ZA MAGAZINE // seek truth.

If anyone knew how to pray, it was Jesus. Jesus said that he not only was the Son of God, but He also taught that He WAS God, so He knows how a thing or two about communication with Himself.

But there’s more to it than that. While Jesus was on Earth He had incredible wisdom and an incredible sense of purpose. He always knew what to say and do, and He knew what He wanted His people to do. Both of these make it important for us to look at how Jesus prayed and what He prayed for. If He knows how to approach God, then we should follow that example. If He prays for certain things for His people, then we should pay attention, because it probably applies to us today.

For this article, we’ll look at the second half of that. In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer for His people just before He is arrested in crucified. This evening actually starts all the way back in chapter 13, where Jesus washes the feet of His disciples and then they all eat their last meal together. Following that, there are many lessons taught, and when that’s all done, we get to chapter 17, where Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven, right in the middle of all the disciples, and started praying.

After a few verses where Jesus prays for Himself, and another verse or two where He talks about how His followers have learned from God, He makes His first request.

Stay close to God and stay together

John 17:11b
Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

We start out pretty basic, but that’s no less important. First up, Jesus wants His people to stay in God’s name. Don’t get too hung up on what Jesus means by that. Back in verse six, Jesus prayed about how He had manifested the Father’s name to the people who followed Him; so, he told them about God, who He was and what He was all about. Now, He’s praying that His people (that’s you, if you’re a Christian) stay close to the name of the Lord and all that is associated with it.

Request number two is “that they may be one.” The Analytical-Literal Translation throws a ’so’ in before ‘that’ to emphasize the point that this prayer for Jesus’s followers won’t happen unless the first one does. Last week, I wrote an article about how people don’t attain unity because they try to be united, but it’s because they’re united around pursing or following something else. This prayer seems to uphold that. We’ll leave this request alone for now because it comes up in full force a bit later.

Have joy (but have it for the right reason)

John 17:13
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

This one isn’t a direct request, but there’s definitely something that Jesus wants for His people: joy. But what is is the source of our joy? Our knowledge that Jesus is with the Father. Because if Jesus died, and He came back, and He rose again, then we have a lot to be joyful about! Our penalty for sin has been paid, and we have someone who is sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us! That’s what should be giving us joy.

Stay in the world, but don’t get sucked into it

John 17:15-16
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Request number 4, and this is a good one. So far Jesus wants us stay close to God, be united, and be joyful. These are pretty simple (certainly amazing and good to know, but not overly complex). But this one is interesting and challenging. When people talk about ‘the world’ in the Bible, it can mean a few things. One is the physical world, the very planet we live on. Another is the natural order of things that happen in our world. Something like eating or education or childbirth would be an example of this. A third meaning of the world can refer to the corrupt spiritual world, the evil practices of our society.

No matter how you look at it, Jesus wants us in. In terms of the physical world, Jesus doesn’t want us to leave. Even though heaven will be amazing, we’ve gotta wait for now. In terms of natural order, Jesus wants us in. Go ahead and eat food! Go ahead and have kids! This world is God’s creation and is meant to be enjoyed. There is sin that comes with any of this stuff, but that doesn’t mean we need to stop eating or be celibate or anything like that. Finally, when it comes to the corrupt spiritual world around us, Jesus wants us in! This is a call against Christian isolationism. You know how it can be. You find some brothers and sisters that you get really close with, and then you get fed up with the crap on TV and in your classes or workplace and, whether consciously or unconsciously, you decide to only hang out with your own and put up a fence against popular culture. Jesus doesn’t want this; after all, how can someone be reached if you’re never around them?

No, Jesus doesn’t want us to leave the world. He wants us to stay in it, but be protected from the evil one (that’s the devil). Go to the party, but don’t get drunk. Date a girl, but don’t have sex until marriage. Enjoy food, but don’t be gluttonous.

Be set apart for God by His word

John 17:17
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Here’s a nice church word for you: sanctify. To sanctify is to set someone or something apart for service to God, and Jesus is praying that people are set apart by truth. Then, it clarifies that by saying that it’s not any truth that sets us apart, it’s God’s word that is truth.

I don’t think it’s too much to say that God’s word is really really powerful. I mean, when He spoke, planets formed. What’s more amazing is that we have a massive collection of God’s word - the Bible. This book is the truth that sets us apart for pure service to God. If Jesus is praying for this, then He would want us to be studying God’s word.

BE UNIFIED!

John 17:20-21
20 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 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.

Wow. To me, this is so big. It goes back to the second request mentioned back in verse 11. The fact that Jesus prays for it twice tells me just how important it is Jesus wants His people to be one! How close is ‘one’? Well, if Jesus WAS God, and He wants us to be as close to each other as He is to God, then that should clue you in. What a call that is!

But what’s more amazing is that THIS, this is the thing that’s going to make us legit to the world. Miracles are great; seeing someone regrow a limb would pretty convincingly show the power of God. Hearing a great preacher or a great apologist, that’s pretty good too. But Jesus says that it is our unity that convinces the world that our God is real and that Jesus is real. Is it any wonder that atheism abounds in a world that features such a fractured and individualistic body?

Unity is so important!

Hold out for the glory

John 17:24
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 have loved me before the foundation of the world.

Since Jesus prayed earlier that He didn’t want us out of the world, we have to then assume that Jesus is thinking a little more long-term here. Jesus wants us to make it! He doesn’t want anyone to fall away, and He wants us all to finish the race, get to heaven, and be with Him forever.

I think when He talks about glory, Jesus is really giving us something to look forward to. The glory of heaven is something our physical bodies can’t even accept because it’s too great. We don’t know what all it’ll entail - probably lots of light, but we don’t know what else - but it’s going to be so great that Jesus wants us to be able to see it after we have passed on.

Always, always have love

John 17:26
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.

This is the last line in Jesus’ prayer, and it comes back to love. Even though unity was the most dominant part of the prayer, it ends up with love, because love has to be in everything that a Christian does. Jesus wants the love of God to be in us, and that’s something that we have to pursue.

What’s most interesting about this line is when Jesus says that “I will continue to make it known,” knowing full well that He didn’t have a lot of time left and knowing what would happen in that time. Not only is this a great example of how we need to live every second with purpose, it puts emphasis on Jesus’ crucifixion and how important it is in making known the name and attributes of God.

So what we see here is a really powerful and effective prayer, with a few things that Jesus wanted out of His people, enough that He would mention them the last time He prayed with His people. Perhaps we could pray for these things ourselves, or see how we stack up to the list and see what we still need to strive to attain.

Grace and peace,
Brendan