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John 17: Prayer for the Disciples
How did Jesus expect to be glorified?
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John 17:1–2 After Jesus finished speaking, he looked toward the sky. “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can glorify you. For you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to those you have given him.”
King James
John 17:1–2 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
What is “eternal life” based upon?
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John 17:3 “Eternal life comes by knowing you, the only true God, and the one you have sent, Jesus Christ.”
King James
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
What did Jesus do to glorify the Father?
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John 17:4 “I have glorified you on Earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”
King James
John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
How did Jesus know about the glory he had before coming to Earth?
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John 17:5 “Now, Father, restore to me the glory I had with you before the world existed.”
King James
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
How far had the disciples progressed in their faith in Jesus Christ? What was still lacking?
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John 17:6–8 “I have revealed you to those you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you entrusted them to me. They have obeyed your word, and now they know that everything I have comes from you. They have received the message that you gave to me and are convinced that you sent me.”
King James
John 17:6–8 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Why did Jesus pray for his disciples and not the world?
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John 17:9–10 “I pray for them, not the world. I pray for those you have entrusted to me, because they belong to you. All these who are mine belong to you, and all who are yours belong to me, so they bring me glory.”
King James
John 17:9–10 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
What kind of relationship did Jesus pray for his disciples to have with the Father?
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John 17:11 “I am leaving the world to come to you, but they must remain here. Holy Father, protect them by the direction and authority you gave me so they may be of one spirit with you as we are.”
17:21–23 “Let them be of one spirit with you as we are. Let them be one with us so the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me so they may be of one spirit with you, as we are. Because I am in them and you are in me, they will be in perfect unity with you. Then the world will know you have sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
King James
John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
17:21–23 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Why was Judas lost from Jesus’ protective care?
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John 17:12 “While I was with them, I protected them by the authority you gave to me. Not one of those you gave me has been lost except the one destined for destruction so scripture might be fulfilled.”
King James
John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
If the disciples were grieving over Jesus’ departure, how could their lives be filled with joy?
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John 16:5–6 “Now that I am going to the one who sent me, none of you have said, ‘Where are you going?’ That is because you are filled with grief over what I have said.”
17:13 “Now I am coming to you. I have said these things while still with them in the world so their lives may be filled with my joy.”
King James
John 16:5–6 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Up to this point, how had the disciples experienced the world’s hatred?
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John 17:14 “I have delivered your message to them. The world hates them because they do not belong to this world, just as I do not belong.”
King James
John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Since so many of Jesus’ disciples were martyred, how effective was Jesus’ prayer for their protection?
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John 17:15 “I do not pray for you to take them out of the world but that you would protect them from that which is evil.”
King James
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
How could the disciples’ belonging to the world be like what Jesus had?
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John 17:16 “They do not belong to the world any more than I do.”
King James
John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
What truth in God’s word should dedicate us to his service?
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John 17:17 “Let the truth of your word dedicate them to your service.”
King James
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
How does our commission to serve compare with the Father sending the Son?
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Matthew 28:18–19 Jesus said to them, “I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth. Therefore, go to all nations and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
Mark 16:15 Jesus told them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to everyone.”
John 17:18–19 “Just as you sent me, I send them into the world. I dedicate myself to meet their needs so they also may be dedicated to true service.”
King James
Matthew 28:18–19 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
John 17:18–19 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
How did the Father love the Son before the creation of the world?
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John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given to me to be with me where I am, to see the glory you gave to me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”
Colossians 1:17 He existed before anything else, and all things exist through him.
Revelation 13:8 The people on Earth who worshiped the beast were those whose names were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain since the founding of the world.
King James
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
How can Jesus be in his disciples?
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John 17:25–26 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I do. And these disciples know you have sent me. I have shown them who you are and will continue to make you known so your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
King James
John 17:25–26 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.