JESUS’ HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
(Part 1c – Jesus’ Prayer For Himself)
John 17:1-5
Throughout Jesus’ high Priestly prayer it is evident that Jesus’ greatest desire was that God would be glorified. In verse 4 Jesus says “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do”. For us to fully grasp the content of the following verses we must first address the words “glory” and “glorify”. In our modern vernacular these words are seldom used apart from a church context.
The NKJV Study Bible contains a useful word study for the word “glorify”. This Greek term means “to give glory,” or “to make glorious.” It was one of John’s favorite expressions concerning what would happen to Jesus as the result of His crucifixion and resurrection (see 7:39; 12:23, 24). These events would show the world that Jesus was no ordinary man. The resurrection, especially, would show that He was the glorious Son of God worthy of all honor. In His final prayer, Jesus asked the Father to be glorified alongside of Him (that is, in the Father’s presence) by means of the glory He had with the Father before the world existed. In other words, Jesus was praying to enter into that pristine state of coequal glory with the Father, a position He possessed from eternity as God’s only Son (see 1:1, 18). He would enter into that glory in a new way—as the God-man, the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ. (Nelson, Thomas. NKJV Study Bible, Full-Color (p. 6571). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.)
Throughout this prayer it is evident that Jesus’ greatest desire was that God would be glorified. He declares that He has “glorified (God) on the earth and finished the work” which God had given Him to do. In the previous verses Jesus has declared that God had given Him “authority over all flesh” so that He “should give eternal life to as many as (the Father) had given Him”. What is this eternal life? Jesus says that it is “knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom (He has) sent.”
Jesus’ hour has come, His death is imminent; in less than 24 hours He will be handed over to His enemies and crucified. Everything that He has done up to this point and everything that would soon take place was all done in order to glorify the Father. Jesus’ entire life and ministry had brought honor and glory to God. His arrival on earth brought God glory. There are over 300 prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament scriptures. These passages told where He would be born, what He would do, what He would say, how He would die and that He would rise.
Jesus left Heaven, came to earth and every step of the way He fulfilled these prophesies and in the process brought glory to the Father. He is the promised “seed” who would crush the serpent’s head that God spoke about in Genesis 3:15. He is the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. He was born in Bethlehem just as it was promised in the Book of Micah. Eight days after His birth He was circumcised and then a few weeks later He was dedicated in the Temple, each of these things brought glory to the Father. Even those silent years when Jesus lived in submission to Joseph and Mary in Nazareth brought glory to the Father.
At the beginning of His earthly ministry “Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him” (Matthew 3:13). Matthew goes on to tells us that “when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him”. Following this, the Father spoke from Heaven and proclaimed His delight in His beloved Son: “behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
Every single aspect of His earthly ministry glorified the Father. Every sermon He preached, parable He shared and lesson that He taught, whether publically or privately brought glory to the Father. Every rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees and every word spoken before the Sanhedrin or the Romans glorified the Father. Every piece of bread and fish that was broken and every single fragment that was left over when He fed the multitudes glorified God. Every blind, deaf, mute or lame person that was healed with the touch or His hand or the sound of His voice glorified the Father. Every leper that was cleansed, every demon that was cast out and every corpse that was raised brought glory to the Father. These things glorified God because they revealed Him to the multitudes.
Earlier in this very night, Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus said “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:9)
The works that Jesus accomplished and the power and authority that He possessed over all flesh certainly glorified the Father. However, the ultimate glorification would soon take place. Within hours Jesus would be betrayed and handed over to His enemies and the things that would follow also brought the Father glory.
Every scornful laugh and every blasphemous insult that Jesus experienced glorified God. Every stripe that was laid on His back, every pierce in His flesh, whether it be from the cruel crown of thorns, the spikes that they drove into His hands and feet or the spear that the Roman soldier thrust into His side, they all glorified the Father. Every single drop of blood that flowed from His sinless body brought glory to God.
