Jesus Prayer

John 17:1-5

How many of you can recite the Lord’s prayer?

What we refer to as the Lord’s prayer in Matt. 6 and Luke 11 is actually Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray. It is a great model for prayer, but Jesus is not actually praying in those passages.

There are several places in scripture we are told Jesus prayed. For example, Luke 3:21 tells us, He prayed at His baptism. Mark 1:35 says, early in the morning He would seek out a secluded place to pray, and Luke 6:12 tells us before He choose His disciples, He prayed.

So, we know that Jesus often prayed but no where are we given access to the thoughts and the content of His prayer like here in John 17.

This is often referred to as the High Priestly prayer of the Lord and is the longest of all the recorded prayers of Jesus public ministry.

Most scholars say we should take our shoes off when read this because we are treading on holy ground.

This prayer teaches us so much about the relationship between the Father and the Son, Jesus mission in the world, and His love for the disciples and the church.

This chapter divides itself up perfectly for us into three parts: In Vs. 1-5 Jesus prays for Himself. In Vs. 6-19 Jesus prays for the Apostles, and in Vs. 20-26 Jesus prays for us in the church age.

So, lets begin by looking at the first five verses, where Jesus is praying for Himself, so that we can learn what this teaches us for today.

John 17:1–5 KJV

These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Background and context.

Jesus and His disciples are on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Note Vs. 18:1.

But no matter what events were getting ready to take place once they reached the Garden, this prayer from Jesus teaches us, He was not a victim of the schemes of men. But He was the overcomer He claimed to be. John 16:33.

We have been listening to Jesus talking to the disciples, and now we get to listen to Him talking to the Father, and we learn about His mission and obedience to bring glory the God.

That should be our mission as Christians today. To bring glory to God through an obedient life.

I want to look at this passage under three headings: In Vs. 1a-1b we see the timing of His prayer.

In Vs. 1c we see the request of His prayer. In Vs. 2 -4 we have the foundation of His prayer.

Finally, Vs.5 gives us a restatement of His prayer, with one little caveat about the eternal glory of Christ.

So, the first thing I want you to see is:

I. The Timing of His Prayer.

Look at Vs. 1, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; ”

The opening phrase, “These words spake Jesus” is referring to his teaching the disciples. But, specifically I think He is referring to Vs. 33 here. Look at 6:33.

Because In Vs. 33 He talks about overcoming the world, and that is important because, He uses the word “world” 18 times in this chapter. And this prayer is absolutely an overcoming the world prayer!!

Jesus overcame the world by going to the cross, dying for our sin and rising from the dead three days later. In those three days He overcame all the power of sin, hell, and death, and now we know longer live in fear but we live in freedom.

Freedom from the penalty of sin and freedom from the power of sin because we have been reconciled to God through the cross of Jesus Christ. Because He has overcome the world through Him we will overcome the world.

Then notice His reverence for the Father. “He lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said Father.”

It was a common practice of prayer in the first century, to lift your eyes to heaven. It is a lot like the way we bow our heads in reverence to God.

And Jesus calls Him His Father. As a term of endearment, that speaks to the close family relationship Between the two. So, His approach to the Father is one of reverence!!!

And that should be our approach as well. Jesus taught us to pray like this, “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” Hallowed meaning holy. We are to come to God in reverence of His holiness.

Then notice the realization of time from Jesus, He says, “the hour is come; ”

This is a figure of speech Jesus used throughout the gospel of John, it is pointing us toward the cross. The completion of His mission in the world. The hour of His fulfillment of the plan of God.

But up until this point His hour was always in the future. For example in John 2:4 at the wedding celebration in Canaan, He said to Mary, “woman what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.

In John 7:6, (talking to His brothers about going to the passover feast) “Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.”

In John 7:30 Jesus was teaching in the temple and the Jewish leaders didn’t like what He had to say, and were told, “So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.”

It is not until He reached the upper room at the time of His final Passover feast that it changes.

And here in chapter 17, Jesus begins this prayer for Himself, knowing that the time has come. His arrest, condemnation and the cross are immediately before Him.

That is the timing of His prayer. The next thing I want you to see is:

II. The Request of His Prayer.

Vs. 1 says, “glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:”

To glorify means to honor, exalt, or to praise. But Jesus has so much more in mind here than that.

When we think of the cross we don’t think of it as glorious. The cross wasn’t a nice piece of jewelry they hung around their neck in the first century. That would be like walking around with a noose around your neck.

The cross was a place of shame, humiliation, and execution. But, the cross was where God’s glory was on full display.

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

The cross is the message of the power of God for everyone who believes. Because it removes all of the human effort involved in salvation.

Human effort brings glory to man but the cross brings glory to Christ.

How is Christ glorified by the cross? How ironic is it, that this horrible event of humiliation and shame, would be praised by men and women all over the world, in every generation whose sins have been forgiven!!!

III. The Foundation of His Prayer Vs. 2-4.

This is what the prayer of Jesus is based on.

Vs. 2, As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Vs. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Vs. 4, I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

IV. The Restatement of His Prayer

Vs. 5 says, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

This is a restatement of Jesus asking to be glorified with a caveat that speaks to His eternal position in Heaven as the second member of the God head.