Jesus Intercedes for His Own

Jesus prayed that we would be one with Him as He is one with the Father

INTRO: John 17 records Jesus’ final prayer before His arrest, often called the High Priestly Prayer. Speaking directly to the Father, Jesus prays for His own glorification through the cross, for the protection and sanctification of His disciples, and for the unity of all future believers. The chapter reveals the heart of Jesus, His deep relationship with the Father, His love for His followers, and His desire that they share in God’s glory and oneness.

TO BELIEVE THE FATHER SENT JESUS

John 17:1–5 NKJV

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give \eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Setting the scene: John 17 portrays Jesus with His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Last Supper, on the eve of His betrayal. In a quiet, emotionally charged moment, Jesus prays to the Father with deep intimacy, revealing His reliance on God as He prepares for the coming sacrifice. The disciples, though weary and confused, witness this sacred exchange and are drawn into a moment of profound spiritual significance. The garden becomes a place of peace and strength amid the looming trial ahead.

Instead of a moment of defeat, Jesus saw the cross as an utimate triumph, both as an expression of God’s boundless love and the realization of His redemptive purpose. He linked this crucial “hour” to His glorification.

Jesus defined eternal life in a way that contrasts with common perceptions of heavenly rewards like pearly gates or goden streets; instead, He described it as knowing, “the only true God, and Jesus Christ.”

Therefore, experiencing eternal life hinges on knowing God the Father and Jesus as the Messiah sent to redeem the world.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6–10 NKJV

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

At one time, these men were part of the world, Jesus was referring to their general sinfulness and lack of understanding, but now they are know.

God called these specific men out from thr world, and they received God’s word, kept His word, and believed the Father had sent His son, Jesus.

Despite moments of weak faith, unwise remarks, and partial understanding of His teaching, the desciples accepted Jesus as the One who “came out from (the Father) demonstrating their faith in His teaching and their belonging to God, unlike those that rejected Him!

Jesus prayed specifically for those chosen by the Father, those through their belief in Him, acceptance of His words, and obedience to His teachings, now brough glory to Him, and the Father.

Jesus says He has revealed the Father to the men the Father gave Him.

He affirms the disciples belong to the Father, and they have received and obeyed God’s word.

They now understand that Jesus’ words and mission come from the Father.

Jesus says He has given them the Father’s words, and they have believed that Jesus was sent by God.

Jesus is praying specifically for them, not for the world, because they belong to God.

He declares the deep unity between Himself and the Father: “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine,” and He is glorified in them.

TO REMAIN PROTECTED AND SANCTIFIED

A Prayer of Protection John17:11-14

John 17:11–14 NKJV

Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Jesus is praying to God the Father shortly before His crucifixion. This prayer is part of what is known as the Farewell Discourse, where Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure., Jesus prays to God, asking Him to protect His disciples as they remain in the world, emphasizing their unity and the need for divine safeguarding from evil. He highlights that He has kept them safe during His time with them, except for one who was destined to be lost, and expresses His desire for them to continue in His teachings and joy.

11 Jesus acknowledges that He is no longer in the world, but His disciples remain. He asks the Father to protect them in His name, emphasizing unity among them, similar to the unity between Him and the Father.

12 Jesus states that while He was with the disciples, He kept them safe, except for Judas Iscariot, who was destined to betray Him. This highlights the fulfillment of scripture.

13 Jesus expresses His desire for His disciples to have His joy fulfilled in them, indicating the importance of joy in their mission.

14 He notes that He has given them God's word, which has led the world to hate them because they do not belong to it, just as He does not belong to the world.

Sanctified by the Truth

John 17:15–19 NKJV

I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

We witness a profound moment where Jesus intercedes for His disciples before His impending crucifixion. He acknowledges the harsh realities His followers will encounter in a world that often opposes the values of God’s kingdom. Jesus prays for their sanctification and protection, recognizing the spiritual battles they will face.