Even though these things had yet to take place; Jesus confidently proclaimed, “I have glorified your name”. Jesus saw His work on earth as already being complete. He knew that nothing could thwart God’s divine plan of redemption. The opposition of the governmental and religious leaders, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, being abandoned by the Apostles, the scourging, mocking, the horrific agony of the Cross, not even experiencing the wrath of His Father; none of these things would prevent Him from finishing the work that He was sent to do.
When Jesus prayed this prayer, He and the Father knew that all things would be completed just as had been planned in eternity past. Jesus knew that He would go to Cross and lay down His life as the perfect, sinless and acceptable sacrifice for our sins. He knew that He was “the lamb slain before the foundation of the world”.
The following day, Pilate would ask Jesus "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth…" (John 18:37). Jesus fully submitted to God’s will and accomplished the work that had been assigned to Him. (Philippians 2:8 and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross). If you continue reading you will see that Jesus was indeed obedient to “the death of the Cross”, and things were accomplished He cried “it is finished”. After the horrors of the crucifixion, “when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit” (John 19:30). The actual completion of bearing judgment wrath for sinners was declared by Christ in the cry, “It is finished”.
After declaring that He had glorified God and finished the work He had been sent to do, Jesus went on to request that the Father would glorify Him. Notice:
v5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Looking beyond the Cross, Jesus asked His Father to return Him to the glory that He shared with the Father before His incarnation. Furthermore it is important to note that Jesus possessed this glory before the world was formed. (John 1:1 the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made). In John 8:58 Jesus said "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Jesus said in - John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Once again we see evidence of Jesus’ preexistence and deity. Prior to His incarnation, God the Son and God the Father enjoyed a shared glory. His desire and confident expectation was that the Father would reinstate Him to the glory He had surrendered to accomplish the task that had been given to Him. Even Jesus’ return to Heaven brought glory to the Father.
In verse 1 and verse 5 Jesus asked the Father to “glorify His Son”, this request involved the resurrection. As vital as Christ’s death is concerning our redemption, without the resurrection it would have all been in vain. The enemies of the Savior thought that He was just a man; and a madman at that. If He were to remain in the grave after His death, His enemies would have been vindicated. The Apostle Paul would later write that our faith would be in vain if Christ is not raised. (1 Corinthians 15:17 if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.)
We know that God honored the Savior’s request; He answered His prayer and He glorified the Son by raising Him from the dead on Resurrection morning. Furthermore, some 40 days later Jesus ascended to Heaven and He is currently seated at the right hand of the Father. Scripture assures us that one day He will return, judge His enemies and rule and reign throughout eternity. Because He completed the work that God sent Him to accomplish, we have the opportunity to receive eternal life and eternal life is knowing God.
The Westminster Confession of faith begins with the question: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” We glorify God when we honor Him with our praise, worship, offerings and our service.
The Psalmist declared that “Full of splendor and majesty is (God’s) work” (Psalm 111:3). By recognizing and praising God for His majesty and splendor we are able to glorify Him. Another important way that we can glorify God is by faithfully serving Him in this world. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). When we let our lights shine before men, we will bear fruit for His Kingdom; this also brings the Father glory. Bearing fruit for the kingdom of God also brings glory to Him. (John 15:8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.)
Jesus left Heaven and came to earth to do the Father’s will. Everything He did pointed people to the Father. So much so that He was able to say “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father…” He went on to say in John 14:19 Jesus said “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
We are in Christ; He is in us and He is in the Father. When we point people to Jesus, the entire Trinity is involved and glorified. Everything we do should be done with the intention of bringing glory to the Father.
To God be the glory, Great things He hath done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son;
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
and opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, Praise The Lord, Let The Earth Hear His Voice
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.
Jesus’ desire was to glorify the Father; this should be the desire of everyone who belongs to Him. Our Savior took the time and prayed intently that this would be the result of His life and service to the Father. It is imperative that we follow His example and do the same. Let us make it a regular practice to pray for ourselves and may our hearts desire be that we would glorify our Father in Heaven.
07102024
