John 17: Jesus Prays… For You

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 
 
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 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. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 
 
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just 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 have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” 
 
Meditation
Take heart in the intercession of Jesus. Locally, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father praying for you now (Romans 8:34). Eternally, Jesus lives to intercede for His people (Hebrews 7:25), our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). Historically, Jesus prayed for you as He journeyed to the cross.
 
Divine desire is for God’s people to be with Him, to know His glory through experiencing His eternal love (24). Like the love of God in Christ, there is no beginning and no end to the eternal glory of Christ (5). Jesus reveals the Father’s glory and invites believers to participate in God’s eternal story of glory through faith (3-4).
 
Jesus and the Father are ONE in love and glory. Belief weaves disciples into this mysterious union, being one with the Father and one another through union with Christ. When Jesus prays, He asks for the love and glory of the Father to be displayed though Christian unity.
 
Jesus prayed disciples would unify in the NAME of the Father, joining family with the Son (11-12); that we would be one in the TRUTH of the Word, protected from the enemy (14-19); one in PURPOSE, that the world may know the love and work of God (20-23); one in LOVE, so God’s eternal glory may be known and shown (24-26).
 
Jesus prays the eternal love of God would reveal the unbound glory of God through unity of the people of God. The Holy Spirit seals union. Jesus prays for disciples to know and show God’s love and glory through unity.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from the High Priestly prayer of Jesus?
 
-Where are you strengthened by the reality of Jesus praying for you? 
 
-Where do you need to grow in living the unity Jesus prays for? Which specific areas mentioned in the next to last paragraph are specifically attractive for you to lean into with more belief?
 
Key Verse
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one…