Holy Week, DAY 1

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.  John 17:1 - 5 (ESV)

Today we will look at the prayer of Jesus or also known as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. Chapter 17 is my favorite chapter in the Gospel of John. In this passage we get a glimpse at the prayer life of Jesus. This is an intimate moment in which John was a witness and he shares it with us. It is a beautiful prayer and I think we as followers of Jesus can benefit from this prayer.

The chapter begins with Jesus looking to the heavens and praying to God the Father. This is believed to be the common stance for prayer (not the way we do it today with hands folded, heads bowed, and eyes closed) and he prays, “The hour has come…” which refers to his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In His High Priestly prayer Jesus has a threefold purpose to the prayer, to pray for Himself, the disciples and for the church. Today we will look at the first purpose of his prayer. 

1. Jesus prays for Himself (Verses 1 – 5). Why does he pray for Himself?
   1. So, He may glorify God: Jesus prays that through his death on the cross the Father will be exalted above all. He prays this not so much as a request, but as something that is going to happen. In His death God will be exalted above all as He accomplishes or completes the plan of redemption for those who belong to the Father. In His death God will be glorified because Jesus makes available eternal life to those whom God has given to Him
      
      What does it mean to have eternal life? This is more than just going to heaven when you die. It’s about knowing God and Jesus intimately. It is not just acknowledging intellectual belief, but it is entering a relationship with the God that affects every aspect of life here on earth. Part of the plan of redemption is for Jesus to establish a relationship with those who will believe and put their trust in Him. You may not know this but, eternal life begins here on earth and continues until we are in the presence of the Father.
      
      
   2. So, He may be glorified in the presence of the Father: This could imply that Jesus’ pre-incarnation glory would be restored to Him through His obedience on the cross, thus the people will see that He truly is who He claims to be.
      
      What does “glory that I had with you before the world existed” mean? I believe it is a reference of the eternal existence of Jesus (He is not a created being but is eternal and He was present at the time of creation) and the glory He shared with the Father. Through His death, resurrection and ascension He will reclaim His throne that He left in order to bring restoration to the world
      
      ​As I conclude today, I would encourage you to take some time and reflect on this question“ Do I pray for myself regularly that God would be glorified in me in all that I do and say?”  Tomorrow, we will look at the next two purposes of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden.