Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. John 17:1
If you had been standing in a corner in the quiet of the Upper Room that night, you would have witnessed Jesus sitting down at a table with the twelve disciples, his closest friends. His time on Earth running short, he rolled up his sleeves to wash and dry their feet. He explains to them that he has looked forward to this meal, his last until he reaches Heaven. He teaches them to remember him when he is gone by giving thanks, breaking the bread, and passing the cup. He provides them with instructions and encourages them. These few sentences do not give these last moments in the upper room any justice. There is so much that happens in the upper room that each of his acts there deserves a deep dive to include Judas’s exit. Now, let’s focus on what happened at the end of their time in the upper room…before they traveled to the Garden of Gethsemane.
John tells us that before Jesus went out to face his earthly fate before his work here was nearly complete, He stopped and prayed out loud to his Father. John documents the prayer for you and me in John 17:1-26
Before we get into the meat of this prayer, here’s a question for you:
What would you do if I told you to stop reading this now and pray? Would you close your eyes, bow your head, and clasp your hands?
John is specific to mention that Jesus looked up toward Heaven and prayed! (John 17:1)
His prayer didn’t look like what we often do when we pray. His posture sets a different example for us here. His approach also speaks to his direct and intimate relationship with God. He went boldly and confidently to our Father in prayer while looking up! The posture of prayer comes in many forms.
Now that you’re warmed up, let’s go deeper.
The components of his prayer are a reminder of his example for us in crisis, his deep love for his disciples, and his deep love for believers today.
Amid this most extreme crisis, he stopped and prayed.
Jesus was moments away from being betrayed, arrested, tortured, and crucified. He knew the details of his pending crisis. When we are in the middle of a crisis, do we run to prayer or run to our own problem-solving and creating lists of action items to keep ourselves feeling ‘in control’? It’s easy to think we can be or should be our problem solvers.
He prayed for himself, for his friends, and for us!
John 17:1-5 – Jesus prays for himself. The time has come, his work completed, and he shows his desire to have his work be to the glory of God.
John 17:6-19 – Jesus prays for his disciples while they stay on Earth to fulfill their mission. All while knowing that Judas would betray him for 30 pieces of silver, Peter would deny him, and all would desert him.
John 17:20-26 – Jesus prays for you & I (all believers). He prays for those of us who depend on the timeless personal witness accounts of the disciples to believe in Jesus. Jesus intends for the church to continue to grow and pray for its unity.
Reflecting on his prayer, we see his reverence for God’s will, his desire for the unity of the church, and his commitment to truth and love. We find these words to be a blueprint for a life of faith. Just as Jesus prayed amid this crisis, we can turn to his words and our prayer to Him as a source of direction and inspiration.
This prayer continues to resonate with every generation, reminding us where to find guidance, strength, and purpose. It is a timeless compass, directing us on our journey with Christ.
I pray that you will find inspiration and wisdom as you unfold the words of Jesus’s prayer in the upper room. Remember Psalm 119:130 "The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand." Break open your words, let the light shine out, and let ordinary people see the meaning.
May faith guide your journey Sister. In love.