Digging Deeper: The Prayer of Jesus

When Jesus prays, he looks up towards heaven when he does so. This is how the Jews prayed – by looking up to God. It’s different than what we’re used to in western culture, where we tend to bow our heads and close our eyes.

Jesus prays that he will be glorified as the Son so that the Father may also be glorified. 

He says that the Father gave the Son the authority to give people eternal life. 

But what is eternal life? 

Jesus says it is to know the only true God and to know Jesus Christ whom he sent.

Now, Jesus doesn’t actually say that this how you get eternal life… which is sometimes what we want him to say. No, he says that knowing God is eternal life. So, eternal life is not simply an unending life or an everlasting life. It is those things, too, but here, what Jesus is talking about is a certain quality of life that comes from having a relationship with God.

This prayer lines up with what is said in John 1 and John 10 – that Jesus came into the world to reveal God and that he came so that people would life, and have it abundantly.

Jesus prays, “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began!” 

Jesus then prays for the disciple that God had given him, saying that they have helped to bring him glory, and they will need protection from the world when he is gone. 

He prays that the disciples will be one as he and the Father are one. He prays that they will be transformed into his image.

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 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.” 

Jesus then prays for everyone who will one day believe the message of the disciples – that they will all be one as he and the Father are one. He prays that everyone will be transformed into his image.