The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus - Part 1 by Bob Deffinbaugh

Bob Deffinbaugh, in his article "The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus - Part 1" shows the prayers of Jesus as perfect examples for how Christians should pray. He mentions several examples concerning the prayers of Christ. In these prayers, Jesus' ultimate concern was His Father's glory. He lived to please His Father through loving sinners, snatching them out of Satan's kingdom, and praying on their behalf. Deffinbaugh mentions many truths which are encouraging and a few vague explanations which should have been explained further.

Deffinbaugh's recognition of God's glory alone being the theme of Jesus' life is very encouraging in the church's often man-centered "Evangelicalism", which almost causes an abandonment of the term. A clear exposition of the Scriptures shows Christ as the theme, not mankind. Deffinbaugh emphasized this by showing Jesus' sovereignty throughout history, including His own death, burial, and resurrection. Often, the church argues for the omniscience of God while denying it in practice. If God is indeed all-knowing, then there is nothing "new" added to His knowledge. As Deffinbaugh shows, God is so independent of man, He is so sovereign that nothing man does can add to or take away from His knowledge. God doesn't "wait" on mankind to move, for He is always moving mankind as mankind moves itself.

Having referenced the broad subject of Christ's dual natures, Deffinbaugh should have explained his reasoning that the incarnation of our Lord united deity and humanity in a seamless way. The reader could easily think he means Jesus is 50% God and 50% human; or, the reader could remain in orthodoxy by believing he meant Jesus is 100% God and 100% human. Also, he should have further explained this "seamless" union of natures in Christ by explaining some of the limitations of His nature. For one example, if God is all-knowing, and Jesus is God, then why didn't He know when the end of the earth would occur? If His duality is "seamless", then one cannot escape the other; but, there are passages which seem to communicate otherwise.

Something else Deffinbaugh should have explained more is his reference to Luke 22:53, the hour of darkness. Darkness definitely had its freedom in the crucifixion, but even this "darkness" was prophesied. One of the oldest prophecies in the Scriptures was made in Genesis 3:15 whenever God promised the serpent that his seed would bruise the Seed of God's heel, but He would crush his head. This was ultimately fulfilled in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Though Satan bruised Jesus' heel through His death, Jesus crushed his head by conquering death, physically rising to justify sinners for His Father's glory.

Finally, Deffinbaugh argues for the glory of God being the theme of history and the Bible as well. This is absolutely true, but then he references Romans 8:28, saying that God always works everything for "the ultimate good of his saints". This should have been explained more. With the "health and wealth Gospel" permeating so-called Evangelicalism, pastors and teachers must take heed that God's definition of good for believers may end with them being poor, starving, naked, and sick with brain cancer. God is the Gospel, and He is the "good" which all believers have received.