Bible Reading
Jesus Prays to Be Glorified
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 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. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “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. 14 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. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 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. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 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. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “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. 14 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. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 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. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Devotional
Prayer is, by it’s very nature, a mystical activity. The creation communicates with the Creator. The limited talks with the limitless; this is impossible to fully understand. It is somewhat of a mystery!
Prayer is, by it’s very nature, a holy activity. The here and now banters back and forth with the One who is beyond, the One who is completely holy or separate. This world interacts with Him who is “otherworldly.” Amazingly incomprehensible. More mystery!
In John 17, Jesus engages in what is often called the “high priestly prayer” – God talking to God, deep calling to deep (Psalm 42:7) – in which we enter in with Him to the depths of mystery and to the heights of holiness. There is no prayer that has ever been prayed in the history of prayer that is more mystical, powerful, and sacred than the high priestly prayer.
What is the context of this prayer? Jesus had just finished a rather lengthy discourse in which He declared that He would be “leaving” and the Spirit would be arriving. He was most likely in the Upper Room with His disciples late Thursday night or on His way to Gethsemane early Friday morning and was only hours away from the cross. It is in this context that He speaks victory to His disciples and then He speaks victory to His Father. “‘These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.’ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said….” (John 16:33-John 17:1). He spoke “these things” to His disciples and then lifted up His eyes to speak those same things to the Father. The discourse of the Overcomer in John 16 becomes the prayer of the Overcomer in John 17. The high priestly prayer is a prayer of victory!
The word “world” is repeated nineteen times in Jesus’ prayer. Victory over the world is accomplished in the world. Divine victory does not run from the battle, it goes to it. Jesus, the incarnate God, does just that. He comes to us to die for us. His victory is in the world but not of the world. Unlike worldly methods, He fights in the power of weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He wins in the supremacy of love (John 3:16). The greatest act of love is to die for another (John 15:13). This is how victory will be won; it is the kingdom of God way, not the worldly way. “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm’” (John 18:36).
And so, Jesus prays for His followers that they would remain in the world but not be of the world (John 17:15-16). These followers will fight in the same way Jesus fought and they will win the victory in the same way Jesus won the victory; they will get on their own cross and deny themselves (Luke 9:23). Ultimately, then, Jesus is praying that their self-denial will yield their reception of Him. It is the emptying of themselves that will result in them being filled with the Spirit; the only way they can have victory is by Jesus living the victory through them (Galatians 2:20). This is what he told them – prior to lifting it up in prayer to the Father – when He explained that He would be sending them the Spirit (John 16:7, 14).
In His prayer, Jesus repeats the word “glory” eight times, the word “name” five times, the idea of “give” or “gift” seventeen times, and the phrase “eternal life” seventeen times. Both “glory” and “name” speak of “reputation.” It is God’s reputation that is at stake. It is His glory that Jesus is praying for. Love is the essence of His reputation while “give” is the action of love. And so, Jesus’ prayer is full of allusions to the action of love which will magnify His glory/reputation. All of this has as it’s glorious result “eternal life.” This is what Jesus came for. This is the victory. This is His prayer. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us” (John 17:3, 21).
This is God’s plan so this is God’s prayer: “I come into the world so the world will know me and live.” Union with God (eternal life) is available for Jesus’ followers and for those who become Jesus’ followers through the multiplication of the word: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus prays that all will win!
Prayer is, by it’s very nature, a holy activity. The here and now banters back and forth with the One who is beyond, the One who is completely holy or separate. This world interacts with Him who is “otherworldly.” Amazingly incomprehensible. More mystery!
In John 17, Jesus engages in what is often called the “high priestly prayer” – God talking to God, deep calling to deep (Psalm 42:7) – in which we enter in with Him to the depths of mystery and to the heights of holiness. There is no prayer that has ever been prayed in the history of prayer that is more mystical, powerful, and sacred than the high priestly prayer.
What is the context of this prayer? Jesus had just finished a rather lengthy discourse in which He declared that He would be “leaving” and the Spirit would be arriving. He was most likely in the Upper Room with His disciples late Thursday night or on His way to Gethsemane early Friday morning and was only hours away from the cross. It is in this context that He speaks victory to His disciples and then He speaks victory to His Father. “‘These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.’ Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said….” (John 16:33-John 17:1). He spoke “these things” to His disciples and then lifted up His eyes to speak those same things to the Father. The discourse of the Overcomer in John 16 becomes the prayer of the Overcomer in John 17. The high priestly prayer is a prayer of victory!
The word “world” is repeated nineteen times in Jesus’ prayer. Victory over the world is accomplished in the world. Divine victory does not run from the battle, it goes to it. Jesus, the incarnate God, does just that. He comes to us to die for us. His victory is in the world but not of the world. Unlike worldly methods, He fights in the power of weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He wins in the supremacy of love (John 3:16). The greatest act of love is to die for another (John 15:13). This is how victory will be won; it is the kingdom of God way, not the worldly way. “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm’” (John 18:36).
And so, Jesus prays for His followers that they would remain in the world but not be of the world (John 17:15-16). These followers will fight in the same way Jesus fought and they will win the victory in the same way Jesus won the victory; they will get on their own cross and deny themselves (Luke 9:23). Ultimately, then, Jesus is praying that their self-denial will yield their reception of Him. It is the emptying of themselves that will result in them being filled with the Spirit; the only way they can have victory is by Jesus living the victory through them (Galatians 2:20). This is what he told them – prior to lifting it up in prayer to the Father – when He explained that He would be sending them the Spirit (John 16:7, 14).
In His prayer, Jesus repeats the word “glory” eight times, the word “name” five times, the idea of “give” or “gift” seventeen times, and the phrase “eternal life” seventeen times. Both “glory” and “name” speak of “reputation.” It is God’s reputation that is at stake. It is His glory that Jesus is praying for. Love is the essence of His reputation while “give” is the action of love. And so, Jesus’ prayer is full of allusions to the action of love which will magnify His glory/reputation. All of this has as it’s glorious result “eternal life.” This is what Jesus came for. This is the victory. This is His prayer. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent…even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us” (John 17:3, 21).
This is God’s plan so this is God’s prayer: “I come into the world so the world will know me and live.” Union with God (eternal life) is available for Jesus’ followers and for those who become Jesus’ followers through the multiplication of the word: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus prays that all will win!