High Priestly Prayer
John 17 - This is the high priestly prayer of Jesus, and I will be referencing several of the verses that are in this chapter. We know that Jesus is praying for his people, for those who have received eternal life, for those who know the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent by the Father. He's praying for those whom the Father gave to the Son. These are God's people, this is the church, this is those whom Jesus is praying for as he refers to them when he says in verse 9, “I am praying for them, I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me for they are yours.” Then as Jesus continues on in his intercession for the church, for his people, we learn more about Jesus's heart for his people.
I find it interesting as we try to understand the concept of intercessory prayer. In John Bunyan's book, The Intercession of Christ, he says this regarding intercessory prayer,
I find it interesting as we try to understand the concept of intercessory prayer. In John Bunyan's book, The Intercession of Christ, he says this regarding intercessory prayer,
"Intercession is prayer, but all prayer is not intercession. Intercession then is that prayer that is made by a third person about the concerns that are between two."
So as we look at Jesus's intercessory prayer, we know that he is interceding between God and man, he is a mediator between God and man. And he's praying for God to take certain actions, to address certain concerns, certain needs of man for man's good. So I'd like us to look at several of these petitions that Jesus makes in his prayer for the church.
In John 17:11 we read, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one.” Here Jesus is praying for God to keep them, to protect them, to guard the church so that none would be lost. And as he's praying for this, he's praying that they would be kept in “Your” name. It's in the name of God, the name that was manifested to them through Jesus Christ. It's a name that was proclaimed to Moses; it's a name that is merciful and gracious, a name that is abounding with steadfast love and faithfulness; it's a name that keeps love for thousands, even forgiving sins. Jesus is praying for those whom the Father has given to the Son by his sovereign work in their lives to draw them to himself through faith in Jesus. It's through faith in Jesus, the power of the name of Jesus. It's a power that saves, but it's also a power that keeps them, a power that will preserve them throughout their entire lives. Jesus is praying for those who are to be kept and guarded with this goal in mind. He's praying that they might be one. He prays for the church to be one, to be united in Christ even as Christ and the Father are one, so that they might grow closer to God to have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that's patterned after the relationship of Jesus the Son, and God the Father. So here we have a prayer that God would preserve his church and for the church to come to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.
Secondly, in verse 15 we read that he's praying for them, to keep them from the evil one. Here Jesus is praying to God that he would preserve the church from sin, so as it were to set a hedge about them to protect them from the fiery darts of the evil one, and that when they are facing temptation, to give them grace and to give them strength and to give them help to find that way of escape in time of temptation. It's a prayer for a life of holiness for the church.
Also, we read in verse 17 that this prayer is for God to sanctify them in the truth, “For your word is truth.” It's as though Jesus is praying that God would set the church apart from the world so that they might know what is truth and what are lies. That they might increase in their knowledge of God's word, for as he says, “God's word is truth,” that they might grow in their sanctification, to grow in wisdom and discernment, to be able to apply Biblical principles and then to choose that which is well pleasing to God. That they might live lives that are lights in a dark world to the glory of God. This is a prayer for growth and knowledge and application of the truth in God's word.
But also in this prayer we see in verse 20, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” Jesus is seeking to have the church to be a witness in the world with this end in mind, to spread the gospel so that the lost would be saved. He is looking forward to that day as the church continues to grow and more and more souls are added to the church. He is praying for those, even though they are not yet there with him personally, because he knows his church will grow. So it is a prayer for the spread of the gospel and for the salvation of the lost.
We read in verse 24, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me.” This is a prayer of Jesus's desire for the church to persevere to the end so that they would not fall away, that one day that they would be with Christ forevermore in heaven, so that they might behold his glory, see that glory that only can be seen firsthand one day when we are with our Savior. Jesus is praying that the Father will continue to preserve them and one day draw them to himself.
As we look at this intercessory prayer of Jesus, what might we learn from this? How would we apply this to ourselves? Well, I think that as we come to pray, we can pray and intercede for the church, for God's people and ask that the church be kept in the name of the Lord; that the church continue to be preserved and united in Christ; that the church might have a unity of purpose and love, love for God and love for one another. We can pray for and intercede for the church that they might be kept from sin; that they might be protected from the evil one. We can pray and intercede for the church that they might grow in knowledge and understanding of God's word. We can pray for their spiritual growth so that they might be better able to live a holy life and be filled with the fruits of righteousness. We can pray and intercede for the church that they might continue to be a faithful witness to the lost, praying also that their witness would be used by God for the salvation of sinners, and that all of God's elect would come to know the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom you have sent, and that they might have eternal life. Ultimately, we can pray and intercede for the church that it would persevere to the end and to one day be with Christ and to be able to behold his glory.
