Jesus’ prayer for the Church

It has often been said that to pray the will of God in any situation is to guarantee an answer to the prayer. If such logic is applied to Jesus’ so-called priestly prayer of John 17:1-26, then it stands to reason that it would be the Father’s will to answer such a prayer in the affirmative.

Our focus for this discussion will be on Jesus’ petitions regarding His disciples and those who were to follow, i.e. the Church, His Body (17:20).

Vss. 1-5 – Jesus prays for Himself.

Vss. 6-19 – He prays for His disciples but, in effect, for us as well.

Vss. 20-26 – He prays for the future believers and our presence with Him.

Central to this discussion is Jesus’ remarks in verses 2&3:

Eternal life has come to us through Jesus Christ.

Jesus defines eternal life as – That we may know the Father and the Son.

Key to appreciating Jesus’ point here is to understand the word ‘know’.

Koine Greek - ‘ginōskō’ = To know by experience as opposed to by intuition.

The ‘knowing’ to which Jesus refers is one that is both based and reliant upon relationship. Relationship is dependent upon face-to-face experience of one another. So, the experience which Jesus has afforded us is not theoretical, ethereal or dependent upon ceremony.

Vs. 6 – Jesus announcement of the disciples ‘achievement’ sets a standard for all who were to follow: “They have kept your word.”

In verse 8 Jesus gives expression to the Divine logic behind our adoption: He relayed the Word of God from the Father which the disciples (and us) received.

Received – K.Gr. ‘lambanō’ = The disciples received that which was taught by Christ. That message convinced them that Jesus was sent by the Father. Therefore, to be a disciple one must be convinced of the incarnation (Philippians 2:5-11). So, the divine relationship with Christ is rooted in the supernatural.

In verse 9 Jesus makes it clear that what He is about to ask of His Father is for the disciples (i.e. the Church). What is it that Jesus’ is asking the Father on our behalf? The answer is two-fold and found in verse 11: As we are in this world, Jesus asks the Father to keep us.

Keep – K.Gr. ‘tērěō’ = To guard from loss or injury. To keep any eye upon. To maintain as opposed to leaving (Romans 8:26-39).

In keeping us, Jesus calls upon the Father that we might be in unity (be one) even as the Father and Son are one.

One – K.Gr. ‘hěis’ = One numerically as opposed to being one in essence (‘hen’)  (John 10:30).

In other words, we cannot be the same as God is essence, but Jesus prays that we might be in such a unity with one another that we would appear as one person (i.e. on Body) (vs. 26). In understanding this we can come to appreciate Paul’s alarm with the divisions in the Corinthian congregations (I Corinthians 3: 1-9).

Jesus continues His petition for His disciples, in verse 13, by seeking that His joy be made full in those who have received Him.

Joy – K.Gr. ‘chara’ = Cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight. Gladness of heart.

Jesus’ joy was directly connected to His oneness with His Father (hěis). So, His joy in us is made complete by our oneness with Him and with each other.

Vs. 14 – The position of the disciples of Christ in this age is one of being hated. This hatred springs from the fact that the church has elected not to be a part of this present age in its pursuits and beliefs.

Hated – K.Gr. ‘misěō’ = To detest, especially to persecute. Malicious and unjustifiable feelings toward others.

World – K.Gr. ‘kŏsmŏs’ = Orderly arrangement, by implication the world upon which we dwell and its inhabitants.

Here Jesus is not speaking of the world system under satan, but the planet upon which we live as not being our home or our source (cf. vs. 16). As such, we are merely pilgrims passing through this solely natural broken world on our way to that for which we were created – the new heavens and the new earth (II Peter 3:10-13). It is for this reason that Jesus implores His followers not to build up natural wealth while neglecting that which will be of worth in that which is still to come (Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus plea to His Father was that we would not be removed from this world (vs. 15), wherein we are salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), but He would keep us out of the power of the evil one (cf. Matthew 6:13).

Jesus, being the Truth, called up the Father to sanctify the disciples in truth (vs. 17).  Herein Jesus is petitioning for the separation of His disciples unto the Kingdom of God; the means of that separation is the Word of God.

In verse 18 Jesus likens the so-called Great Commission (Matthew 28:19&20) to His being sent into the world (Luke 4:18&19; Philippians 2:5-11).

Vss. 20&21 – Jesus makes it clear that His petition is also on behalf of those who would succeed the disciples through the centuries still to come, i.e. that includes us.

Jesus’ heart was, and remains, for unity. It is His desire for His Body, the Church, to be one in the same manner that He and His Father are one. Not only one in terms of unity but that we would be in them, the Father and the Son even as they are in one another. Apparently, it is this alone which will convince those who are open to such, that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God.

In verse 21 the word “believe’ is in the continuous present tense, thus it should be understood as, “continually believe”. Therefore, the ongoing testimony of the Church is to be one of unity (vss. 22&23).

Verse 24 is very exciting in that Jesus, like us, yearns for our presence with Him in the heavens and new earth. In this ‘dispensation’ we seek His presence. At the same time He looks forward to ours with Him.