Connecting Through Prayer: Jesus' High Priestly Prayer

 

Summary

In our journey as a church community, we often seek to deepen our relationships through social gatherings. However, the true essence of knowing one another is found in the prayer meeting. It is in these moments of prayer that we truly understand each other's hearts, desires, and faith. This privilege of prayer is a unique aspect of our Christian life, allowing us to connect deeply with God and each other. In the Gospel of John, chapters 13 through 17, we witness a profound moment where Jesus prays to His Father, offering us a glimpse into His heart and mission.

This section of John is structured like a mini-gospel, beginning with Jesus washing the disciples' feet and concluding with His prayer. It mirrors the gospel's structure with a prologue, an epilogue, and two main sections. Jesus' prayer in John 17 is often referred to as His high priestly prayer, echoing the high priest's role in the Old Testament. The high priest would intercede for the people, and Jesus does the same, praying for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers.

Jesus' prayer reveals His awareness of the impending crucifixion, acknowledging that His hour has come. He prays for His glorification, not for personal gain, but so that God's glory may be revealed through Him. This prayer underscores Jesus' divine nature, as He asks to be glorified with the glory He shared with the Father before the world began. His request is not just for His own sake but for the blessing and eternal life of all believers.

The prayer also highlights the tension between Jesus' divine glory and His earthly mission. Despite the world's sinfulness, Jesus remained committed to His purpose, longing for the day when He would return to the Father's presence. This prayer is a testament to His love for humanity and His desire for us to experience the fullness of God's glory.

Key Takeaways:

- True understanding of one another in the church is found in prayer, where we hear each other's hearts and desires before God. This intimate connection is a privilege of our faith, allowing us to grow closer to God and each other. [00:28]

- Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 reflects the Old Testament high priest's role, interceding for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers. This prayer reveals Jesus' divine mission and His love for humanity. [03:24]

- Jesus' request for glorification is a profound expression of His divine nature, seeking to reveal God's glory through His life and sacrifice. This highlights the unity between the Father and the Son and their shared purpose. [12:08]

- Despite the world's sinfulness, Jesus remained committed to His mission, longing for the day when He would return to the Father's presence. His prayer reflects His love for humanity and His desire for us to experience God's glory. [21:48]

- Jesus' prayer is a testament to His divine nature and His sacrificial love for us. It challenges us to reflect on our own lives and how we can glorify God through our actions and faith. [23:30]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - The Power of Prayer Meetings
[01:10] - Privilege of Listening to Jesus Pray
[01:50] - Structure of John 13-17
[02:41] - Jesus' High Priestly Prayer
[03:24] - The Role of the High Priest
[04:10] - The Day of Atonement
[05:40] - Concentric Circles of Prayer
[06:26] - Jesus Prays for All Believers
[07:12] - The Apostolic Word
[07:59] - Jesus' Sacred Moment
[08:45] - The Hour Has Come
[09:36] - Jesus' Glorification
[12:08] - Consciousness of Deity
[18:01] - Glory and Eternal Life
[21:48] - Jesus' Longing for the Father
[23:30] - Overhearing the Trinity

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 17:1-26
2. John 13:1-17
3. Isaiah 53:5

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Observation Questions:

1. In John 17, how does Jesus structure His prayer, and who does He pray for in each section? [06:26]
2. What significant event marks the beginning of the section in John 13, and how does it relate to the overall message of Jesus' prayer? [02:41]
3. How does Jesus express His awareness of the impending crucifixion in His prayer? [08:45]
4. What Old Testament role does Jesus' prayer in John 17 echo, and how is this significant? [04:10]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Jesus' request for glorification in John 17:1-5 reveal His divine nature and mission? [12:08]
2. In what ways does Jesus' prayer reflect His love for humanity and His desire for believers to experience God's glory? [21:48]
3. How does the structure of John 13-17 as a "gospel within the gospel" enhance our understanding of Jesus' mission and prayer? [02:41]
4. What does Jesus' prayer teach us about the relationship between His divine glory and His earthly mission? [19:39]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent prayer meeting you attended. How did it help you understand the hearts and desires of others in your church community? How can you be more intentional in listening during these times? [00:28]
2. Jesus prayed for His glorification so that God's glory might be revealed. In what ways can you seek to glorify God in your daily life and interactions with others? [12:08]
3. Jesus remained committed to His mission despite the world's sinfulness. What challenges do you face in staying committed to your faith, and how can you overcome them? [21:48]
4. Consider the privilege of overhearing Jesus' prayer in John 17. How does this insight into His heart and mission inspire you to deepen your own prayer life? [23:30]
5. Jesus' prayer highlights the tension between His divine glory and earthly mission. How can you balance your spiritual aspirations with the practical demands of daily life? [19:39]
6. Reflect on the concept of Jesus as our high priest, interceding for us. How does this understanding impact your view of prayer and your relationship with God? [04:10]
7. Jesus' prayer is a testament to His sacrificial love. How can you demonstrate sacrificial love in your relationships and community this week? [23:30]

