Jesus’ Prayer

13 Apr

John 17:1-26

The Prayer That Changes Everything

"Have you ever had someone say, 'I'll pray for you,' and then actually do it?"

Maybe. Some of us have experienced that gift.

But what's even more awesome is when they actually follow up weeks later and ask, "How did it go?" When that happens, you feel amazing. You feel seen, loved, cared for.

Now take that feeling and times it by infinity. What we find in John 17 is something that should absolutely blow our minds: Jesus, before the cross, before you even existed, prayed for you and for me.

The Hour Has Come: Glory in Suffering

"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.'"

This is after everything Jesus has taught from John 13 onward. He's been preparing His disciples for the fact that He's going away, but promising He won't leave them alone, He'll send the Holy Spirit.

The disciples are fearful. But Jesus reassures them that the Holy Spirit will be far greater than having Jesus physically present. And now, knowing what's to come, Jesus turns and looks toward heaven and prays this beautiful, pastoral, loving, caring prayer.

The word "glory" appears throughout this passage. What's amazing and shocking: This moment Jesus is talking about, His glorification, is the greatest moment of suffering in human history, but also the greatest moment of glory at the same time.

In this one glorious moment at the cross, we see three beautiful things on display:

God's justice - sin is dealt with
God's love - we are rescued from our sin
God's mercy - we are forgiven

The cross isn't a tragic accident. It's the very center of God's glorious plan.

Eternal Life Starts Now

"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 know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

Eternal life is not just living forever.

Eternal life is knowing God. Knowing God relationally, personally, intimately. Knowing Jesus the Son. Having the Spirit dwelling in us. If you know Jesus, you already have eternal life. Because you already have a relationship with Him. That means eternal life starts the very moment you say, "Jesus is my Lord and Saviour. I trust Jesus. I want to follow Jesus."

It doesn't start after we're dead. We just get to experience it in all its fullness and glory then. But our eternal life, our relationship with God, our relationship with Jesus has already begun.

As a Christian, you are living in eternal life now.

So the question we need to think about is: What does that look like?

Jesus Prays Three Things for His Disciples

As they live out eternal life in this world, Jesus prays for them. Notice what He doesn't pray:

"Father, take them out of the world"
"Make life easy for them"

That's not what He prays. Instead, He prays for them while they remain in this world. Three crucial things:

1. Protect Them

"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name... I know this life will be hostile. I know that faith can be fragile because the pressure they will feel to reject Jesus will be massive."

The disciples who Jesus is praying for were heavily persecuted. If everything about Jesus was false, incorrect, or bogus, they would have said, "I'm not going through this for something made up." These guys went through torture, horrendous life situations, even death themselves. Jesus prays they'd be protected so they'd remain faithful and keep confessing Him all the way along.

"Father, keep them because I know life will be hard. It will not be easy. It will not be simple."

When we become followers of Jesus, it's not just us holding on to God. God holds on to us.

Jesus is praying: "Father, hold on to them even when they feel like giving up. Be their comfort, their strength. Protect their faith, protect their soul so they will follow You."

2. Give them joy

Verse 13: "I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."

Jesus isn't praying they'd be happy and things would go nicely. He's praying something that connects deeply with John 16: There will be great trouble in life as a Christian. Jesus never promises a life free of trouble. But you will have peace in that trouble.

Likewise, you will experience grief of many sorts. But in that grief, you'll still have joy. Not happiness, joy. A joy that will not be taken. Because joy is not like happiness, where happiness is tied to circumstances. Joy is tied to a person, and that person is Jesus.

We can have joy whether we're going through great things or the worst things or anything in between. We can always have joy. Sometimes in those moments of grief and sadness, it's a sombre joy—a joy just knowing: "I know I'm saved. I know God loves me. And one day, all this trouble and grief and sadness and tears will be wiped away. But now, I need to rest in what Jesus has done and in the love He has for me and to keep going."

3. Sanctify them by truth

Verses 16-17: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."

Sanctification means being set apart, made whole, changed, transformed, renewed. God changes us not by vibes, not by feels, not by trying harder—but by truth. The Word of God.

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you want to grow as a Christian, you need the Word of God. You cannot grow without it.

"But I have the Holy Spirit!" Awesome. The Holy Spirit transforms us through His Word.

"Well, I have the Bible. Do I need the Holy Spirit?"

You need both. Because this will make no sense if you don't have the Spirit. Countless non-Christians have read the Bible and said, "It doesn't make sense." Yeah, you're missing part of it!

