Christ's Prayer

John 17:1-11

The 17th chapter of the Gospel of John contains what many have called the “real” Lord’s Prayer.  The Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6 is really a pattern for prayer that Jesus gave us, not a prayer that He prayed Himself.  Chapter 17 of John, though, is a record of a prayer that Jesus actually prayed to God the Father.  Prayer was an important part of Jesus’s life.  He regularly prayed, especially before important times in His life and ministry.  This is also the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the Bible.  In this chapter He prays both for Himself, and also for the disciples and for future believers.   He prays that God will keep the believers pure, and give them joy, peace and unity.  Jesus also prays that God will protect them from Satan.

In verse 1 Jesus was praying that God would glorify Himself.  How would He be glorified?  Jesus was glorified by His death and resurrection for the sins of the world.  His death would bring worship and love to God from those whom He died for, and the Father was glorified for the plan of redemption.  Jesus’ death brought redemption to us from our sins, and this brings glory to both the Father and the Son.

Verse 5 is another verse that speaks of glory.  Here Jesus was looking forward to what lay beyond the cross.  He knew that the next 24 hours would be most horrific, with the torture and agony of the crucifixion.  Jesus kept His eyes on what lay beyond that, to His return to heaven and the glory He shared with the Father since before time.  Jesus was one with God the Father since before time began, long before He came to earth as the Incarnate Son of God.  In this verse He expresses looking forward to returning to His place of honor in heaven.  When we are going through some very trying and difficult times, we can look beyond it as well, looking forward to when we will be with Jesus in glory.

Verse 10 continues the theme of glory.  Jesus says that we, the believers, bring glory to Him.  How are we doing with that?  Are we glorifying Jesus?  Do our lives bring Him glory, or do we bring Him shame?

In verse 11, Jesus again lifts His disciples in prayer.  After Jesus will return to heaven at His Ascension, in approximately a little over 40 days, the disciples would have to face trials and temptations without His immediate presence.  Before then, Jesus was always physically present with them.  Now, though believers have the Holy Spirit actually residing inside them, Jesus was not bodily present with them.  He prays that God will keep them through His Name, a Name that is a strong tower, a Name that we can run to and be safe (Proverbs 18:10).   The world we live in is a battleground between Satan’s forces and God’s forces.  What a comfort to know that Jesus prayed for us then, and continues to do so now (Hebrews 7:25).

Verse 3 is a very key verse in this passage.  Here Jesus says in what way we can have eternal life.  Eternal life is only through the God of the Bible, Yahweh, and only through His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is not through any other religion, religious leader, or philosophy.  Jesus said that eternal life is only through Him.  Many religious leaders today will say that there are many roads that lead to heaven, and that one is as good as any other.  That may be politically correct, but that is not what Jesus said here.  Salvation is only through the Lord Jesus Christ.  The eternal life that we get when we have accepted Jesus as our Savior isn’t just after we die.  It begins the moment we are saved.  This eternal life is a living and growing relationship with God, and continues on even more gloriously after we die when we enter His Kingdom.

Have you accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior?  Do you have this eternal life He gives to us?  If you have, is your life bringing glory to Jesus, just as His does to the Father?   As we strive to live lives that glorify Him, we can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is praying for us.

I pray that you have enjoyed and benefited from these Bible meditations that I have written for this blog.   I hope you will prayerfully consider donating as the Lord might lead you.  This blog is not run through a large ministry with a wide funding base.  I am an individual with limited financial resources.  Thank you and God bless.