Jesus' High Priestly Prayer (Part 2c) Series

JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER

(Part 2c – Jesus’ Prayer For His Disciples)

John 17:6-19

Throughout our study of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer we have listened as the Savior prayer for Himself. We have heard His declaration of the purpose of His ministry to the Disciples and we will see how He prayed for all who would come to faith in Him. In our selected text for this session we will hear several important requests that Jesus makes to the Father on behalf of the Disciples. As we return to this passage, let us examine:

A. JESUS’ REQUEST FOR THE DISCIPLES

Though His work of redemption is complete and He is currently seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus’ ministry of intercession is an active role that continues today. We are unable to enter into the Throne Room and listen to Jesus’ prayers of intercession, but I believe that this prayer gives us a good indication of some of the things that He prays on our behalf. There are several important requests that Jesus makes on behalf of these men who had been faithful to follow Him throughout His earthly ministry. First of all we see that:

1. JESUS PRAYS THAT THE DISCIPLES WOULD BE UNIFIED

v11 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.

Once again it is apparent that Jesus is anticipating His glorious return to Heaven. He speaks in the past tense as if He has already accomplished the work that had been given to Him and ascended to Heaven. “I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You”. This highlights the reality that nothing and no one would be able to prevent the Savior from carrying out God’s divine plan of redemption.

Jesus addresses the God as “Holy Father”. William MacDonald says that “Holy speaks of One who is infinitely high. Father speaks of One who is intimately nigh.”

Jesus asks that the Father would keep the Disciples and that “they may be one as We are”. The scriptures make it clear that there should be unity among the followers of Christ. Jesus desired that His followers experience the same eternal unity that was enjoyed by all three members of the Trinity. Though He knew that He would soon depart this world, Jesus also knew that His Disciples would remain. It was His desire that they would be united in harmony and love in the same way as the Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

Jesus will echo this sentiment in His prayer for all believers in verses 21-23, there He said: “May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me”. The kind of unity that Jesus desires for His Disciples is only possible through the regenerating and sanctifying work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

- Not only did Jesus request that His Disciples would be unified, verse 13 shows us that:

2. JESUS PRAYED THAT THE DISCIPLES WOULD BE FILLED WITH JOY

v13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

There were many times in the Gospels when Jesus went away from everyone (including His Disciples) and spent time alone with God in prayer. There was a reason that He prayed this specific prayer in the presence of His followers. He did so as a means of comforting them, encouraging them, instructing them and bringing them joy. In this brief prayer Jesus gave them a glimpse of the prayers that He would be praying for them in Heaven while they remained on the earth.

I am certain that when these men were threatened, beaten and facing martyrdom for the sake of Christ, they were strengthened and encouraged to remember these words that He had prayed on their behalf. It must have been a source of great joy for them to know that their friend, Master and High Priest was on the throne interceding on for them.

- Not only did Jesus pray for His Disciples to be unified, He also prayed that they would endure. Notice:

3. JESUS PRAYED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE DISCIPLES