John 17:1-16 (NKJV) Jesus Prays for Disciples, Part 1

​1  Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2  as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3  And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4  I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5  And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6  "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7  Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8  For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9  I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

​Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think that Christians tend to be the target of persecution around the world?
2. How you felt under attack from the enemy?  (What measures are you taking to protect yourself when under attack?)
3. Jesus mentions Judas as "the son of perdition."  Do you think it would have been possible for Judas to repent and receive forgiveness from Jesus?

• v.1 Jesus was fully aware of the events that were to come.  He would be betrayed, arrested, put on trial, brutalized, crucified, and take on the sins of the world.  What is remarkable about Jesus' prayer is that it was not prayer centered on Him.  He was the one facing an extreme personal crisis and yet His focus was on the well-being of His disciples.  Jesus prays that the Father will "Glorify" Him so that He will in turn "Glorify" the Father.  I think that the resurrection is the fulfillment of this prayer.
• v.2  Once again Jesus is identified as the "way" to salvation.  He is the one mediator between God and man.  He is the only way that people are able to come to the Father.  He has the one name synonymous with salvation.  There is no other name but the name of Jesus.
• v.4 This verse reminds me of the words, "It is finished" that Jesus spoke while on the cross.  Jesus came to complete a very specific mission when He left heaven.  The mission was to be completed just as the Prophet Isaiah had predicted.  Refer to Isaiah, Chapter 53.
• v.8 Jesus expressed faith in His disciples.  They had gone from a group of men who followed Jesus around, into a group of men who were Believers in Jesus; and soon they would be leading the Church, with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone and the Holy Spirit empowering them to fulfill God's purposes.
• v.9-11 Jesus is concerned for His disciples.  He realized that they will remain behind in the world which will challenge them in many of the same ways that the world had challenged Him.  Persecution from the religious leaders from the Jews would continue to be an issue.  Attacks from the Enemy.  The desertion of some, such as Judas.  It would not be easy for the disciples after Jesus left them.  
• v.14 Do you find it hard to understand why the "world" would hate followers of Christ.  Is does seem a bit illogical and unreasonable.  (Followers of Christ are to be people who express the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, kindness, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.  Honestly--it is hard to find anything on that list that is offensive)  
• v.15 Jesus prayed that His followers would be protected from the evil one.  The enemy that goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  If you are a followers of Christ, that fact alone will put you into a place of enmity with the devil.  We must always remain steadfast and on guard.