For Whom Jesus Prayed

MEMORY VERSE: “And the glory which Thou gayest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” —John 17:22

JOHN 17:1, 6-10, 20-24

JESUS’ meeting with his apostles in the “upper room,” the night before the crucifixion, was drawing to a close, and he said to them, “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Then follows the first verse of our lesson: “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 glory here requested by Jesus was that which he was to experience through resurrection and exaltation to the divine nature. As far as he was concerned he would have been perfectly satisfied to be restored to his Father’s presence, and to the glory which he had as the Logos “before the world was.” (vs. 5) But he knew that a higher glory awaited him; and that higher glory and unlimited power he was destined to use in restoring the human race to life on the earth, through a resurrection of the dead (see John 11:40).

Jesus was comforted by the fact that his apostles had received the “words” which the Father had given to him, and which he had passed on to them. By these “words” and by his miracles they had become convinced that he truly was the Son of God and the promised Messiah. And while they would shortly be temporarily scattered, he had confidence that the truth which he had given them would carry them through to Pentecost, when they would receive the Holy Spirit, which then would be poured out upon them by his Father.

So Jesus prayed for his apostles. He said, “I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given me”. (vs. 9) We are not to suppose from this that Jesus was not interested in the world. He was, for he had come to give his life that all mankind might have an opportunity to receive life.

Jesus knew that his apostles would suffer at the hands of the world; he did not ask his Father to remove them from this experience, but simply to give them strength and guidance to meet the circumstances with which they would daily be confronted. (vs. 15) God does not shield his people from trial but gives them added grace to meet them and to be profited by them. How powerful is the sanctifying influence of God’s Word of truth in the hearts and lives of his people!

Jesus prayed not only for his apostles who were with him in the upper room that night, “but for them also which shall believe on me through their word,” or message, the Gospel of Christ. And what a wonderful prayer it was—“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.”—vss. 20,21

On a previous occasion Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) Here Jesus prays that all his faithful followers may be one with him in the same manner in which he is one with the Father. This is a oneness of purpose, not of person. Jesus was dedicated to doing his Father’s will, which was the carrying out of the divine plan for the salvation of mankind from sin and death. His faithful followers are dedicated to that same will, hence are one with the Father and with the Son.

Jesus explained the purpose of this oneness to be “that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me.” Jesus did not at that time pray for the world, but he looked ahead to the time when the world, through him and his glorified followers, would believe and be blessed.

He prayed that his followers might eventually be with him, He knew that this was the Father’s plan for them, for he had said, “If I go … I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” (John 14:3) It will be following this that all the families of the earth will be blessed as humans on the earth.

QUESTIONS

What was Jesus’ prayer on behalf of himself?

What did he request for his followers and for all who would believe on him through them?

In his prayer, how did Jesus show his concern for the world of mankind?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |