John 17:9
“I pray for them.”
Perhaps the best title for John 17 is, “The Lord’s Prayer.” As the hour of His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion approaches, Jesus takes time to pray for His disciples. His prayer, while encompassing many things, seems to focus upon three thoughts.
First, Jesus prays for His followers that they may be one. Division within the body of Christ has been one of the most confusing things for the unbelieving world. If Christians all believe in the same God, are washed in the same blood, and filled with the same Spirit, then why is there so much division in the church? Some division is good. Worship styles are different. It is good to have lots of variety within the church in order to provide an atmosphere where people are able to connect with God. Also, cultures are different, and to some degree, the church should be relevant to the culture, in order to win souls to Christ. That being said, much of the division in the church is wrong and harmful. The church fights with itself over petty differences and misunderstandings. It is as if we believed that our church is the only real church. Thank God, Jesus is praying for us.
Second, Jesus prays for His followers, that we might be kept from evil. Christianity would be so much easier if the moment we made a decision to follow Christ, we were translated from this life into eternity. It would be easy to know who the true believers were, because they would be gone. It would be easy to give up the temptations of life, because we would be in Heaven. It would, however, make evangelism very difficult, because there would be no one left to share Christ. Jesus prays for us, that we would withstand the temptations of life. It encourages me to know that He faced what we face, and He overcame through the power of the Word of God, and the Spirit of God in His daily life.
Finally, His prayer is like a commission. In it, He makes mention of the fact that He is sending us into the world. We, His church, are His solution for reaching the lost. Later, He makes it clear that we are fully equipped when He states,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:18-19
We are sent into the world with the authority of Jesus, the blessing of the Father, and the empowering of the Spirit. As you go forth today, keep in mind, Jesus is praying for you, that you might be kept as you go.
Pastor Jim
Questions for John 17
- Chapter 17 is one long prayer by Jesus to the Father. In verse 1, Jesus says to His Father that “the hour has come”. Looking ahead to the next few chapters, what is He speaking about?
- According to verse 3, what is the definition of eternal life?
- Read verses 5-8. These verses talk about Jesus’ relationship with the twelve. In these verses, what did He do for them? What did they do in response?
- In verse 9, Jesus does not pray for the world in general, but for specific people. Who are you praying for, specifically?
- In verse 11 and 21-23, Jesus prays for an oneness among His followers. How does He describe this oneness in these verses? Also read Phil 2:1-11.
- In verses 13-18, Jesus describes some of the elements of our relationship with this current world system. How does He describe this relationship in these verses?
- In addition to the twelve, who else is He praying for? (verse 20) Is this verse relevant to you and me?
- In verse 24, what two things does Jesus pray for?
- Highlight all of the uses of the words related to “glory” in this chapter. Make a list of what each use is teaching us. Especially note verse 22.
- According to verse 26, Jesus is praying that the Father loves us as much as ______________?
Old Testament:
Deuteronomy 15- Freedom
Deuteronomy 16- Retreats
Jim Gallagher 