Monday in the Thirtieth Week of Ordinary Time

John 17:20-26

And He Prayed for Us as Well

In the first part of his “Priestly Prayer,” Jesus prayed to the Father that He would glorify the Son as the Son had glorified the Father by accomplishing the task that he was given to do, proving to the whole world that he had come from the Father.  In the second part of the prayer, he prayed for the disciples that the Father would guard and keep them as Jesus was now leaving them in the world while he returned to the Father.  And in the third part of his prayer, which we take up today, Jesus prays … for us!  He knew that with the sending of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of the apostles, others would believe in his name.  And so it has happened just as the Father planned – and here we are, reading these precious words and wondering to ourselves, “Wow!  He prayed for me on that night of agony.”  Jesus is our High Priest, and that’s what priests do – pray for their people.

Moreover, Jesus prays for our unity, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us.”  And why does our Lord pray for this unity, “So that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  This unity is a miracle because it is not based upon our good feelings about one another, but on the unity of the Father and the Son, “that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”  So our unity is founded upon the Father’s love, a love that He had for us from the dawn of time.  If we fail in showing this unity, the sin is with us.  If we will abide in His love, we should have no trouble loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.

And then Jesus says something truly wonderful: “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 loved me before the foundation of the world.”  Jesus wants us to be with him, that’s why he goes to prepare a place for us (14:2-3).  And please note that his desire for us to be with him is not so we can relax but so that we may behold his glory.  You see, for the believer, seeing God in all His glory is everything.  There is nothing more beautiful, more desirable, nothing that should thrill our hearts more than seeing Him.  And in glorifying the Lord, we share in his glory, for Jesus says, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them.”  And Paul tells us that those whom He chose, called, and justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:30). This is his prayer for us to the Father, which tells us how even now he prays for us at the right hand, we in him, he in us, that we all may be one.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist