JOHN CHAPTER 17.

JOHN CHAPTER 17.

This chapter has been described in several ways.  Some regard it as the Lord's High Priestly Prayer.  Others regard it as the Lord's Prayer, and as standing in contrast to the disciples' prayer of Matthew (7:9-13).  While others see it as fulfilling the role of the Eucharist in John's Gospel.  However, all would agree that it is a prayer of Consecration.

           

The prayer has three parts.  Firstly, Jesus speaks of the momentous hour that had come.  Only God could make Him adequate for this hour, and so he prays, "Father, glorify thy Son that Son may glorify thee."  He had in His ministry glorified the Father.  He is fully aware of His need of the Father if He is to glorify the Father at the Cross.  The hour of God's great saving event had come and the supreme aim of His work was to glorify God.  So Jesus prayed that He might be glorified that he glorify God. 

           

The Father had given Him authority over all flesh, that is, over all mankind, that he might exercise His Mediatorial act on their behalf.  To Him was given authority to give eternal life to all men who believed.  The knowledge of God is linked with Jesus Christ and the revelation in Him.  For the people of God will not be a chosen nation but a people God has chosen from the entire human race.

           

The second part of the Lord's intercessory prayer is for the men that God gave Him out of the world.  This extends from verse 6 to verse 19.  Such men are precious to the Lord for they are the Father's gift to Him.  Not only so, but they have shown their reality in keeping God's word.  They are fully assured of the claims of Jesus Christ and have believed the Father sent Him.  In verses 6-8 Jesus reveals the Father to his disciples.  He made God known to those the Father gave him.  We do well to remember that all Christians are God's gift to His Son.

           

In verses 9-11 Jesus commits his disciples to his Father for their safe keeping.  And the ground of his prayer is that all that is, is his.  Also here Jesus prays for all his disciples. He prays for all who will believe in him through their message.  Here the Lord prays for the wider circle of all believers.  He is fully aware of the world's hatred for this larger group.  His prayer is that they may be with him. 

           

Verse 24 implies the uniqueness of the Son whose glory was given him because the Father loved Him before the creation of the world.  Jesus was the revealer of the Father, but he revealed the Father in community with His people that the love the Father had for him may be theirs, and that He may be in them.

           

Sanctified in the truth.  The death of Christ has set us apart from the world and delivered us to the doing of the will of God.

           

Thirdly, Jesus prays for those who receive the message through His disciples.  He prays for all who believe in Him.  He prays both for their oneness, and their awareness of the spiritual indwelling in the Father and the Son.