JESUS’ HEARTFELT PRAYER FOR HIS OWN
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Jesus “lifted up His eyes to heaven” and prayed. Our Savior’s time on earth is drawing to a close. He well knows what lies ahead… the passion He will endure for the sake of those He loves. He seeks time in communion with the One who understands His earthshaking messianic mission.
The scene is Jerusalem, just hours before Jesus will face the cross. The apostles are gathered in the Upper Room sharing the Last Supper together with their Lord. Jesus has modeled a spirit of selfless love by washing their feet. Judas has left to betray Him to the Jewish leaders. Now He opens His heart before them, praying this High Priestly Prayer. For He is our High Priest before the Father, always interceding for us, His beloved ones.
The apostle John allows us to listen in on Jesus’ intimate prayer with the Father… His last prayer before the Garden of Gethsemane. A prayer considered to be the greatest prayer ever prayed. He prays not just for Himself but for His own… His loyal disciples and all future believers.
Jesus Prays for Himself
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.” – John 17:1
The time has come… the time all heaven and earth has been awaiting. The time when the mystery conceived before the world began is coming to fruition… when all Scripture will be fulfilled. As the Son is glorified in the resurrection, so the divine glory of the Father will be revealed through Him.
“For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.” – John 17:2
Jesus reigns as King of kings with all authority and power. He grants eternal life to all whom the Father gives Him. Believers have this hope of life everlasting… the promise of the wondrous joy of eternity in the holy presence of our Lord.
“I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.” – John 17:4-5
Jesus is setting out to complete His earthly mission… a mission that will culminate in His glorification. Here is an affirmation of the eternality of the Son. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is speaking as an equal, a co-Creator with the Father. This is a divine communion within the Trinity.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
“I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world… For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” – John 17:6, 8
The Father has been unveiled to the disciples through the presence of Jesus. For those who have seen the Son have seen the Father (John 14:9). Over their three years together, Jesus has imparted to them the truth, the words of God… and they have believed.
“I am coming to You now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of My joy within them. I have given them Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” – John 17:13-14
Jesus is praying aloud so the disciples hear His heart of love. He desires that they experience the entirety of His joy… the joy of their salvation. He longs for their faith to be steadfast, without wavering, when He is no longer with them. For though they are in the world, they are not of the world. The world will hate them because they are His.
“Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me… My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.” – John 17:11, 15
Jesus prays for His own. He asks the Father for their protection from the enemy… the opposer of all that is good… by the name above all names. For there is power in the name of Jesus… power that transcends and overcomes all evil.
“Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” – John 17:17-19
Jesus seeks the holiness of His loyal ones… that they be set apart for God’s divine purposes. God’s truth transforms and consecrates. The disciples will need to be sanctified for their world mission… taking the gospel message to the ends of the earth. Jesus, the Living Word, the Lamb of God, will ransom His life to sanctify all who believe.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.” – John 17:20
Jesus prays for those who will be His own… those who will believe in the gospel message passed down by His followers through the ages. We are His own today. He is our Intercessor, ever before the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 7:25). The prayers He prayed for His disciples, He prays for us. He prays for our joy, our faith, our protection, our holiness.
“I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” – John 17:22-23
What love the Father has for the Son… and for us, His chosen, treasured ones! He places His love in our hearts when we believe… love for Him and love for one another. He desires the unity of all believers… unity in Christ… unity of heart and mission… unity as with the Father and Son. When in peaceful harmony together, believers can be powerful witnesses. The Spirit within, the glory of Christ, radiates His warmth and light into the darkness of this world today.
† Eternal Takeaway: Jesus is always interceding for us before the Father †