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Prayer in Community
In the journey of faith, prayer meetings offer a unique opportunity to truly understand and connect with one another. It is in these sacred moments that individuals can hear each other's hearts and desires before God, fostering a deeper bond within the church community. This privilege of prayer is a cornerstone of Christian life, allowing believers to grow closer to God and each other. Through prayer, the church community can experience a profound sense of unity and shared purpose. [00:28]

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your church community you haven't connected with deeply. How can you use prayer as a means to understand and support them better this week?


Day 2: Jesus' Role as the High Priest
Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17 mirrors the role of the high priest in the Old Testament, who interceded for the people. In this prayer, Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers, revealing His divine mission and profound love for humanity. This prayer is a testament to Jesus' commitment to His followers and His desire for them to experience the fullness of God's glory. It highlights the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, showing Jesus as the ultimate intercessor. [03:24]

"Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:15, ESV)

Reflection: Consider how Jesus' role as the high priest impacts your understanding of His intercession for you. How can this knowledge influence your prayer life today?


Day 3: The Glorification of Jesus
Jesus' request for glorification is a profound expression of His divine nature, seeking to reveal God's glory through His life and sacrifice. This highlights the unity between the Father and the Son and their shared purpose. Jesus' prayer for glorification is not for personal gain but for the blessing and eternal life of all believers. It underscores the divine mission of Jesus and His unwavering commitment to fulfilling God's plan for humanity. [12:08]

"And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." (John 17:5, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge or sacrifice in your life. How can you seek to glorify God through it, following Jesus' example of selflessness?


Day 4: Jesus' Commitment Amidst Sinfulness
Despite the world's sinfulness, Jesus remained committed to His mission, longing for the day when He would return to the Father's presence. His prayer reflects His love for humanity and His desire for us to experience God's glory. This commitment amidst adversity serves as a powerful example for believers, encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and purpose, even when faced with challenges and opposition. [21:48]

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel challenged by the world's sinfulness. How can you remain committed to your faith and mission in this area?


Day 5: Reflecting Jesus' Sacrificial Love
Jesus' prayer is a testament to His divine nature and His sacrificial love for humanity. It challenges believers to reflect on their own lives and consider how they can glorify God through their actions and faith. This call to action encourages individuals to embody the love and sacrifice of Jesus in their daily lives, seeking to make a positive impact on the world around them. [23:30]

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." (1 John 3:16, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a specific way you can demonstrate sacrificial love to someone in your life today. What steps can you take to put this into action?

Quotes



But there’s a principle, I think, that’s important in pastoral ministry and that is that the place of all the services in the church where people get to know each other is the prayer meeting. And the reason for that is you really get to know somebody’s heart best of all. Not when you’re talking to them face to face but when you’re listening to them face to face with the heavenly father and hearing how they approach him, what they say to him, what they feel about him, what they desire from him. [00:15:12]

And if that’s a privilege that we share in the church, there could surely be no greater privilege for Jesus’ disciples than to listen to him pray. And so it’s very striking thing that this Farewell Discourse in John 13 through John 17 ends with an elongated account of our Lord Jesus Christ at prayer. Now, the disciples have become completely silent. There is only one voice that speaks and he no longer addresses the disciples. But rather he allows his disciples to overhear him addressing his loving heavenly Father. [00:94:32]

