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282. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19
Key Verse: "I will remain in the world no longer; but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name the name You gave Me so that they may be One as We are One."
John 17:11

What an amazing prayer for His disciples. This prayer is their ordination for ministry though they don't yet comprehend that fact completely. Jesus prays specifically for them, for these special men that He selected out of the world. When Jesus called, these men set aside their livelihoods, from fishing nets to accountants' pencils (so to speak!).  When Jesus said come, they obeyed. They had no clue what the next few years of their lives would bring. They saw more, learned more, accomplished more than they could have ever imagined on their own. Now, Jesus prays for them, knowing that for now, He is leaving His bride behind in a hostile home.

First, Jesus acknowledges in His prayer that what makes these men special is that, when Jesus revealed Himself to them, they believed Him. As they believed, Jesus could teach them the words from The Father. They believed that Jesus is one with the Father. Jesus wasn't just a man. He is fully God and fully man and the disciples believed, even if they did not completely understand, which is faith.

Just as Jesus desires to bring glory to the Father, He now tells the Father that the disciples have brought glory to Him. They did not turn their backs in the hard times, but stayed with Him through it all.

"Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name." (John 17:11-B) How tender this is. It makes me think of a parent leaving the beloved child for the first time. While Jesus was with them, He could protect them, but He must complete His mission. His mission requires Him to leave them so He prays for His Father to continue to protect them while He is away.

He prays for them to be One. Perhaps He is thinking about Peter and Matthew, who had to work hard at getting along. Perhaps He was thinking of James and John, His, "Sons of Thunder," that made everybody angry when they asked for special privileges. Perhaps he was remembering all the little squabbles that they had about who would be first, or the greatest. Jesus knew that these men would need each other more than ever while He was away. They would need each other for strength and encouragement. They could no longer afford to go back to the world's way of seeing things. They had been with Him. They were no longer a part of the world and as “other-worldly” men, they would need to be one as Jesus is One with the Father.

Finally, Jesus prays for their sanctification, that they would become more like Him. "Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified." (John 17:17-19)
How was it for the disciples to know that Jesus was praying for them in such a way? He was truly handing over the baton, whether they were ready or not. He was praying for them though. What confidence to know that Jesus prayed for them.

Hymn: "Jesus, Lord, We Look To Thee"

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