Just as the disciples encountered hatred and persecution, believers today may also face opposition for their faith. However, the assurance that Jesus has prayed for their protection and sanctification offers comfort and strength in the face of adversity. The call to live distinctively in a world that often contradicts the teachings of Christ remains a relevant and pressing challenge for believers today.

“I have given them your word,” Jesus affirms, the divine truth He has imparted to His disciples. This truth equips them with the wisdom and knowledge of God, guiding their path amidst the challenges ahead.

“The world has hated them” underscores the inevitable opposition and persecution that believers, like Jesus, will encounter due to their allegiance to a higher calling.

“They are not of the world,” Jesus declares, emphasizing the distinctiveness of His followers who are called to live by heavenly standards rather than conforming to worldly norms. Through the prayer, Jesus seeks the sanctification of His disciples, a process of spiritual growth and purification through the transformative power of God’s truth.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth,” Jesus implores, highlighting the centrality of God’s Word in shaping and molding the lives of believers.

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,” Jesus commissions His disciples to continue His mission of spreading the gospel and embodying God’s love. This call to mission and purpose resonates through the ages, reminding believers today of their responsibility to share the message of salvation and live out the love of Christ in a world that desperately needs it.

Just as the disciples encountered hatred and persecution, believers today also face opposition for their faith. However, the assurance that Jesus has prayed for ourr protection and sanctification offers comfort and strength in the face of adversity. The call to live distinctively in a world that often contradicts the teachings of Christ remains a relevant and pressing challenge for believers today.

TO LIVE IN UNITY WITH CHRIST

John 17:20–23 NKJV

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven, His voice is filled with emotion as He prays not only for His disciples but also for all who will believe in Him through their message. The intimacy of the moment is palpable as Jesus speaks of the unity He desires for His followers, that they may be one just as He and the Father are one.

These verses highlights the importance of unity among believers, stressing the idea of togetherness and harmony within the community of followers of Christ. Jesus prays for unity among His disciples, reminding us of the significance of coming together in faith, love, and purpose. The unity that Jesus prays for mirrors the perfect unity between the Father and the Son, emphasizing the divine connection and bond that exists within the Holy Trinity.

Jesus prays not only for the disciples, but also for everyone who will believe through their message.

He asks that all believers would be one, united in a way that reflects the unity between the Father and the Son.

This unity is meant to be a witness to the world, so people may believe that the Father sent Jesus.

Jesus says He has given believers His glory, so they may be brought into complete unity.

The result is that the world may know the Father sent Jesus and loves believers as He loves the Son.

A Glorious Reunion

John 17:24–26 NKJV

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus speaks of His deep love for His disciples and for all who will come to believe in Him through their message. His words are filled with a sense of unity, purpose, and divine love that transcends time and space. The scene captures the essence of Jesus’ mission on earth and His ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of humanity.

Jesus speaks of eternal communion, of being in the very presence of the One who is the source of life and love. His reference to seeing His glory, bestowed upon Him by the Father before the world began, unveils the timeless bond of love within the Trinity, a love that believers are invited to witness and partake in.

The world’s ignorance of the Father contrasted with the disciples’ knowledge of Him, Jesus highlights the intimate relationship He shares with the Father and the role He plays in revealing God to humanity. This distinction underscores the profound privilege and responsibility of those who have come to know Christ.

In a world marked by division and strife, the call to unity and love that resounds through Jesus’ prayer remains as relevant today as it was in the time of Christ. This prayer challenges us to transcend our differences, embody the love of Christ, and strive for unity among believers. The eternal perspective offered in these verses reminds us of the hope and glory that await us, urging us to live in light of eternity amidst the challenges of the present.

Jesus asks the Father that those who belong to Him would be with Him where He is and see His glory, the glory the Father gave Him because He was loved before the world began.

He contrasts the world’s ignorance of God with the truth that Jesus knows the Father, and His followers know that the Father sent Him.

Jesus says He has made the Father known to them and will continue to do so, so that the love the Father has for the Son may be in them, and so that Jesus Himself may be in them.