JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
(Part 1c: Jesus’ Prayer For Himself)
John 17:2-3
v1 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, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
Each year during the Christmas season many of us struggle with that complicated process where we set out to find that perfect gift for those whom we love. As Christians, we all know that the greatest gift that we have ever received is salvation through Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the greatest gift that we could ever share with someone is the Gospel. These are fundamental truths that most of us have been taught all of our lives.
Jesus words here in His High Priestly Prayer reveal an important and beautiful reality that many Christians do not know. I am referring to the fact that we are the Father’s gift to His Son. In verse 2 Jesus declares that the Father has given Him “authority over all flesh” the reason and the result of Jesus possessing such authority is so “He should give eternal life to as many as (the Father has) given Him”.
You have heard someone facetiously say, “he thinks he is God’s gift”, or “she thinks she is God’s gift”. Well, in a different context, those of us who belong to Jesus can accurately say, “we are God’s gift!”. That is, we are God’s gift to His Son. Jesus magnifies this reality several more times in this prayer.
v6 "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.
v9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.
v11 …keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept
v24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am….)
There is an ancient custom that does a wonderful job of illustrating this reality. In ancient Jewish culture it was common for a father to arrange the marriage of his son. This is seen in Genesis 24 when Abraham commanded his servant to go to his home country and select a wife for his son Isaac. The servant obeyed his command and went and found Rebekah and she was presented to Isaac. Similarly God the Father has chosen a Bride and given her to His Son. In Ephesians 5:25-32 Paul refers to the Church as the Bride of Christ. Those who are members of Christ’s Church are the Bride of Christ and because of this beautiful relationship we have assurance of eternal life.
- In verse 3, Jesus vividly describes eternal life.
v3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”.
When we hear the phrase “eternal life” certain thoughts automatically come to mind. We think about the things that will be “no more” that John described in – Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
When we think about eternal life we think about receiving a glorified body and being reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.
When we think about eternal life we anticipate a time when we are delivered from the presence of sin as well as no longer having to deal with Satan and his evil forces. We think about mansions, streets of Gold, walls of jasper, gates of pearl and all of the many other aesthetics that we are told about concerning that Holy City, New Jerusalem. Concerning eternal life we think about a place of indescribable beauty, and a life filled with peace, hope, joy, love and security.
There is no question that there is biblical evidence for each of these realities. However, Jesus mentions none of these things in this prayer. Rather, He states that eternal life is knowing God the Father and Christ Himself. Many people have the mistaken idea that eternal life begins when they transition from earth to Heaven. Eternal life is not a future reality for the child of God; instead it is a present possession. Eternal life begins the moment a person exercises faith in Christ. Jesus said in John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” Again I say, eternal life is a present possession for the Christian!
In verse 3, Jesus declares that eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. It is important to note that there is no knowledge of the Father apart from the Son. (John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. ) It is through the Son that the Father reveals Himself to the Elect. (John 14:9 “He that has seen Me has seen the Father”.)
When Jesus speaks of knowing God, He is taking about more than intellectual knowledge. To truly “know God” is to have a personal relationship with Him. There are many people who know about God, there are many people who even believe all that the Bible says about Jesus, but this is not enough to guarantee salvation and eternal life. James said “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble!” (James 2:19)
Jesus declares that on the Day of Judgement there will be many who not only claimed to follow Him but have done many marvelous works in His name. However, these people did not have an authentic relationship with Him and as a result they will hear Him say “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:23). This passage (as well as many others) makes it clear that people may be sincerely religious and still not know God.
No one can attain eternal life by good morals or good works; eternal life is a gift that is given to us by God. We receive this gift by admitting we are sinners and repenting & believing in Jesus Christ. John would later write in his first epistle – “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11–12).
Jesus says that eternal life is knowing Him and knowing the Father. There is no way to articulate just what an amazing privilege this is. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we are able to live in intimate fellowship with the God of all creation. This prayer shows us that Jesus’ desire is that “they may know You, the only true God”.
Our God is not just some mystic deity, He is “the only true God”, and it is His desire for us to know Him personally. Throughout history multitudes have worshipped countless false Gods. We are told of such false gods as: Baal, Asherah, Ashtoreth, Chemosh, Dagon, Hadad, Moloch, Tammuz, Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Zeus, Hermes, Artemis, Dionysus and others. Our God is far greater than any and all of these entities; He is the only true God! This fact is proclaimed throughout the scriptures:
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!;
Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.;
Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.;
Isaiah 46:9 …For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
The Baptist Catechism (1795) states that “There is but one (God) only, the living and true God” and goes on to state that “There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.”
Throughout this prayer we see evidence of Jesus’ divinity, and there is ample scriptural proof elsewhere that Jesus (like the Father) is the only true God.
John 10:30 I and My Father are one."
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Because of our relationship with Jesus we are assured that He is the only true God. (1 John 5:20 we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.)
Jesus reveals the Father to the world and through His death on the Cross God has provided forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all those who believe in Him. The information contained within the first 3 verses of this chapter declares some amazing realities for the Christian; these things are possible because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.
