One of the most sublime passages of Scripture in the entire Bible is found in the 17^th chapter of the Gospel of John.  Here is the “real” Lord’s Prayer, for it is the prayer that Jesus prayed before going to the cross.

John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, points out that when God speaks to men it is like baby talk.  What he means is that since God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55) when God talks with us it must be on a very elementary level.

Yet this prayer, that reveals an inter-Trinitarian communication, is very simple to understand.  The concepts are immensely profound but the phrases and sentences are simple.  Dr James M. Boice says that this probably reveals that it is because of our sin and spiritual lethargy, that God must speak to us in “baby talk.”

This prayer covers a number of the grand doctrines of the Christian faith.  It speaks of election, regeneration, sanctification and preservation.  It also reveals something of the intention of the atonement and of Christ’s great love for those first disciples and for those who would believe on Him because of their testimony.

For the next few weeks we will be looking at this prayer in our evening service at North Athens Baptist Church.  We would love for you to join us for this edifying study.