When we have a prayer concern, it is nice and comforting to know that other Christians are praying for us. Knowing that others are praying for us can help get us through a difficult time. Imagine how depressed and discouraged you would be if you felt that there was no one in all the world praying for you! There could be a shut-in who hasn’t been able to get to church in a number of years, and whose church has forgotten all about them, and thus no one is praying for them. There could be someone whose church has shut them out for some real or supposed sin, and again there is no one to pray for their needs. We have here in our Scripture for today the reassurance that even if no one else may be praying for us, we can know that the Lord Jesus is. Let’s look into our Scripture passage to read that verse, and also see what else we can learn.
Today’s reading comes from the Gospel of John, and this 17th chapter contains the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, where He prays for all believers, both those seated with Him that evening before His crucifixion, and also for all believers in the future (vs. 20). That includes you and me! We also see other references in Scripture where we read that Jesus is praying for us. In Romans 8:34 we read that Jesus is at God’s right hand making intercession for us. Also in I John 2:1 we see that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father. He is our attorney in heaven, pleading our case. And in Hebrews 7:25 we also read again that Jesus is in heaven interceding or praying for us. Though it is nice to feel that there are other people who pray for us, we can be assured that we do have a loving Savior who is praying for us each and every day!
This segment of Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer contains more than just a reassurance that He is praying for us. We also read of His prayer for unity among believers, that God’s love will be within us, and also that we will behold the glory which God has given Him, along with the need for us to spread His message. Let’s look at these topics, as well.
Jesus prayed that evening before Good Friday that believers would have unity, that they would be one in faith, just as He and the Father are One (vs. 21-23). This is not just an organizational unity, that we are all members of one specific church, or our specific churches join with one another. Instead, it is a spiritual unity which is rooted in the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, and with the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are united by our belief in God’s truth, which is the Bible. It is very important to have doctrinal purity and unity in faith. That is much more important than just seeking ecumenical unity that compromises biblical truth. We shouldn’t seek to join hands with some “Christian” denomination that doesn't hold to the fundamentals of the faith, just for claims of having unity. However, we need to have unity with those who do believe the Bible and all it teaches.
The Savior also prayed that we would share in the love that He and the Father had for each other (vs. 24, 26). Jesus desires that all of us Christians will experience the same love that the Father has for Him. This comes only for those who have a personal relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though God does love everyone, having this special relationship with Him comes only through a personal faith in His Son, Jesus. Only then will we have that eternal, never-ending love, just like the Father and the Son have.
The third thing that Jesus prayed for in this segment of Scripture was regarding the glory that He shares with His followers (vs. 22, 24). We might wonder how we, sinful creatures that we are, can share in the glory of the Savior. This reflects the transformation that believers undergo through salvation. When we are saved, or born-again, we receive the Lord Jesus’ righteousness, and undergo a sanctification process where we grow in holiness and reflect the Lord Jesus’ character. He passes on to us the glory that He receives from the Father.
The final thing that Jesus prayed about in our Scripture is that the world will believe that the Father sent Him (vs. 25-26). Of course, in order for those in the world to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, sent from God, they have to be told. We have to go out and share the Good News with them, just as Jesus commissioned us to before He returned to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20). We need to be spreading the Gospel every day to all nations without compromise.
In closing, we can be assured that Jesus prayed, and is praying for us, even if no one else is. And we can strive to be fulfilling the remainder of His High Priestly Prayer by having unity among other true believers, knowing both the love and the glory of the Father through salvation in His Son Jesus, and then bringing His message to others. How are you doing in following His prayer?
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