Bible Study Chapter 17 Jesus' Prayer for You

If there is only a chapter of the Bible that you can keep with you, which chapter will it be? For me, it will be this chapter 17 of the Gospel of John. It is the prayer of Jesus to His Father God. But the content is all about us and for us. It explains to us the origin and identity of Jesus and the purpose of His coming to earth. It explains to us who we are in the eyes of God, what we shall be facing in this world, and how to overcome them and with who. It is very personal not just because it is between Jesus and His Father but it is very personal because we are mentioned explicitly in the prayer ... also for those who will believe in me through their word, John 17:20. We are the ones who believe in the apostles' words about Jesus.

Q1 How is God glorified in Jesus? How is Jesus glorified?
Jesus knew his hour has come (v1). We know from subsequent chapters that this hour is the hour on the cross - where Jesus would be crucified for the sins of the world. To the human mind, the cross is a symbol of shame. It indeed is true. Yet, it is THE milestone that spelled the victory of God and man over sins. It accomplishes the salvation of man where the debt of sin is paid in full by Jesus.  Associated with the Cross is of course the resurrection of Jesus Christ 3 days later clearly demonstrating the victory over death. Hence, we can say that the cross is the beginning stage of the glory of God that continued with the resurrection of Christ and end with the 2nd coming of Christ where the entire universe will be transformed and we part-take the new eternal body.

The power and glory of the cross are echoed by Paul in:

• 1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 
• Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
• Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;
• Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Q2 What is eternal life? How do you get it?
John 17:2 tells that it was the Father's will to give eternal to all - whoever wants to receive it. John 17:3 make explicit that eternal life is known thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Eternal life is more than just everlasting life. Even the unbelievers have everlasting life since man is a tripartite of spirit, soul and body. When this physical body dies, the man's spirit and soul live on.


So here tells us that eternal life is about intimate knowledge and relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  Knowing is more than just head knowledge. It includes experiential knowing - seeing, tasting, touching, feeling kind of knowing.

We know the Father God through Jesus the Son. Salvation is more than just reciting the sinner's prayer. That is too narrow and shallow. The salvation of receiving eternal life is to enter into a relationship with Jesus. It begins by knowing who Jesus is - the Son of God sent to bring us back to His Father God. One is saved not by reciting the sinner's prayer, but by knowing and acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God. John 3:16 is the starting base. Paul emphasized in word confessed out of the belief in the heart in Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.

Q3 How can one glorify God on earth?
Jesus tells and gives us the example in John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. We glorify God by doing and completing God's will for us. See Our Calling of Life.


Q4 Make a list of Jesus' work on earth?

1. Make Father God know to the world - the disciples believed. 17:6-7,26
2. Teach them the Words that Father God gave. 17:8,14. We are to do likewise. Not our own thinking but of God. Keep the Gospel pure. Don't subtract or add to it.
3. Prayed for those of His v9. We can see that while God loves all, God needs to take special care of His because they are accomplishing His work on earth against the persecutions(v15). v14 "The world hated us because we are not of the world".
1. v11 shows Jesus asking the Father to protect us and
2. more specifically to keep us ONE. The infighting of brothers and sisters are a common temptation. Yet Jesus is to be known by our love and oneness (v23). We are to pray for one another. We are to ONE with the Father and the Son Jesus through His power and love  v21-24, 26.
3. v13 we may have the Joy of Jesus in us. or more accurately, be filled with His joy to the fullest; which shows that we can have different degrees of joy. We have greater joy by knowing His words v17. It is with joy that we can overcome. See Joy - Biblical View
4. v15 we are to remain on earth but God will keep us from the evil one.
5. v17,19 we are to be sanctified by the Word=Truth of God.
4. Jesus is most happy with what God has given Him v10. John Piper said that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.
5. Jesus sends us out to the world v18
6. Jesus gave the glory he received to us v22 that we may be one as him and the Father.
7. Jesus loves us and the Father loves us as much as he loves Jesus v23.

Q5 What are the key truths that you learned in this chapter? How can you put them into practice?

Here is my list in mind-map format. They are grouped by color - purple is a foundational truth, blue is about us, and yellow is Jesus and us.