The Word of God:

Exposes our sin
Shapes our desires
Redirects our lives
Brings us joy in dark moments

We need God's Word not occasionally, not when we feel like it, but regularly, deeply, personally.

God's Word stabilises us when we're shaky. It corrects us when we're drifting from truth. It strengthens us when we feel weak.

Here's the scary but wonderful thing: Sin will do everything it possibly can to keep you from this book. Satan wants nothing more than to take you away from this and believe the lie. But the beautiful reality is that if you dive deep into God's Word and let it change and transform your life through the Spirit, it will keep you from sin.

It'll help you run from sin, flee from it, because it tells you what is sin and what isn't. What is good and what is not.

Saved and Sent

Verse 18: "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."

The disciples aren't saved from the world to go into hiding and live a safe, easy life. They are saved and sent.

We are likewise sent out into our workplaces, universities, schools, friendships, neighbourhoods. We're sent out with the truth and love of Jesus. Because this has transformed us and we want everyone to be saved.

Jesus Prayed for YOU

Verse 20: "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message."

Hear that? Because the disciples spread the truth and love of Jesus, we've heard the truth and love of Jesus. We know Jesus. We're saved because of them. And Jesus says: I know there will be people who will be saved, who will follow me, that is you and me, and He prays for us.

Isn’t that exciting?

Whatever you're going through in this moment, you might have had the worst day, the worst week, hear this: Jesus prayed for you. He prayed for you before He went to the cross. He knew you'd be sitting here right now.

If you're going through a horrible time, Jesus prayed for you because He loves you, cares for you, wants you to remain in Him, to know joy, to have eternal life. He wants you to know that whatever you're going through is not the end. It's just part of the journey.

And if you're currently loving life? Praise Jesus! He prayed for you too. He prayed that you'd continue to love life, but more importantly, that you'd love Jesus, not just today or tomorrow or next week, but forever. Even when life is not so good as it is right now.

Three Things Jesus Prays for Us

1. We are united

Verses 21-23: "I want them to 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 sent me."

We are not just united for the sake of being united, but united in truth, united in love, united in what Jesus has done, united in the Gospel.

As we're united as God's people, it's immensely evangelistic.

When you’re at church, you are surrounded by people who you would not normally be hanging out with. We're a mishmash of different backgrounds, cultures, ways of living, likes, dislikes. We're not gathered because of sport or family or because we like the same things. We are united because we share one thing in common: Jesus."

When the world sees us united around Jesus, they ask: "Who is this Jesus guy that can bring all these people together? What is this truth they confess? What is this love they show one another?"

We are visibly the church so people see us united and ask, "Who is this Jesus?"

Church is not optional. If you deeply love Jesus, church is not optional. Yes, there will be weeks we miss, we get sick, have things on. But it should be our priority because we want to love and serve one another, make Jesus known, be unified.

2. That we would see Him clearly

Verse 24: "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory."

Jesus doesn't just want what's best for us or a good life. He says, "I want them to be with me."

Have you ever had someone say, "I want nothing more than to be with you"? You feel so loved.

Jesus says: I want you to be with me forever.

Our future is not just an escape from pain. It's the very presence of Jesus for all eternity.

3. That we would know we are loved

Verse 26: "I have made you 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."

Think about that for a moment. The love the Father has for the Son is the love Jesus prays would be poured out into your life and my life.

We've been brought into the family of the love of God. The love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have together—perfect Trinitarian love—and we're brought into that family, that dance, that intimate relationship.

The Invitation

If you're not a follower of Jesus, this might sound over the top, overwhelming, maybe weird. Can I just say: Thank you for being reading this.

But I'd love for you to hear this: Whether you believe in God or not, you were made in the image of God. Just like everyone else. And just like everyone else, at some point we turned away from God.

God in His love and mercy sent His Son Jesus to die for you. He lived and died for you to do what you could not do. But He rose again.

You can share in that. You can share in the relationship Christians have with God, in the security of what our future looks like. There's an invitation to trust this Jesus, who prays for us, so this prayer He prays for those who believe can be a prayer for you too.

For Those Who Trust Jesus

Rest in His prayer. Rest in the fact that Jesus prayed for you. Remember: You are prayed for and loved by Jesus.

Stay in God's Word - hear God speak to you daily
Live as a community - united, loved, encouraging each other to be in God's Word and live out eternal life that starts now
Live as those who have been sent - don't keep your faith to yourself; share it wherever you are

That's what Jesus prayed for the disciples. He prays the same for us. That we go out and take this to the ends of the earth.