Jesus’ Priestly Prayer For His Church

Introduction:

How shall we feel if we received a letter/ email from President Trump or PM Trudeau that he is praying for us? In John 17, we have the King and Kings Lord Jesus Christ’s longest recorded prayer. We are so blessed to have the highest authority (Jesus) praying and interceding for us. He is our mediator and intercessor before God. 1 Timothy 2:5

A person's prayer is the reflection of his heart.

1. Context of Priestly Prayer:

John 17:1- After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed. That means it has reference to what He said before prayer in John 16.

a. Promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit

b. Jesus foretold about His death and leaving the earth

c. Jesus foretold that disciples will have persecution and will have troubles. Christian life is not free of troubles but Jesus promises His peace in troubles. He said, “don’t worry about the troubles you will have in the world, I have overcome the world and you will also overcome the world.”

2. Jesus Prays to Be Glorified:

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

The glory of God the Father is the highest priority of Jesus. It is a mutual glorification- Father glorify the Son and Son glorifies the Father- because they are in the perfect unity of Trinity.

How Jesus brought glory to Father? By finishing the work Father gave Him to do (v 4), the work of dying on the cross for the salvation of mankind, by choosing 12 men to continue His mission after His return to God the Father.

Remember, before taking the form of a man, Jesus was with God the Father and shared the same glory of Father. When He became man (Philippians 2:1-10) He left His glory behind to be the servant. Now the time had come to return to Father and so He prays for restoration of His original glory. He and Father enjoyed the same state of glory at the time of creation (John 1:1-3).

Glory of God is Jesus’ priority and prayer. He wants us to glorify God through our lives. How? By doing and completing the work God has given to each one of us. When we faithfully do and complete the work God has given us, that gives glory to God. We have been created for God’s glory. When we glorify God in and though us, we become an answer to Jesus’ prayer for God’s glory. Isaiah 43:7

B. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you.

1. Jesus prayed for the protection of His Disciples:

V 11- Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me,

V 12- While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

The purpose of protection is the unity among the disciples.

V 15- My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

Jesus wanted disciples to stay in the world to spread the gospel so He prayed for their protection against evil.

2. Jesus prayed for His Full Measure of His Joy within the Disciples:

V 13 -“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.