Jesus Prays for Himself

John 17:1-5

This chapter is one of my favorites for several reasons. I think it captures the heart of Jesus in a very unique way. It also provides a good pattern for our prayer life and finally Jesus prays specifically for you and I. Notice that He prays for Himself, the apostles He has been disciplining and for all future believers.

Consider the phrase “Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You”. Jesus knows He will shortly face death through the crucifixion and His primary concern is that He will glorify His Father as He goes through that awful time. He also looks forward to the pristine glory He will have with His Father for eternity. He has suffered much during this time on earth, living in the midst of sin, and longs to return to His Father. As I meditate on this phrase I’m reminded that the chief end of man is to glorify God. Paul says in I Cor. 10:31 “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Notice also in v. 2 that Jesus is aware of the authority and responsibility the Father has given Him. Notice that He has the authority to give eternal life. Five times in this chapter He refers to Christians as those the Father has given Him. Consider the choices He has made for you. He chose the time you would be created and the nation and family into which you would be born. Most importantly, He has chosen you to be one of His children for eternity. What is eternal life? It is the experience of knowing the only true God through His Son in a personal, intimate way which is continuous, dynamic and eternal.

As Jesus prepares to face the end of His earthly life, He also recognizes He has finished the task the Father has given Him. The last component of that task is facing death on the cross, paying the price for our sin so that we may also have eternal life. Because of our sin He assumes even the Father has to forsake Him for a time. Then the Father will raise Him from the grave so that they and we may spend eternity together.

Thank Him for His indescribable gift.