Reflections on Sunday’s Sermon

Prayer

As you begin your study this week, spend a few moments praising God, the Father, for His great glory and for displaying His glory in and through the Son, Jesus Christ. Thank Jesus for accomplishing all the work that the Father had given Him to do on this earth (John 17:4). Thank Him for not only accomplishing the work set before Him, but also for continually interceding before the Father on your behalf. As you pray, make the following words your own before the Lord (prayer taken from Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith).

“Jesus, meditating on this passage this morning is like revisiting an old friend…I feel like I’m just beginning to understand the true wonder of eternal life—the life that is ours, that is mine, only because of who you are and what you’ve accomplished for us. As you first uttered these words in a prayer for your disciples, I find great joy in knowing that you continue to pray them for us—for me.
How I praise you that eternal life is so much more than simply living forever in your presence, though I so look forward to that. It’s about knowng, in the most intimate sense imaginable, God as my Father and knowing the ‘sent one,’ the Messiah, our Lord, my Savior, our righteousness, my bridegroom. It’s not merely knowing about you, though there is so more I do want to know about you, but knowing you now, better and better and better.

Holy Spirit, I cannot know God better apart from your work. So my prayer is simple: keep me hungry for the knowledge of God. Don’t let lesser breads satisfy this craving. Don’t let lesser waters slake this thirst Keep revealing more and more of Jesus to me. Humble me with his glory. Astonish me with his beauty. Mesmerize me with his mercy. Buckle my knees with his affections. Change me by his grace. Free me for his purposes…I pray in Jesus’ allconsuming name. Amen.”

Scripture

John 17:1-5 - (English Standard Version)

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Handling the Word

This chapter, John 17, is often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. Burk Parsons notes that this is “one of the most extensive passgaes in Scripture wherein we get to listen to our Lord praying for us.” Take the time to read through the prayer in its entirety (John 17:1-26) and note below some of the things that stand out upon your initial reading.

Understanding and Applying

John 17:1-5 is the section of this prayer where Jesus prays for himself. First, think back on your own prayers. What do you most often pray for? Do you find yourself praying more for physical things or spiritual things? Why do you think that is the case? What is Jesus praying for in verses 1-5? What should we learn about our own prayer lives from this prayer of Jesus?
Verse 1 begins with Jesus stating, “When Jesus had spoken these words…” What words had Jesus just spoken? How do those words help give a proper perspective on this prayer of Jesus in John 17?
Jesus continues in verse 1 by saying, “Father, the hour has come.” For almost three years Jesus has been telling people over and over “the hour has not yet come.” Why does Jesus now say that the “hour has come?” What is that “hour” that Jesus is speaking about? What is about to happen in Jesus’ life in the next 24 hours? Why is it important to understand this in order to comprehend the rest of the prayer?
Next, Jesus says, “glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (v. 1). In context, Jesus is asking to be “clothed in splendor.” While Jesus was on earth, was he clothed in splendor? Read Isaiah 53:1-3 and write down what you discover about the “splendor” of Jesus while he was on this earth. Next, why does Jesus pray to be glorified? What is his ultimate goal in this prayer, and why should this be our ultimate goal in life as well? Is this goal true in your own life? What might need to change so that it is?
Jesus states in verse 2: “since you have given him authority over all flesh.” The term “all flesh” here refers to all people on the earth. Look up the following verses and write down what you learn about the authority of Jesus. What difference should this make in our own lives as we live for Him and proclaim the gospel?
Maybe the most important verse in this section is verse 3, where Jesus describes the definition of eternal life. Before you read the verse, what comes to your mind when you think about eternal life? Now read verse 3—what does Jesus say is the essence of eternal life? How might this change your thinking of what eternal life truly is all about?
We can know God through looking at creation (Psalm 19:1) and more clearly in sacred scripture. Look up the following verses and write down how reading the Bible helps us both know more about God and know God’s heart more intimately:
In verse 4, Jesus says, “I glorified you on earth.” To glorify God is to display God’s attributes back to Him in our lives. When we love and show mercy and grace and speak truth, we glorify God. How did Jesus glorify God in His life? How are you glorifying God in your own life?
In the second half of verse 4 Jesus says, “having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” What is the work that Jesus came to accomplish? Look up the following verses and write down what you learn about the work Christ came to accomplish. What impact do these truths have on your own soul?
In verse 5, Jesus prays, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” In a very real sense, Jesus is both looking forward to the Father glorifying Him on the cross (v. 4) and regaining His glory that He has in eternity past (v. 5). Look up the following verses and write down what you discover about Jesus and the Father in eternity past. How does this reality about Jesus help you to follow Him and be obedient to Him?
What do the opening words of Jesus’ prayer teach us about who He is and how He relates to His people? What specifically about the beginning of His prayer leads you to worship Him?

“John 17, the prayer of our Lord, is one chapter that helps Christians grasp the glory for our triune God, the person and work of Christ, the overarching theology of salvation, the mission of God, the unity and purity of the church, our union with Christ, and our Lord’s special love for His chosen people.” —Burk Parsons