JOHN 17:1 – 26
Bible Study Notes Rev. Betsy Perkins
Jesus Prays
- When have you had someone pray aloud for you? How did it feel to hear them name you before God in prayer? When have you done that for someone else?
- Have you ever wondered if it is okay to pray for yourself? Did Jesus ever pray for himself?
Jesus Prays for Himself (17:1-5)
- What is Jesus celebrating at the beginning of his prayer?
- How does Jesus describe ‘eternal life’? How is that different than how you might describe it?
This ‘eternal life’, this life of the coming age, is not just something which people can have after their death. It isn’t simply that in some future state the world will go on for ever and ever and we shall be part of it. The point is, rather, that this new sort of life has come to birth in the world in and through Jesus. Once he has completed the final victory over death itself, all his followers, all who trust him and believe that he has truly come from the Father, and has truly unveiled the Father’s character and purpose – all of them can and will possess ‘eternal life’ right here and now. That, too, has been one of the great themes of this gospel. N.T. Wright
- What is Jesus’ request to the Father at the beginning of his prayer?
- What can we understand about Jesus’ relationship with God the Father as he speaks to Him?
Jesus Prays for His Disciples (17:6-19):
- How does Jesus describe his disciples in his prayer? What does he mean when he describes them as “not of the world” in verse 14 and 16?
- What does Jesus ask the Father to do for his disciples?
- Jesus prays for protection 3 times (verses 11, 12, and 15). What is the threat against the disciples?
- How has Jesus already protected his disciples?
- How will believers be protected and equipped to withstand the threat?
- What are the threats that we face each day?
- How does Jesus’ prayer encourage you to face the threats in your life?
This prayer has been used for many centuries by pastors and teachers and other Christian leaders as they pray for those in their care. It can also, with only slight variation, be used by Christians of all sorts for themselves. Substitute ‘Jesus’ for I, and replace ‘they/them’ with ‘I/me’, and you’ll get the idea. But be careful. This is a serious prayer. It is one of the most serious things Jesus ever said. That’s why, deep down, it is also the most joyful and hopeful. Pray it with awe, and with delight.
N.T. Wright
Jesus Prays for All Believers (17:20-26):
- What does Jesus ask the Father to do for all those who believe in him?
- How does it make you feel knowing Jesus has asked the Father for this on your behalf?
- What are some practical ways the world might see the unity Jesus prays for among believers?
Notice how this picks up what Jesus said in 13:35. ‘This is how all people will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for each other.’ Unity is vital. Often we sense it, hear it like soft music through the partition walls we set up around ourselves. Sometimes we experience it, when for a moment we meet Christians from a totally different background and discover that, despite our many differences, and the traditions that keep us apart, we know a unity of love and devotion that cannot be broken. But just as often, alas, we experience, sense and know that Jesus’ prayer for us has not yet been full answered. N.T. Wright
- How can we, individually and together, work toward greater unity in the Body of Christ?
- What does Jesus’ prayer teach us about the purpose and practice of prayer?
- Is there anything you might change in your prayer practice as a result of Jesus’ example?
If you are a follower of Jesus, you are an answer to his long-ago prayer. You are one of those who have believed because of the faithfulness of others. There is an unbroken chain of witnesses from that upper room to your heart and mind, just as he expected. The faith is in your hands and in your life. Ironically, you keep it by giving it away. If you hold it privately and secretly, you haven’t kept it. So pray for the people in your life, and then tell them about Jesus. Max Lucado
In light of this passage and our discussion, what one truth about God and about yourself stand out as something to “take to heart” this week?
Are there steps you will take, by God’s grace, to more fully apply it to your life?
Resources: NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2015
N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, 2002
Max Lucado, Life Lessons from John, 2018
Joe Boyd, Bible Experiment – Gospel of John (RightNowMedia), 2014
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