And part of that ritual was engaging in an extended season of prayer. And when he prayed, he was expected to pray for three concentric circles of people. First of all, he was to pray for himself and for the ministry that he was about to exercise. Secondly, he would pray for his more immediate family – those who were roundabout him who knew him best and whom he knew best that they might be consecrated with him to the service if the Lord. And then the third of these concentric circles was the way in which he would intercede for all of the people of God. [00:356:00]

And strikingly, this is the form in which John 17 comes to us. You’ll notice in verse 1 through 5, the Lord Jesus is praying for himself and about himself and then verse 6 through 19, he’s praying for his immediate disciples those who have been with him in these three years of ministry. And then in a most remarkable way towards the end in verse 20 through verse 26, he’s actually praying for all who will become Christian believers. “I don’t ask for these only,” he says, “but also for those who will believe in me through their word”. [00:410:24]

And this is a high moment of emotion for Jesus, isn’t it? The time has now come for him who has been obedient to his Father all through his ministry to become, as Paul says, obedient now to death even the death of the cross. And he is now praying to his heavenly Father. Now, I want us to look in this session at what it is that Jesus prays about himself. He is conscious, you’ll notice, first of all, that the time has come. He says “Father, the hour has come.” [00:517:68]

And yet, do you see what it is that he believes this our holds for him? When Jesus had spoken all these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said (John 17:1) “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son in order that your Son may glorify you”. First of all, what is it that Jesus is asking for? It’s very remarkable prayer, isn’t it? “Father, glorify me”. This is one of those statements from the lips of the Lord Jesus that actually highlights and pinpoints his consciousness of his own deity. [00:694:88]

He knows the Old Testament Scriptures. He knows that at the heart of the Old Testament scriptures lies the statement of Yahweh of Jehovah, “I will not give my glory to another. My glory is absolutely the property and possession only of God”. And Jesus is in this way giving expression to his consciousness that he is the Son of the Father, that he is the word who was with God and was himself God and sweetly, not stretching beyond his rights. He is saying to his heavenly Father, “Father, will you now glorify me so that I may glorify you”. [00:745:60]

And Jesus is praying that something of that glory will be seen marvelously in him. As I said, he had given little glimpses of it. He gave another glimpse of it, didn’t he, when he stilled the storm and the disciples were left wondering “Who is this that even the winds and the waves obey him?” And there were three of them in the room. Three of these eleven apostles who had accompanied Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration and there they’d seen something that none of the others thus far had seen. [00:904:72]

And Jesus is now praying to his heavenly Father. He’s really praying to his heavenly Father as though he were saying “Father, I not only emptied myself into the incarnation but there is a sense in which I have hidden my majesty in the incarnation. Will you not now, by your power, unveil that majesty so men and women will see who I really am? And as they see who I really am face to face with you, able to look into your effulgent glory.” [00:960:08]

And so Father, unveil that glory that I had with you before the world began.” And it’s an amazing expression of his consciousness of deity. You know sometimes when people say, “Well, does the New Testament really teach that Jesus was God?” We go to some of the big text like Romans chapter 9 verse 5 or to other verses but here are words straight out of the mouth of our Lord Jesus that are either expressions of his deity or the worst conceivable expressions of blasphemy. [01:20:08]

And here is this one who has never breathed polluted air. Here is this one who’s never experienced antagonism. Here is this one who has been loved from all eternity, surrounded by angels and archangels and cherubim and seraphim and sharing in the blessed fellowship of the Holy Trinity and in the joy that they have in one another. And now he’s come down into a world where he is demeaned, where the pollution of our sin has poured upon his Holy Spirit day after day after day after day, and now towards the end as they will breathe their pollution on him in order to destroy him rather than to trust him and to be changed to be like him. [01:275:36]

And so he prays that what he once knew, he will again know that the Father and the Son will live in this most intimate of fellowship with one another where the Father will gaze upon him and say to him “My son, I have watched you every single day. I have felt as it were in my soul the pollution of the atmosphere into which you have gone to fulfill our purpose and to save these polluted sinners. That’s why I want highly to exalt you and give you the name that is above every name that at your name, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that you are Lord.” [01:354:48]

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Transcript
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