Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19
Key Verse 17:11

“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.”

Jesus prays for his disciples. Because he leaves for the Father, he commits them to the Father in prayer. What were Jesus’ prayer topics for his disciples? We will think about 4 topics. 

First, Jesus prayed for divine protection to them. (v7) 

Second, Jesus prayed for mysterious oneness (v7b)

Three, Jesus prayed for heavenly joy. (v13)

Four, Jesus prayed for holy sanctification. (v17) 

May God help us to understand Jesus’ prayer for disciples so that we understand his love and also pray for disciples like Jesus did. 

1. Read verses 6-8. What did Jesus do for his disciples when he was with them? (6, 8) To whom did his disciples belong? (6, 9) What did the disciples know when they obeyed God’s word (6, 7) and what did they know when they accepted God’s words? (8)

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 

1-1> What did Jesus do for his disciples when he was with them? (v6,8)

(1) Jesus has revealed God the Father to disciples

Revealed; more than simple teaching; 

Jesus displayed the character of God. 

Jesus manifested the attributes of God in his own life. 

Attributes and characters of God

Holiness of God: Holy Father (V11)

Righteousness of God: Righteous Father (V25)

Power of God: God Almighty

Love of God

Goodness of God:

Justice of God

Mercy of God

Grace of God

(2) Jesus gave them the words of God which God gave Jesus. 

Jesus taught them and showed them how to obey the words of God in his life. 

1-2> To whom did his disciples belong? (v6,9)  

(1) Disciples belong to God the Father. (v6,9) 

This clearly indicated God’s election for his people (Jn 17:2,9,24; 6:37,39).

(2) Disciples belong to Jesus. (v6)

Disciples had belonged to the world before. (v6) but now they belong to Jesus. 

1-3> What did the disciples know when they obeyed God’s word (v6,7) and what did they know when they accepted God’s words? (v8)

 (1) When they obeyed God’s word they became to know that everything you have given me comes from you. (v7, Jn 7:16; 12:49) 

They believed His teaching was from God. (Divine origin of His teaching) 

(2) When they accepted God’s words they became to know with certainty that Jesus came from God. (v8; Jn 16:30)

They believed that God sent Jesus. (Divine origin of Jesus)

2. Read verses 9-10. Who is Jesus praying for? (9) What does the Father and Jesus jointly have? (10) Who is glorified through the disciples and why? (10)

9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 

2-1> Who is Jesus praying for? (9) 

(1) Jesus pray for his 12 disciples 

Jesus’ focus was on his own disciples. 

Jesus is our Mediator (1Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6, 9:15) 

(2) Jesus was not praying for the world. 

The world: human society functioning apart from God. 

2-2> What does the Father and Jesus jointly have? (v10)

(1) “All” which means ‘everything’. The Father and Jesus have ‘all’ things together. This reveals the unity of the Trinity (Jn 16:15, 17:11, 21-23).

Jesus and Father are one. (Jn 10:30)

(2) Anyone can say to God ‘all I have’ is yours but only Jesus could say that ‘all you have’ is mine. 

2-3> Who is glorified through the disciples and why? (v.10)

(1) Jesus.  Disciples’ life is to glorify Jesus just like Jesus glorifies God. (Jn 12:28,17:1)

Glorify Jesus is the foundation of Christian life. 

No one is to be glorified through believers except Jesus. 

Glorifying ourselves is the deep root of sin. 

(2) Jesus’ disciples glorified Jesus because they obeyed Jesus’ word. It is the same with Jesus. Jesus obeyed the Father’s word and glorified the Father.

3. Read verses 11-12. What did Jesus pray for? (11) By what power does God protect them? (11) What was Jesus' ultimate goal in asking God to protect his disciples? (11b) How secure is God’s protection? (12) 

11 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. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 

3-1> What did Jesus pray for? (11) 

Protect them 

(1) From the world, From the flesh, and From the devil (v15) 

The devil is so stronger than us. 

Our flesh is so desperate wicked. 

The world is deceiving us to sin and against us to be holy. 

(2) We are not able to protect ourselves with our own wisdom, strength and power. 

Jesus protected disciples when he was with them. (v12)

Now, Jesus has prayed for disciples and for us. 

We need to know how much we need God’s divine protection. 

