In the Old Testament, the high priest was a man who represented the Jews in the holiest of holies, where only he could enter into the presence of God. The high priest would sacrifice an animal, and by shedding its blood, atone for the people’s sins. This happened only on one day, Yom Kippur. This high priest not only would be a fellow fallen human being, if not in deed certainly occassional in thought, the high priest would be limited to strict and tedious regulations and ritual preparations to perform what was needed for this atonement. Jesus did away with the need for that by fulfilling the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and became both the Supreme High Priest who presented Himself as the ultimate spotless Lamb for the Final atonement on the altar of The Cross for all sins (refer to the entire book of Hebrews for more on this). When he did this, He had you and me in mind in His prayer as Supreme High Priest as the hour of sacrifice was just around the corner.
In John 17, Jesus began His high priestly prayer with revealing His heart for glorifying The Father and His redemptive plan through His Son. In complete humility, Jesus submitted to The Father, “glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you”. By this we see that Jesus accepted and sought His path to glory/Heaven in order that The Father would be revered:
“And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5)
Jesus continues His prayer with intercession on behalf of all believers which He calls His own. He prayed for you in this way, to bless you and keep you:
“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… 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 since before the foundation of the world” (John 17:9-11, 24-25)
As I type out theose words, my heart swells with gratitude and wonder of our Lord and tears of joy stream well up in my eyes. What an incredible love Jesus had and has for us that He would say such words to The Father. Before the foundation of the world, each person of The Godhead were in perfect loving relationship with one another, and by saying God chose each of us, who would ever believe, to be given to His Son, Jesus is essentially praying Ephesians 1:4-5, telling us that He loves you and I with that same perfection before the foundation of the world:
“For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will,” (Ephesians 1:4-5)
Shortly after Jesus closed His spectacular prayer, Judas Iscariot had procured a band of soldiers and Pharisees to arrest Jesus. Tomorrow we will get into what took place leading up to Judas’ act of betrayal.
Question to ask yourself and Prayer Prompt:
- Read John 17:1-26. As you meditate on each word, what comes to mind? Pray about this.