's only the Lord Jesus who needed that literal angel to minister to him at this pre- at this present time of which we read. We read in Luke chapter four as well as Matthew four that at the temptation of the Lord Jesus, following it, hungry, hungry as he was after forty days of temptation in the wilderness without food, the angels came and ministered unto him without doubt. I believe they brought him food. May I say, he didn't want any food here. No food could help him. There was an inward need that only the word of God could help. And I have no question of doubt that the angel ministered to him from the word of God. Go with me to Psalm one hundred and two, if you please. You have, I believe, the record of what the angel would tell him in Psalm one hundred and two. And may I be reminded with you as we read this psalm and the words that we shall read, that when, if you and I could have read the scriptures or would read them when they were originally written, you'd have no chapters, you'd have no verses. Can I repeat that? If you and I read the scriptures in their original writings, you'd have no chapters, you'd have no verses. They were not divided. There is one continuous writing. But for our convenience, the translators have done it. But let me go back to this hundred and second Psalm. Let me read verses twenty and t- and on. And there's only one person that is true of. He weakened my strength in the way. He shortened my days. I said, oh my God, take me not away in the midst of my days. Stop right there. Think with me of the humanity of the Lord Jesus in the prime of his life. In the thirty third year approximately of his life. To be cannot. Not easy to take naturally, humanly, but don't forget he was perfectly human. The only significant difference, he never sinned in thought or word or deed, but he felt the cutting off his of his life. Daniel the prophet made prophecy regarding the fact that the Messiah would be cut off. May I point out to you, in Gethsemane he knew it. He felt it. He was on the threshold. And as you know from the account, he sweat as they were great drops of blood. But what did the angel say to him? Let's read on here, right where we f- left reading, at the middle of verse twenty four, the last part of the verse, and you can read to the end of the chapter. Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shall endure. Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment as the vesture shall thou change them. They shall be changed, but thou art the same. And note, thy years shall have no end. My beloved, as you have it repeated in Hebrews chapter one, the angel ministered from the word, you're the eternal son of God, your years will never fail. That's the only thing that could and did comfort him. But oh, the agony of prayer. Go back to Luke, if you will, please. Let's finish that reading. As we, as we read it in verse forty four, being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and they sweat as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground. And yet he found his disciples sleeping, not watching and praying. Oh beloved, look, none of us will ever reach the depth of sorrow, trial, agony in prayer that he went through. He prayed. Go chapter twenty three, verse thirty four. The next prayer that we read of, that Luke, Luke writes of, was on the cross. When they put him on that tree, and what were the words that he said? Verse thirty four, just the opening half of the verse. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. My beloved, take in the scene, realize the implication. Look not only upon Pilate, think not only of the rulers, think not only of the rabble mob that was there in front of him watching the scene, think not of the soldiers, the centurion and others. True, he included them. They were literally crucifying him, and he prays, Father, forgive them. But may I say this, look, he saw you folks down here in Florence in that time. Father, there's a lot of others that need forgiving, the whole world. Included in that prayer was yourself and myself. But that was his prayer. Here, cast out of the world, away within. May I be reminded with you, when they wrote the title over the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, Greek and Latin, the three prevailing languages, one the religious world, the other the cultured world, and the, and the other the political world. They nailed him to the tree. And you and I have confessed that we were guilty too, that my sins and your sins put in there. And what did he pray? Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Beloved, what an example of prayer. But go with me, please. Verse forty six, The end of his life, terminating on the cross. When Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost. He ended his life upon the cross in prayer. Can I raise the question to your heart and mine? When the terminal of your life and mine comes, will we be in fellowship with the Father? Praying. Like Stephen did, and certainly imitating his blessed master when he was stoned to death, he cried, for Lord, forgive them, in the spirit of his master. But the spirit of prayer. One person said to one of the servants of God on an occasion long ago, I'm afraid to die. The thoughts of it trouble me. He answered, well, how about living? Oh, the Lord gives me help to live. Well, if he gives you gr- living grace, he'll give you dying grace. But may I lift you my, my question again? Will there be a prayer of fellowship on your lips and mine at the close of life? Go to chapter twenty four for a closing thought. Right the end of the chapter, the end of the book. I want you to see that the Lord Jesus hasn't even stopped praying yet. Verse fifty, please. And Jesus led the disciples out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Will you please note the characteristic gesture? He lifted up his hands. Those were genuine, true praying hands. That had never failed in prayer. We read the next verse. It came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And what is he doing in heaven? I read in r- in Hebrews chapter seven and verse twenty five, he ever liveth to make intercession for us. He's still praying, and I'm glad he's praying for me. For, as he says in that verse, they that come unto God by him, he ever liveth to make intercession for them. And you know, ever since he saved me back in nineteen fourteen, he's been praying for me in heaven. And praying for you. Supreme exam- example of prayer. I'm sure it makes you, I hope, I know it does me, very much humbled and guilty. The lack of prayer. But here's the supreme example. In all the perfection of his humanity. He prayed. There are many other examples in the scripture, but this is the greatest. And God help you, and God help me to do more praying. In fact, pray without ceasing, as as written in Hebrews, uh, in Ephesians chapter six means a condition, not a position, a condition. One dear old saint of some centuries ago I read of, when he met someone, another brother or sister, a fellow believer, he said, do I meet you praying? Another one used- said to to to his friends, while I'm talking to you, I've got a corner in my heart that I'm speaking to my Lord. My beloved, we are guilty, Guilty. tremendously Tremendously guilty. guilty. Of lack of prayer. But here's the great example. I'm going to leave the example with you, and I'll take the example to my heart too. Shall we pray? Blessed Lord Jesus, we say with humble sincerity, conform us to thine image and to thy likeness, and as thy disciple did long ago when he came to thee when you ceased praying, tonight we've ceased our study. We've gone through your prayer life very briefly, but we trust thoroughly. But this is our closing prayer. Lord, teach us to pray. We ask it in thy precious name for thy glory. Amen.