John 17
Outline
1-5 | Jesus prays for His return to the Father
6-12 | Jesus prays for His disciples
13-19 | Jesus prays for the disciple’s protection
20-21 | Jesus prays for future disciples
22-24 | Jesus prays for the disciple’s unity
25-26 | Jesus prays for the world to know the Father
Reflections
This is one of those great chapters that Christians can turn to in times of distress or peril. Why? In this chapter we are given a glimpse into the spiritual life of the very Son of God.
In the gospels, Jesus is frequently described as going off to a deserted place to pray (Mark 1:35 and others). Jesus would also pray prior to performing a miracle. This became so noticeable by the His disciples that they asked Him to teach them to pray and He gives them a model prayer (aka the Lord’s Prayer), which itself was modeled after a common Jewish prayer of the day and then added to by Jesus, something He was known for doing.1
In this chapter we find the very conversation He had with His Father in a very intense time of peril in anticipation of His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. Only a portion of the prayer focused on His present situation (v1-5) and the rest is for His disciples (v6-26), both the present and future disciples and for the world.
In this prayer Jesus displays His full humanity by revealing that He didn’t want to suffer what He knew He would and His full deity by submitting to the will of His Father and presenting His concern for His disciples to His Father as well. Jesus was sent to explain the Father to the world (John 1:18). This prayer gives us one more glimpse into the very nature of the Father and His desire to have a relationship with His children, of whom we all become when we place our faith in Jesus, His Son, and become one of His disciples.
What is your relationship with God the Father like at this point? Do you reveal to Him your concerns and at the same time submit to His will for your life? Do you present your concern for others or is your prayer dominated by a “wish list” of things you want God to bless you with?
Lord God, there is no god besides You and You alone deserve our praise. We pray that Your Spirit will help us to focus our prayers on our relationship with You and with others and in submission to Your will. Thank You for Your Word and for sending Your Son, who teaches us about You and explains Your ways to us so that we might have a restored relationship with You. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
1 – McKnight, Scot. The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others. Brewster, Mass: Paraclete Press, 2004. Print.
Tverberg, Lois. Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2011. Print.