When Jesus Prays for Us

John 17:1‭-‬5

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,  since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

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John 17 is called the High Priestly Prayer, and that will only matter to you if you have a deep appreciation for what a priest is meant to be. As the book of Hebrews repeatedly claims, Jesus took the role of priest and did so in a way far superior to the earthly priests of Israel. He not only intercedes for us before a holy God, but does so in a way that is perfect and permanent. He is also unlike the human priests in that he did not offer an imperfect lamb -- he offered the perfect gift of himself to atone for our sins completely.

So, what does this prayer tell us about the priestly role of Jesus? And what does this matter in our own lives?

First, in this prayer, we are given a rare glimpse into the intimacy between Jesus and his Father. The Gospels have so far described Jesus' prayer life from the outside, but here we get an emotional peak behind the curtain. We are given an idea of what else Jesus was thinking and feeling in Gethsemane, just hours before his trial and execution. Jesus twice refers to his relationship with the Father existing before the world began, confirming again his divine nature. So, we are seeing Jesus' divinity, his special relationship with the Father, and all in the context of him facing the ultimate sacrifice. We see a man deeply concerned for his friends who are about to face many fears and threats of there own. We see the heart of Jesus toward his Father and toward us his followers. This is the only kind of priest we can put our hope in.

Second, we are shown some of the specific things which Jesus prays for, which include some incredible life-changing promises for you and I. These include eternal life, which he says consists primarily of knowing the Father and Son personally. He prays for his friends, for their protection in the face of a hateful world. He prays that they would be sanctified in the truth, set apart to know and proclaim the good news. He prays for those who would believe through their preaching, including us reading this today centuries later. He prays for our unity, and the means of that unity -- that we would know the love that is shared between the Father and Son.

This last part of the prayer is worth focusing on, because it is requested as if it were already guaranteed:

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.  I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:24‭-‬26)

What initially sounds like a prayer request ends up sounding like a guarantee. Jesus desires us to be with him, to see his glory that has existed from all eternity. And he promises to continue making this glory known to us. What a promise! And what does it mean to know his glory? It means experiencing the love which the Father has for his precious son. It means having Jesus himself in us, the object of God's eternal affection.

What could possibly matter more to our daily life? What fear, what anxiety, what disappointment could possibly stand up in the face of such a phenomenal promise that is ours today? Christ in us, the hope of glory! Consider the great exchange Jesus has made with us. He is our priest and our sacrifice, and in his place we now stand -- forgiven, accepted into God's family, filled with his power and presence, and promised an inheritance we didn't deserve.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!