John chapter 17 is the chapter that rightfully deserves the title
"The Lord's Prayer". Jesus,
who is actually God incarnate, is about to end His earthly life. It is a
crucial moment in history. So what would be the intimate thoughts of Jesus at
that moment? What concerns and desires
would weigh upon Him? John 17 tells the story.
Some people have suggested that Jesus exper-ienced a moment of weakness
at Gethsemane when He prayed for His cup to pass away but there is no hint of
weakness here, only persistent and steadfast dedication.
The prayer is actually a combination of assorted prayers and declarations
about His finished work. Ten times in the passage, we read the words "I
have." By reading verses 4, 6, 8, 12,
14, 18, 22, 25 and 26, we can see what Jesus considered to be His greatest
accomplishments. There is no mention in
this prayer of miracles or signs and wonders (not that I would disparage such
things in any way – I’m a true believer in miracles for today!) But no, the prayer is not about miracles. Instead,
v14 is typical of His statements within this prayer: "I have given them
(the disciples) Thy Word..."
Of the eight requests made by Jesus in His prayer, two of them concern
the glory of the Father and six of them are prayers for the disciples.
Jesus prayed that His disciples should be: a) protected (kept) through
God’s name, v11; b) kept from the evil one, v15; c) sanctified by the truth,
v17; d) united as one, v21; and e) that they would be with Him and see His
glory, v24.
The other one, by the way, is found in v9 and is only a general prayer.
It is easy to see the fulfilment for some of these prayer points. But consider v21. Jesus prayed that His disciples should be one,
in the same way as He and the Father are one.
It seems impossible, but the prayer of Jesus is proof that it WILL
happen.
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