He prayed for you.
On the last night of Jesus’ life, He gathered His disciples together for one last time. He taught them and gave them an example of servanthood and selflessness. He closed this time by praying for them just prior to going to the Garden of Gethsemane. John 17 is the record of this prayer. Jesus conversation with the Father in this chapter is sometimes called “The High Priestly Prayer” because Jesus went to the Father on behalf of His disciples.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about this prayer is that it wasn’t just for His remaining eleven disciples. In fact, Jesus prayer for “everyone that would believe through their word.” Believe it or not, that includes all of us. Truthfully, Jesus prayed for you! If Jesus saw fit to pray for every follower of His, both present and future, right before He went to the cross, then it is vitally important for us to understand that prayer.
Today, we will study Jesus’ prayer in John 17. In it we will see Jesus’ absolute commitment to prayer. We will also see the importance of unity among Jesus’ followers as we live out the mission that Jesus gave us to get the gospel to the world!