This is part of a year-long series. Find out more about this series here.

The entire chapter of John 17 is known as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. It is theologically rich, and it lets us see what is on Christ’s heart as His earthly ministry comes to a close.

The theological nature of the prayer allows for very deep study, and it would take MANY posts to work through the whole thing. This post will instead serve as an overview of the prayer with some of my reflections.

For The Glory Of The Father And Son (17:1-5)

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (John 17:1)

The first topic Jesus prays for is that both the Father and Son would be glorified (17:1-5). The Father is glorified through the Son’s obedience to Him on earth (v.4). The Son is glorified in the eyes of man by giving eternal life, which is knowing the Father and Jesus Christ (vv.2-3). The Son receives ultimate glory by returning to the Father’s side, which is His rightful place in reality (v.5). This portion of the prayer allows us to see the intimate and harmonious bond between the Father and Son.

The Father Has Been Revealed (17:6-8)

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world” (John 17:6)

The Son gives an account of His ministry to the Father. He declares that He has made the Father’s name known to those the Father gave Him. The ones who received the testimony believed; they understand the Father sent the Son, and that everything the Son has and does comes from the Father; they know the Son speaks the truth about Himself and the Father (17:6-8).

This portion of the prayer reveals so much about the Son’s ministry on earth. He came to reveal the Father, and those who listen to and follow Him accurately know the Father, the Son, and the nature of reality.

For The Disciples (17:9-19)

“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9)

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples is extensive. He says that He is glorified by His disciples (v.10). He asks that that Father would keep the disciples in His name so that they would be one, just as the Father and Son are one (v.11). He goes on to describe how the disciples are “not of the world,” and He requests that they are not removed from the world but are instead protected from the evil one (vv.14-16). Christ then asks that the Father would sanctify the disciples in His word (v.17), and He states that He has mirrored with them what the Father has done with Him: as the Father has sent the Son into the world, so the Son sends the disciples into the world (v.18). Finally, the Son consecrates Himself for the benefit of the disciples (v.19).

The richness and depth of Jesus’ care and intentionality with His disciples is fully seen here. The details of the Son’s ministry on earth were planned in order to yield a specific result. That result is for the ones who belong to the Father to be brought to the Father through the Son and then sent out into the world by the Son.

For Future Believers (17:20-23)

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (17:20-21)

Jesus does not limit the scope of His prayer to only His twelve disciples. Now He includes everyone who will come to faith through the testimony of the twelve (v.20). His request to the Father is for all future believers to be united as one, just as the Father and Son are one (v.21). It is the Son’s desire that all those who follow and testify about Him would be one. Sadly, this is far from the reality of the current state of the world-wide church. Do we hold the idea of unity with one another as dearly as the Son does?

For Unity With The Disciples (17:24-26)

“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.” (John 17:24)

Jesus concludes His prayer by stating that He wishes His disciples could be with Him when He returns to the Father’s side in glory (v.24). His desire is for His disciples to experience the full measure of Who He is. He then recognizes the grass-roots nature of His ministry: the world does not know the Father, but this small handful of disciples does; they now know the Father, and they know the Father sent the Son — they know that the One they have been following was sent by the Father (v.25). Christ concludes His prayer by stating that He has revealed the Father to the disciples, and He will continue to reveal Him so that they might develop the same type of love for the Son that the Father has (v.26).

Conclusion

The High Priestly Prayer is robust and deep. We should seek to understand the theology within the prayer so that we can mediate on those truths and be brought into deeper communion with God. The prayer communicates the purpose of the Son’s incarnate ministry as well as His desired outcome. He wants those who know the Father to adopt the love of the Father for the purpose of unity — both with God and with others. This vertical and horizontal unity is designed to be the light that shines in a dark world. If we follow Christ, then we must adopt the purpose of Christ for our faith. Our faith has a purpose and desired effect from God’s perspective. Are we willing to embrace this mission and seek the fulfillment of the Son’s desires set forth in His High Priestly Prayer?