John 17

God Speaks

When Jesus had finished saying all these things he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Reveal the glory of your Son so that he can give the glory back to you. For you have given him authority over every man and woman in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—by knowing you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth! I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to. And now, Father, reveal my glory as I stand in your presence, the glory we shared before the world began.

“I have told these men all about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have obeyed you. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the commands you gave me; and they accepted them and know of a certainty that I came down to earth from you, and they believe you sent me.

“My plea is not for the world but for those you have given me because they belong to you. 10 And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me with everything else of yours, and so they are my glory! 11 Now I am leaving the world, and leaving them behind, and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your own care—all those you have given me—so that they will be united just as we are, with none missing. 12 During my time here I have kept safe within your family all of these you gave me. I guarded them so that not one perished, except the son of hell, as the Scriptures foretold.

13 “And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your commands. And the world hates them because they don’t fit in with it, just as I don’t. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from Satan’s power. 16 They are not part of this world any more than I am. 17 Make them pure and holy through teaching them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world, 19 and I consecrate myself to meet their need for growth in truth and holiness.

20 “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. 21 My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.

22 “I have given them the glory you gave me—the glorious unity of being one, as we are— 23 I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want them with me—these you’ve given me—so that they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me before the world began!

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you so that the mighty love you have for me may be in them, and I in them.”

Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com

We Respond

Reflection: Reading John 17 is like listening in on Jesus’s private prayer time just before His arrest and crucifixion. It is so intimate that I feel it almost sacrilegious to try to summarize or apply it. I recommend that it be read slowly, contemplatively, and gratefully. 

Prayer: Dear Holy and Righteous Father God, thank You for preserving this intimate interaction between Jesus and Yourself. His thoughts and words centered on only two things: His and His followers’ unity with You, with Himself, and with each other and bringing glory to Your name. During His ministry on earth Jesus had sought to display Your power and glory and to protect His followers from the Evil One. Shortly after this prayer, Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to provide the basis for us, the human beings You had created and given to Him, to be with Him and You forever. Thank You that I am included in this prayer, Jesus: when You prayed for “all who will ever believe in me through their message,”* You were praying for me. Please make me holy by Your word of truth. Come live in and through me so that my world may know that out of Your great love You sent Jesus to redeem us. All for Your glory, Father. AMEN

*John 17:20 NLT

Action: (Ask the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)

  • I will thank the Lord for the love for me and others expressed in this prayer of Jesus.
  • I will tell ______ (someone specific) how much Jesus loves them using this prayer as an example.
  • I will express my love for God by doing a specific act of love for someone today.
  • I will send a note, email, text, or phone message to encourage someone who is suffering for their faith in Jesus. 

Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.

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