John 17:1-26
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may 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 have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 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.”
We will consider three things from John 17:
The
The
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1) The POSTURE of Jesus’ prayer looks
“Prayer should be an experience of giving way, of surrendering, where our entire being enters into the presence of God. This is where dialogue, listening and transformation occur. Looking at God, but above all sensing that we are being watched by him.” - Pope Francis
2) The PURPOSE of Jesus’ prayer is
“Intercession is a powerful element in secret prayer, and functions primarily as prayer on behalf of needs other than my own. An intercessor is a priestly go-between. Standing between heaven’s supply and earth’s need, they beseech the Father for divine breakthrough.” - Bob Sorge, Secrets of the Secret Place
Jesus prays for the following:
• P
• S
• U
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend to the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake.
3) The PROPHETIC PICTURE of Jesus’ prayer points to his eternal role as
“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)
“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
“God’s giving is inseparably connected with our asking…Only by intercession can that power be brought down from heaven which will enable the Church to conquer the world.” - Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer
Questions for Further Discussion
Discovery
1) Looking at verses 9-19, what three specific things does Jesus urgently ask the Father to do for His disciples who are “still in the world”?
2) In verses 20-23, Jesus prays for future believers (us). What is the ultimate outcome He desires for our unity, and what is this unity meant to prove to the world?
Understanding
3) The sermon argues that Jesus’s urgent intercession flows from His deep affection. How does understanding prayer as a primary way to love someone, rather than just a duty, change your perspective on praying for others?
4) According to the sermon, Jesus’s prayer foreshadows His ongoing work of intercession and ours, indicating that our involvement in prayer matters in carrying forth his will on earth as it is in heaven. How does this belief challenge a passive view of God’s sovereignty?
Application
5) Jesus modeled a posture that looked up to heaven to locate the Father’s presence and power. When you feel your prayers are hitting the ceiling, how might physically and spiritually reorienting yourself “upward” change your experience?
6) The sermon linked prayerlessness to “spiritual leprosy” — an inability to feel the pain of others. How can you intentionally “tenderize” your heart this week to the needs around you so that love moves you to intercession?
7) Considering Jesus’s eternal role as our intercessor (Romans 8:34), how does knowing He is actively praying for your protection, sanctification, and unity empower you to face the challenges of this week?
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