The Gospel of John, often called the spiritual Gospel, culminates in a profound and intimate revelation of Jesus’ heart in chapter 17. This sacred discourse, uttered just hours before His crucifixion, is commonly known as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. It is not merely a request but a declaration of His completed work, a fervent intercession for His immediate disciples, and a timeless plea for all who would believe in Him through their word. This prayer serves as a window into the very essence of God’s redemptive plan and the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Church. As our great High Priest, Jesus offers Himself and then intercedes for His people, bridging the gap between fallen humanity and a holy God. This prayer, recorded for our instruction and comfort, reveals the depth of Christ’s love and His eternal purpose for His followers.
Jesus Prays for His Own Glorification and Completed Work
Jesus begins His prayer by looking upward, addressing His Father and acknowledging that the hour had come. This "hour" was the culmination of His earthly ministry, the time appointed for His glorification through suffering, death, and resurrection. His first request is for His own glorification, not for personal renown, but that the Father might also be glorified through Him. This glorification is intrinsically linked to the eternal life He bestows upon His followers, which He defines as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
The Son’s glorification would enable Him to continue giving eternal life to all whom the Father had given Him. This is a profound statement of His divine authority and mission. He declares that He has finished the work given to Him by the Father, referring to His perfect obedience and the full revelation of God's character to humanity. This is the foundation upon which His intercession for others rests. His plea for glory is a request to return to the glory He shared with the Father before the world began, confirming His pre-existence and divine nature.
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
This opening section sets the stage, demonstrating Jesus’ complete reliance on the Father, His awareness of His divine mission, and His ultimate goal: the glorification of God through the redemption of humanity.
Jesus Intercedes for His Immediate Disciples
Having prayed for Himself, Jesus then turns His attention to the eleven disciples who had walked closely with Him. He affirms that they are the Father’s, given to Him, and that they have kept God's word. He testifies that they have believed that He came forth from God and that the words He spoke were indeed the Father’s words. This highlights their unique position and the foundational role they would play in the nascent Church.
Jesus’ prayer for them centers on several crucial themes:
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
He sends them into the world, just as the Father sent Him into the world, to continue His mission. For their sakes, He sanctifies Himself, setting Himself apart as the perfect sacrifice, so that they also might be truly sanctified. This section underscores the immense value Jesus places on His disciples and His deep concern for their spiritual well-being and effectiveness in ministry.
Jesus Extends His Prayer to All Future Believers
The scope of Jesus’ intercession widens significantly in the latter part of John 17, encompassing all who would believe in Him through the word of His apostles. This is a prayer for the entire Church throughout history, including us today. This extension of His prayer demonstrates His omniscience and His eternal concern for His people across generations.
The central theme of this section is unity. Jesus prays that all believers might be one, just as He and the Father are one. This unity is not merely organizational or denominational, but a spiritual unity rooted in their shared relationship with the Father and the Son, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This profound unity serves a crucial evangelistic purpose:
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
The unity of believers is a powerful testimony to the world, validating the divine mission of Jesus Christ. When the world sees the love and unity among God’s people, it provides compelling evidence of the truth of the Gospel.
Furthermore, Jesus prays for their eternal destiny and fellowship with Him. He desires that those whom the Father has given Him might be with Him where He is, to behold His glory. This reveals His ultimate desire for His redeemed children: to share in His eternal presence and glory. This is the culmination of salvation, a promise of intimate communion with the Triune God.
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
He concludes by reiterating His desire that the love with which the Father loved Him might be in them, and He in them. This speaks to the indwelling presence of Christ and the Father’s love abiding in believers, ensuring their spiritual vitality and connection to the divine source of life.
This final section of the prayer is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ enduring care for His Church and His vision for its unity, witness, and eternal blessedness.
The Enduring Significance of the High Priestly Prayer
Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17 is more than a historical record; it is a living testament to Christ’s ongoing intercession for His Church. It reassures us that we are known, loved, and prayed for by our great High Priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). This prayer reveals profound theological truths:
- The absolute unity and co-equality of the Father and the Son.
- The completed work of Christ on the cross as the basis for salvation and glorification.
- The vital importance of God’s Word for sanctification.
- The essential nature of unity among believers for effective witness.
- The glorious eternal destiny awaiting all who believe.
As believers, we can draw immense comfort and confidence from this prayer. It reminds us that our salvation is secure, our sanctification is purposed, and our future is eternally bound with Christ. It calls us to live in unity with one another, to be set apart by God’s truth, and to bear witness to a world desperately in need of the Gospel. Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer is a cornerstone of Christian assurance, a blueprint for Christian living, and a powerful glimpse into the heart of our loving Savior.