Monday | Week 13
This chapter is a transition—a shift in Jesus’ ministry. John 17 marks the end of three years of Jesus’ earthly mission, and the beginning of His ultimate purpose: to sacrifice Himself. Jesus’ prayer, divided into three main groups, reveals this transition. First, Jesus prays for Himself, then His disciples, and then for future believers.
Jesus opens the prayer saying, “Father, the hour has come” (v.1). This alone signifies a change because up to this point, throughout this Gospel, it has been noted that certain events had not happened because it was not time. Jesus goes on to spell out what eternal life is and where it is found. He follows that by asking to return to the place of glory, where He was before His arrival on this earth.
Next, Jesus prays for His disciples. He first recognizes that they have always belonged to God, and that they were given to Him to lead and guide while He was on earth. But now that Jesus is leaving and they are staying, He prays especially for their protection. Jesus is not asking God to remove them from the world and the work that is left to do, but to keep them safe and to
“…make them holy by your truth” (v.17, NLT).
Lastly, Jesus prays for future believers. I find this part of the prayer the most interesting. Of all the things that Jesus could pray for the many people that will come to know Him, He boils it down to this: “That all of them may be one” (v.21). His single hope is for believers to be unified as one, just like He and the Father are one. This prayer, in many ways, is a summary of the Gospel of John.
Discussion Questions
What stands out in the text to you?
What verse(s) did you really connect with?
Do you see any themes throughout the whole passage of scripture?
Did you see anything new that you have never noticed before?
How well do you think the church is responding to Jesus’ prayer for unity?