So with that, may we come to pray and to praise and give thanks to God for his person and for his work in our lives and that we might use this as an opportunity to intercede on behalf of the church for God's people both here, but also for God's people throughout the world.
In John 17:11 we read, “Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one.” Here Jesus is praying for God to keep them, to protect them, to guard the church so that none would be lost. And as he's praying for this, he's praying that they would be kept in “Your” name. It's in the name of God, the name that was manifested to them through Jesus Christ. It's a name that was proclaimed to Moses; it's a name that is merciful and gracious, a name that is abounding with steadfast love and faithfulness; it's a name that keeps love for thousands, even forgiving sins. Jesus is praying for those whom the Father has given to the Son by his sovereign work in their lives to draw them to himself through faith in Jesus. It's through faith in Jesus, the power of the name of Jesus. It's a power that saves, but it's also a power that keeps them, a power that will preserve them throughout their entire lives. Jesus is praying for those who are to be kept and guarded with this goal in mind. He's praying that they might be one. He prays for the church to be one, to be united in Christ even as Christ and the Father are one, so that they might grow closer to God to have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that's patterned after the relationship of Jesus the Son, and God the Father. So here we have a prayer that God would preserve his church and for the church to come to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God.
Secondly, in verse 15 we read that he's praying for them, to keep them from the evil one. Here Jesus is praying to God that he would preserve the church from sin, so as it were to set a hedge about them to protect them from the fiery darts of the evil one, and that when they are facing temptation, to give them grace and to give them strength and to give them help to find that way of escape in time of temptation. It's a prayer for a life of holiness for the church.
Also, we read in verse 17 that this prayer is for God to sanctify them in the truth, “For your word is truth.” It's as though Jesus is praying that God would set the church apart from the world so that they might know what is truth and what are lies. That they might increase in their knowledge of God's word, for as he says, “God's word is truth,” that they might grow in their sanctification, to grow in wisdom and discernment, to be able to apply Biblical principles and then to choose that which is well pleasing to God. That they might live lives that are lights in a dark world to the glory of God. This is a prayer for growth and knowledge and application of the truth in God's word.
But also in this prayer we see in verse 20, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” Jesus is seeking to have the church to be a witness in the world with this end in mind, to spread the gospel so that the lost would be saved. He is looking forward to that day as the church continues to grow and more and more souls are added to the church. He is praying for those, even though they are not yet there with him personally, because he knows his church will grow. So it is a prayer for the spread of the gospel and for the salvation of the lost.
We read in verse 24, “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am to see my glory that you have given me.” This is a prayer of Jesus's desire for the church to persevere to the end so that they would not fall away, that one day that they would be with Christ forevermore in heaven, so that they might behold his glory, see that glory that only can be seen firsthand one day when we are with our Savior. Jesus is praying that the Father will continue to preserve them and one day draw them to himself.
As we look at this intercessory prayer of Jesus, what might we learn from this? How would we apply this to ourselves? Well, I think that as we come to pray, we can pray and intercede for the church, for God's people and ask that the church be kept in the name of the Lord; that the church continue to be preserved and united in Christ; that the church might have a unity of purpose and love, love for God and love for one another. We can pray for and intercede for the church that they might be kept from sin; that they might be protected from the evil one. We can pray and intercede for the church that they might grow in knowledge and understanding of God's word. We can pray for their spiritual growth so that they might be better able to live a holy life and be filled with the fruits of righteousness. We can pray and intercede for the church that they might continue to be a faithful witness to the lost, praying also that their witness would be used by God for the salvation of sinners, and that all of God's elect would come to know the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom you have sent, and that they might have eternal life. Ultimately, we can pray and intercede for the church that it would persevere to the end and to one day be with Christ and to be able to behold his glory.
So with that, may we come to pray and to praise and give thanks to God for his person and for his work in our lives and that we might use this as an opportunity to intercede on behalf of the church for God's people both here, but also for God's people throughout the world.
Posted in Pastor Devotional