Intimate Jesus

Jesus intercedes for us

[ Main Scripture : John 17:3]

Day 19

"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."
  — John 17:3 (NKJV)

Jesus declares that eternal life is knowing God as the only true God. If we have a true God, it also means something false exists. For Jesus to specify that God is the only true God, there must be other gods in existence.

But He prays, that we might know God. Knowing God means: Understanding Him, being sure of God, being aware of God.

Your knowledge of God is very important. Knowing God is what sets you apart from other people. This knowledge has to be personal to you.

The second thing Jesus prays for is for us to know Him as well. We both have to have the knowledge of God and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours."
  — John 17:9 (NKJV)

Jesus prayed for His disciples. If you are a follower of Jesus, this prayer includes you as well. But notice what Jesus says. He seems to only pray for those He has a relationship with in this passage of Scripture.

This should be an encouragement. Having a relationship with Jesus includes us in His prayers. Let's see what Jesus prays for.

"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."
  — John 17:11 (NKJV)

Jesus prays for unity. He wants the disciples to be united and together. One of the things you'll see in the body of Christ is isolation. Everyone wants to do their own thing. But Jesus prays for our unity. And He prays for the deepest kind of togetherness, the kind that He has with the Father.

"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves."
  — John 17:13 (NKJV)

Another important thing Jesus prays for is for our joy to be full. Many things in this world can make us unhappy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy is Divine happiness. Happiness that emanates from having the presence of the Lord in our lives.

"I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one."
  — John 17:15 (NKJV)

Jesus prays some deep things for us. He says, "I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one."

Let's think about this prayer. What makes people stop believing? The evil one! What made Judas betray Jesus? The evil one! Judas wasn't a 'Judas' until the enemy entered him. The evil one changed the character of Judas. So this is a pretty important prayer topic.

The Greek word for keep is tereo. It means: to guard from loss or injury by keeping an eye on.

God watches  over us. God guards us from the evil one.

"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth."
  — John 17:17 (NKJV)

Jesus then asks God to sanctify us. To sanctify means to purify, to make holy or to consecrate. The word of God makes us pure as we learned in the previous study.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;"
  — John 17:20 (NKJV)

Just in case you think these prayers were only for Jesus' disciples, the  Scripture above confirms that Jesus prays for us too. He prays for anyone who believes. You have to believe that you are a very part of Jesus' prayers.

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
  — John 17:24 (NKJV)

Finally, Jesus prays about the most important thing. Jesus seemed to have been speaking of another reality while living on Earth. Sometimes we focus so much on the world that we forget that Heaven truly exists.

Jesus prays for us to be with Him where He is. He is in Heaven. Jesus prays that we see His glory where He is. How amazing it is to know that He intercedes for us. This should stir up our relationship with Him and it should encourage us to also pray for others.

Father we thank you for you. Thank you God for Jesus Christ who intercedes for us and reconnects us to you. May we know you in the way we ought to know you. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.