3-2> By what power does God protect them? (11) 

(1) By the power of the Father’s name

(2) Name of God: Yahweh (Jehovah) “I AM”

God is eternal. God is immutable.

(3) Power of God’s Name 

God is Almighty. (Gen 17:1)

Nothing is impossible with God. 

3-3> What was Jesus' ultimate goal in asking God to protect his disciples? (11b)

(1) So that they may be one as we are one. 

Union among believers is mystery. 

This is God’s desire and His design for His kingdom. 

Believers are already one in Jesus. (Past)  

They will be one in Jesus (Future)

They are in the middle of the process of becoming one. (Present) 

3-4> How secure is God’s protection? (12) 

None has been lost. 

Only one who doomed to destruction was lost so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 

4. Read verses 13-16. Why did Jesus say these things while he was in the world? (13) Why did the world hate the disciples? (14) From whom does Jesus pray to protect his disciples and why? (15, 16)

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

4-1> Why did Jesus say these things while he was in the world? (v.13)

Because they may have the full measure of Jesus’ joy within them. 

Although the world, the flesh and the devil want to steal the joy of Jesus from our hearts 

Jesus wanted his disciples have Jesus’ joy.

Jesus wants His joy fulfilled in the lives of disciples. 

The source of Jesus’ joy is the love of the Father;

God’s Love; Perfect. It means complete protection and care of the Father. 

We can be joyful when we know the perfect love of the Father.  

Think about the source of your joylessness 

Our joylessness will happen. 

When we do not believe the love and the care of God for us. 

4-2> Why did the world hate the disciples? (v.14)

Because they are not of the world. (v.14) They do not belong to the world when they heard Jesus’ word and accepted the words. In this way they do not belong to the world. (Jn 15:18) they belong to Jesus by listening to the words of Jesus.

4-3> From whom does Jesus pray to protect his disciples and why? (v.15,16)

Protect them from the evil one. (v.15) It is because they do not belong to the world as if Jesus is not of the world. (v.16) The evil one is the devil and the devil is the prince of the world.

5. Read verses 17-19. What is Jesus’ other prayer topic for his disciples? (17) What does ‘sanctify’ mean? How can we be sanctified? (17b) How did Jesus set an example of being truly sanctified? (18,19) 

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 

5-1> What is Jesus’ other prayer topic for his disciples? (v.17) 

Sanctify them by the truth. The first topic was to protect them by the power of God’s name. 

5-2> What does ‘sanctify’ mean? 

(1) Sanctify means to be set apart for God’s special pleasure and purpose. 

It implies to be in the process of holiness. 

It implies to be in the process of becoming more like God. 

It implies to be set apart from the corruption of the world and for God’s use.

Grow in the image of Jesus; 

 (2) Jesus prayed for their sanctification. 

This sanctification is the ongoing process as long as we stay in this world. 

This sanctification process is a work of God in us and through us. (Phil 2:12b,13)

a. Sanctification is not only our human struggles but also divine work of God.  

b. We must consider both divine work and human efforts. 

(1 Cor 15:10; Phil 2:12,13)

It is one of the great mysteries in the Scripture.

5-3> How can we be sanctified? (v.17b) 

By Jesus’ word and Jesus’ word is truth. When we hear the word truth from Jesus and accept it and obey it we are sanctified, set apart for God’s purpose.

(1) By the truth: The word of God is the truth. 

The truth sanctifies us. 

The word of God sanctifies us. 

When we keep the word of God, it makes our way pure. (Psa 119:9)

(2) Sanctification and mission is all related. 

We are set apart for service and mission; not for mutual admiration.

We must be sanctified to be sent into the world. 

While we are in the world, we will be continuously sanctified. 

We are set apart to reflect the glory of God. 

We are out of the world to be set apart. 

We are sent into the world to reveal the glory of God. 

To be holy is the key for us to be able to continue to bring glory to God. 

5-4> How did Jesus set an example of being truly sanctified? (v.18,19)

Jesus set himself apart for God’s use. In order to do so he gave up everything including his own life. 

In conclusion, Jesus prayed for his disciples; divine protection; mysterious oneness; heavenly joy and holy sanctification. May be Jesus’ prayer topics done according to His purpose. Amen. 

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