The passage we’re looking at this week is John 17. I’m still working on the full study, but hopefully it’ll be up by this Friday.
Passage Big Idea
Jesus prayer is not that he, or his people avoid suffering, but that they glorify God in their actions and reach eternity.
Passage Structure
17:1-5 Jesus prays for himself and his imminent glorification
17:6-19 Jesus prays for his disciples – not that they’d be taken out of the world, but made holy in it
17:20-26 Jesus prays for later believers – that through their unity with each other and with Christ, people would see God the Father.
Some things to look out for
Some random thoughts/facts/ideas
– This prayer brings and end Jesus farewell discourse, beginning at John 13.
– Jesus prayer for comfort, protection & sanctification of both his disciples and later believers needs to be read in light of the sections on the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-31, 16:5-16.
– Glorification of God in Jesus is not merely at the resurrection, but at the willing obedience of the Son on the cross – the culmination of the mission of God.
Old Testament Background
– Quite often the end of someone’s life, and their most intimate hopes / desires would be recorded in prayer (i.e. Genesis 49, Deuteronomy 32)
Some possible areas of application
– Here’s a thought to ponder: if this is Jesus’ last prayer / desire for His people, would he be disappointed in what he sees now?
– There’s a thread that runs through this prayer. That submission to God brings glory to him. What might that mean for our lives?
– What does unity with God mean? What does unity with other Christians look like? It’s one of the key links and applications Jesus prays for in this passage…so it’s worth working out what it is!
