Jesus Prays for Himself to Be Glorified
17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Footnotes:
- John 17:6 Greek your name
- John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to
- John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to
- John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with
- John 17:26 Greek your name
As I was reading this Scripture I became curious on what I wrote in my Teaching Outline for this chapter back in June of 2013. I have included it below for your reading. As you read the application section ("As a Christian, I need to:") fill in your own thoughts and hold them in your heart. God bless you.
“The Glory I Had . . . Before The World Began”
(John 17:1-5)
I. Concentration: on Jesus’ glorification of God.
- After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” (v.1)
- “For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (vv.2-3)
- “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (v.4)
- “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (v.5)
II. Meditation: on preparing to return home.
- Dying Jacob blessed the 12 patriarchs, dying Moses the 12 tribes, dying Jesus prays for His 12 disciples; He knows it is time to return home to His Father; in human form (not as God) He asks that the work He has done on earth will be made known through the cross.
- His Son, Jesus, acknowledges the power delegated to Him; the Son has given life to all creation (John 1:10-11) and now it is time for Him to offer eternal life to those given to Him by God (John 1:12).
- Jesus has glorified His Father throughout His life on earth – when one saw the deeds and heard the words of Jesus it was equivalent of seeing and hearing the Father; Jesus’ obedience, humility and sacrifice honored and glorified God.
- Jesus mentions His oneness with God as part of the Godhead; through the cross He returns to where He was before He was sent to earth in human form.
III. Revelation: on communing with the Godhead for eternity.
- Praying, Jesus lifted His eyes toward heaven, setting an example for us to lift up our prayers to God; praise God for giving us His son to save us from ourselves.
- None of us deserve this wonderful gift of eternal life, but it’s the gift God decided we could have – if we repent, ask forgiveness and follow His Son – to be more Christ-like.
- In everything we do, in our services to God, we should do it all for the Glory of Our Lord.
- Jesus is our Intercessor who sits at the right hand of the throne of God.
IV. Application: As a Christian, I need to:
- Make special time each day to lift up prayers to my Lord and also commune with Him throughout the day – thank Him for the beauty surrounding us, for health, love . . .
- Do everything I can to please God and make Him happy He has offered this gift to me; I know I can’t earn it and am not worthy of it, but let the Holy Spirit guide me.
- Realize that I know enough of His Word now to be aware of what I need to do to be obedient, humble and serve Him with all I am and can be.
- Feel grateful for being alive in a time and place where I have the opportunity to know and worship Jesus, realizing that everyone on this earth does not.