John 17:1-26
Jesus Prays to Be Glorified
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.”
These maybe Jesus' most detailed prayers we have in the Bible...The prayers are insightful and penetrating about Himself, God, His Disciples, and all His believers...Jesus' whole life has been about God...And because His Whole Life has been with God and serving God His prayers are part and parcel about God, because He and the Father are One...His three year ministry has been completely about God and how we are to interact with His Father and others...His ministry is almost now complete...And so He prays...
He claims no fame to the work He has done...There is no selfishness in Jesus...He gives credit to His Father and asks His Father to glorify Him, so that He may in return glorify His Father...“Father, the hour has come...Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You...For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given Him...Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent...I have brought You glory on earth by finishing the work You gave Me to do...And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began."...
And even though that Jesus has been sent by God and teaches completely about God He continues to pray to Him...A fitting teaching of prayer right before His arrest...He shows us the necessity of prayer...And the prayers speak of Him ready now to leave and go back to heaven...He says the hour has come and that He has brought God glory on earth... I will remain in the world no longer, but the Disciples are still in this 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...
So Jesus continues with two more prayers...He says He is 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...Jesus has given His Disciples Your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I AM of the world...My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one...Then Jesus prayers for His other believers...And so Jesus says, “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...“Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that you have sent Me...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.”...
Glory to God in the highest...The earth has been filled with the Glory of His Son...