A Prayer Of Jesus

John 17:11-19

Do you sometimes feel out of place in this world?  Perhaps you feel as if you don’t belong. This shouldn’t be cause for worry, as Jesus said this would happen to those who follow Him.  As we read in our Scripture passage today, Jesus said the world would hate us because we follow Him (vs 14).

This passage is part of a larger prayer that Jesus prayed to God the Father.  It shows His heart of love for us. Jesus prayed specifically for the apostles, and for us believers today, as well.  Let’s take a look at some of the things He prayed for in this passage.

Jesus knew He would be leaving this world real soon.  In a matter of hours He would be executed by His enemies.  Though He would rise again three days later, a little over a month following that Jesus would leave earth and return to heaven.  He would be physically parted from His followers. Jesus and God the Father are always in perfect agreement and harmony. In verse 11 we read that He prayed for unity, harmony, and love between all of His followers.  Parents do not like to see their children, at any age, squabbling between each other. It breaks their heart if it is a serious rift. This is the same with God when He sees His children fighting.

All who come to the Lord for salvation are safe in Him, and will never be lost again (vs 12).  Once one is saved, they are safe.  We have Jesus’s word here. Jesus speaks of Judas being lost, but he was never truly saved to begin with. Being safe in Jesus is cause for joy! Jesus prays that we all will have His joy (vs 13). The key to having joy is living in close contact and communication with Jesus, who is the source of joy.

In verse 14 Jesus warns us that if we are following Him, the world is not going to be our friend, but will hate us.  It hated Jesus, and the closer we are to Him, the more it will hate us. Why does the world hate Christians? It is because our values differ from the world’s values.  We don’t cooperate with the world by joining in their sins. Our way of life stands in contrast to their immorality. They follow Satan, who is the enemy of Jesus and His followers.  Since Jesus said this would be the case, it should not be a surprise, nor should we be overly disturbed by it. The Apostle John remembered Jesus’s words here, and wrote the same in his first Epistle (I John 3:13), and he also warned his readers not to love or follow the world and the philosophy it espouses (I John 2:15-17).

Sometimes when troubles pile up and life seems so difficult, some Christians wish that God would have taken them to heaven right away when they were saved.  That is not God’s plan for His followers. Jesus prayed in verse 15 that while we remain in the world, God would keep us safe from our enemy, Satan. That should be a comforting hope for us.

As Jesus continues His prayer for us, He prays in verse 17 that God would sanctify us.  The word sanctify means to set apart for God’s purpose and use. Many households have special china to be used only for special occasions or company.  We have been set apart from the world for God’s special use. God’s Word, the Bible, is what keeps us sanctified and holy. The more we read, meditate, and obey the Scriptures, the more we can be used by God.

We remain in this world, even though it is hostile to us, for a specific use.  We are here to go out into this world, bringing God’s message (vs 18). Believers are to be Jesus’s witnesses to the lost.  We are to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). Let’s let our Lord’s prayer for us be both a comfort and an encouragement to us, knowing He prayed for you and me today!