Christ’s Intercessory Prayer Chapter 5.7

Jesus' High Priestly Prayer (John 17:1-26)

On the Way to Gethsemane After teaching his disciples about the Vine and the Branches, he finds a place to stop off and have a time of prayer. Some people believe they could have stopped in the temple and prayed; others believe he prayed in the actual Garden of Gethsemane. Either way, this is Jesus’ last prayer before his arrest. He prays for 3 things: himself (v.1-8), his disciples (v.9-19), and all future believers (v.20-26)

Jesus Prayed for Himself (v. 1-8) Jesus started his prayer by telling God he had finished the job the Father gave him (what job was he talking about?) Jesus didn’t say “It is finished” until he died on the cross, so what task had he completed in the Garden? He finished the job of glorifying God by training the disciples. The Twelve were ready to take over his ministry on earth.

The Finished Job (17:4) How had Jesus finished training the disciples?: 1. He had granted them eternal life (v.2-3) 2. He had taught them truth (v.6 & 8) 3. The disciples received the truth (v. 8) 4. The disciples believed the truth (v. 8)

Jesus’ Two Requests After giving God a good report on how his mission went, Jesus asks the Father for 2 things. 1. For God to be glorified in Jesus’ death. Jesus was not self-serving. He didn’t want to gain glory on Earth for himself, but for the Father. 2. For God to glorify Jesus in His own presence. Jesus was ready to go home. He missed the glory he once knew in Heaven.

Jesus Prays for the Disciples (v.9-19) Christ said that he knew that 3 enemies would attack them when he left: the world (v.17), the devil (“evil one” v.15), and their own fleshly desires. So Jesus asked God to do 2 things: 1. Keep them. Christ asked that God would secure the disciples and keep them from being led astray. **God is the one who keeps us. We cannot secure our salvation 2. Sanctify them (v. 17-19). “Sanctification” refers to the ongoing process of Salvation. Past: You were saved. Present: You are being saved. Future: You will be saved.

Jesus Prays for All Future Believers (v.20-26) How would these future believers even come to exist? Verse 20: “through [the disciple’s] word.” The future race of Christians depended all upon their faithfulness. Jesus prays 2 things for us: 1. That we might be one (with God and each other). Our unity shows the world that Jesus is true. 2. That we will be where Jesus is one day. He is preparing a place for us and will come back to get us one day!