One thing that is of comfort to Christians is knowing that when there is a need, we can have other believers praying for us. Knowing that other believers are praying for us can help carry us through the long hours in the hospital waiting for news of a loved one in surgery. The prayers of others can give us the boost of encouragement we need when looking for a job during months of unemployment. Somehow knowing that a great man or woman of God is personally praying for us seems even more heartening, despite the fact that their prayers really don’t carry any more weight with God than those of one of His humble servants. What about knowing the Son of God is praying for you? Those are prayers that would carry special weight in heaven! And here in our Scripture passage today from the Gospel of John we read a portion of a special prayer that Jesus prayed on behalf of His followers, just a few brief hours before He was betrayed and then crucified.
The complete 17th chapter of John’s Gospel is a prayer that Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father on behalf of His disciples and all future Christians, as well, which would include us. Jesus prayed for His disciples because they would be facing the world’s temptations, along with their hatred, without His immediate presence. For the previous 3 - 3 ½ years Jesus had been physically present with all those who followed Him and believed in His message. Now Jesus would no longer be physically with them. He knew that going into the future believers would be under attack from His enemies, enemies of God. There would be the temptation to become discouraged, maybe even to give up, so Jesus held them in special prayer right then.
As we look into this prayer of Jesus we see that those who have accepted Him as their Savior are eternally secure (vs. 12). We are kept by Him. Kept, and not lost. We are secure forever because we are held by Jesus. The Son of God is not like a little child who loses some of his toys, allowing them to fall out of his hands, or accidentally leaving them behind in the playground. He has kept us, safe and secure in His almighty hands!
Knowing this should bring us great joy (vs. 13). The key to great joy is living in intimate contact with Jesus Christ, the Source of all joy. Walking and living in daily communion with Jesus, and knowing that He is continually interceding for us will bring us joy (Hebrews 7:25).
Why would the prayers of Jesus and the fact that He keeps us so secure in His hands be so important? The reason is found in verse 14. It is because the world hates Christians, true Christians who follow and obey His Word. The world hates Christians because we have different values from theirs. You might notice that when you listen to some of your fellow co-workers talking in the lunchroom, laughing at dirty, off-color jokes, when you search on TV for something decent to watch, and see only programs that are offensive. You see this when you try to stand for righteousness against a crowd that is following the path of the evil one. A Christian won’t join in the world’s sinning and immorality. They follow Satan’s agenda, and he is the enemy of Jesus and His people.
Jesus promised to protect believers from Satan and all of the wicked forces following him (vs. 15). Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, but he is still loose in the world, and orchestrating his evil plans. You will notice in this prayer that Jesus didn’t pray to take us out of the world. Sometimes we may wish that, but He wants to use us in this world. He sends us into the world to bring His message, but not to become a part of them.
We are not to be a part of this world’s evil system. Jesus prayed for us to be sanctified (vs. 17). To be sanctified means to be set apart, special, for God’s purpose and use. God has a special plan for each and every one of us, and we need to be set apart for Him to use. He has cleansed us and made us holy, and we remain that way by believing and obeying God’s Word. Daily reading and applying the Bible has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts.
When we begin to feel down or discouraged, thinking the Christian life is too hard and the enemy is too strong, remember that the Savior prayed for you. And not just that night before He was crucified, but He is right at this moment, seated at God the Father’s right hand praying for you, as well. You are kept in Jesus’ love, and set apart, just for Him.
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