Jesus’ Prayer for Future Believers Through Disciples’ Witnessing Through the Spirit and Word
John 17:20–26 (NKJV)
Christ Prays for All Believers
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Message
Last week, we learned that Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17:6-19. Today, let us study that Jesus extends His prayer to all believers.
I. Jesus’ Disciples: Witnesses of Jesus (20)
See v20.
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
‘these’ are the disciples of Jesus. Jesus has been talking to them since the last supper in John 13 ~ 16 and prayed for them in John 17:6-19. Now Jesus prays not only for them but also for those who WILL believe in Him through their word. The Holy Spirit and His disciples are His witnesses (John 15:26-27 NKJV).
People in the world have been in the darkness without the true light, Jesus. He came to the world but they did not recognise but rejected Him even though He created them and chose them as His own people (John 1:10-11). This is why God sent John the Baptist to bear witness to Jesus (John 1:6-7).
Through the testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:29-36, 3:27-36), many people believed Jesus (John 1:37, 10:40-42).
Jesus foretold that people would believe in Jesus through His disciples’ testimonies and prayed for the new believers (20). Jesus said in Acts 1:8 NKJV.
”But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Just as Jesus said in John 15:26-27 NKJV, the Holy Spirit’s coming upon them and their becoming His witnesses are interrelated according to Acts 1:8 NKJV.
The Prophets foretold the coming of John the Baptist in Isaiah 40:3-5, Malachi 3:1-5, and Malachi 4:5-6. John, the Baptist was in the spirit and power of Elijah, one of the greatest prophets of all time (Luke 1:17, Malachi 4:5).
Regarding this, I want to remind the audience of what Jesus said in Matthew 11:11 NKJV.
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
This shows how great a New Testament believer can become. They can do what is great when we don’t limit God who can work through them. Jesus foretold them that they would do the works Jesus did and even greater works than these (John 14:12).
II. Jesus’ prayer for the unity of the Father, Jesus and all believers (21)
See v21.
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Earlier, Jesus prayed to the Father to keep them through God’s name for the unity of the Father, Jesus and His disciples in John 17:11. Now, Jesus prayed to the Father for the unity of the Father, Jesus and all believers (21).
III. The Glory for their Unity (22-23)
See v22-23.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Jesus says that He gave them the glory which the Father gave Him. What is this glory?
I can think of the following facts that are related to the glory:
- Greater works: Jesus foretells that believers will do the works Jesus did and even greater works than these (John 14:12).
- The Promise of prayer being answered in Jesus’ name (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-24)
- Direct approach to the Father in Prayer, in Jesus’ name (John 16:26)
Jesus is the light (John 1:4-5). Based on John 1:4, the light is ‘life’ in Jesus. ‘life’ is the eternal life. The reason they used the light to express Jesus may be because of His glory. So, the glory may mean eternal life. Eternal life is the experiential relationship with the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent (John 17:3). Then, we can understand 22b (that they may be one just as We are one) and 23 (I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.) That is, eternal life (experience and relationship with God) brings oneness or intimacy with God. This is extended to oneness between believers.
IV. Jesus’s Prayer for Believers to be with Him in Paradice (24)
See v24.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Jesus prayed for believers to be with Jesus in Paradise (24a, Luke 23:43).
We can know why the Father has given Jesus the glory. It is because the Father loved Him (before the foundation of the world) (24b). From that, we can know why Jesus has given the glory that the Father gave Him to believers (22a). It is because Jesus loved them (24b). And also, it is for their oneness between believers and with God (22b).
V. Jesus’s Gratefulness and Joy for their Faith and Salvation (25)
See v25.
25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
People in the world have not known the Father. The Father sent Jesus who Knows the Father to save them. As a result, they believed that the Father sent Jesus into the world. I think Jesus is thankful and rejoicing for their faith and salvation.
VI. The Declaration of the Father’s Name (26)
26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Jesus has declared the name of the Father to them. Indeed, Jesus revealed the Father. He was glorious as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He will die for our sins on the cross out of His love for us, and He will be gloriously raised to life on the third day. This will reveal the depth of the Father’s love and His desire to save us. Also, the resurrection will demonstrate the greatness, power, and righteousness of the Father. His obedience to the Father, who is love (1 John 4:16), will continue to impact and change the world forever.
