September 3, 2024: “They Have Kept Your Word”

Over five hundred years ago, Christianity was buried under layers of superstition, immorality, and biblical illiteracy—yet questions about life and death, knowledge and authority, and how sinful men and women could be made right with God remained. In this Reformation Day message, Alistair Begg recounts how the church of medieval Europe came to rediscover the Gospel message found in Jesus' life and death. Through Martin Luther and others, the true significance and sufficiency of Christ's death was recovered, bringing reform to the church and the promise of salvation to all who trust in Him.

Jesus asked God the Father to keep believers from the Evil One while they remain in the world. Focusing on verse 15 of Christ's High Priestly Prayer, Alistair Begg investigates the identity and strategy of the devil, Jesus' victory over evil, and the Gospel-grounded security and resulting activity of the Lord's followers. We're engaged in a spiritual battle—and although Satan is crafty and unrelenting, Jesus has ultimately dealt with the sin and fears of all who are united in Him.

Hearing and believing Christ's words radically changed His disciples—which provoked the surrounding culture's hostility. Alistair Begg explains that the unbelieving world hates biblical truth and Christlike living because they expose humanity's lostness, immorality, and need of a Savior. Ultimately, Christian conviction ignites a life of conflict, because the same grace that reconciles us to God antagonizes us to the Evil One. Yet Jesus prayed not for God to remove believers from the world but to keep us from evil as we remain in the battle.

Knowing that after His imminent arrest, His disciples would soon scatter in fear, the Son of God prayed for their spiritual preservation, unity, and joy. Unpacking verses 11–13 of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Alistair Begg points out how God's care for His children supersedes our greatest self-concerns. Not everyone experiences God's blessings, though! The inexpressible joy of salvation can only be known by the truly penitent who rest entirely on Christ's atoning work.

If Jesus offered to pray on your behalf, what would you ask Him to pray for? In His High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples, distinguishing them from the world, declaring them to be agents of His glory, and asking the Father to keep them in His name. Alistair Begg unpacks how over two thousand years later, that same prayer is still being answered for all those who follow Christ, in whom we are securely, eternally kept.

Just hours from the agony of Calvary, Jesus prayed to His Father in front of His disciples. In this message on Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, Alistair Begg explores the vast theological truths revealed in God's gift to the Son, Jesus' request to the Father, and the disciples' response to both. From all eternity, God purposed to have a people for His own, sending His Son into the world to manifest His name and to save His people. As a result of Christ's finished work on the cross, all who believe, no matter how weak or strong their faith, are eternally secure.

In His High Priestly Prayer, recorded in John 17, Jesus prayed for Himself and all His followers—including believers today. Alistair Begg examines the eternal nature of Jesus' request for glory and the victorious report He shared as He prayed to the Father. Because of His immense love for sinners, God the Father planned the work of salvation, God the Son accomplished it on the cross, and God the Spirit applies the reality of redemption to all who believe and trust in Christ.

When "the hour had come" for the fulfillment of Jesus' earthly ministry, He turned to God the Father in prayer. Alistair Begg explores this pivotal historical moment by taking a closer look at what Jesus asked, the work He was assigned to do, and the way He assured believers of the nature of eternal life. While the world may view the cross of Christ as an emblem of defeat, Scripture reveals how it's at Calvary that God's ultimate power, love, mercy—and glory—were displayed.

A "Live for today!" attitude is widely embraced by our contemporary culture—and it leads to endless restlessness. In sharp contrast, Scripture teaches that the past and future are also important, because God has appointed a day of judgment. To be prepared to face that day, we need to understand history through the lens of the Bible. Alistair Begg walks us through the real human predicament, God's costly intervention, and the divine promise made to those who come to His Son in repentance and faith: "You will find rest for your souls."