When Jesus Prayed for You Before You Were Born
What’s John 17 about?
This is Jesus’ longest recorded prayer – a stunning moment where we get to listen in as the Son talks to his Father about his mission, his followers, and amazingly, about us. It’s the night before the cross, and Jesus is praying not just for the disciples in the room, but for every person who would ever believe through their message.
The Full Context
Picture this: It’s Thursday night, probably around 11 PM. Jesus has just finished washing his disciples’ feet, shared the last supper, and given them his final instructions. Now, as they’re either still in the upper room or walking toward the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus does something extraordinary – he prays out loud, knowing his disciples are listening. This isn’t a private moment; it’s a deliberate act of transparency, letting them (and us) hear his heart as he approaches the most crucial hours of human history.
John places this prayer at the climax of Jesus’ farewell discourse (John 13-17), serving as both the conclusion to his private teaching and the bridge to his passion. The prayer divides naturally into three movements: Jesus prays for himself (John 17:1-5), for his immediate disciples (John 17:6-19), and for all future believers (John 17:20-26). What makes this prayer unique is its cosmic scope – Jesus is about to die, yet he’s thinking about unity, mission, and glory that will echo through centuries.
What the Ancient Words Tell Us
The very first word Jesus uses tells us everything about his mindset. He looks up and says “Pater” – not the formal “Theos” (God) or even “Kyrios” (Lord), but the intimate Aramaic “Abba” that John translates into Greek. This is family language, the word a child uses when they trust completely.
But then Jesus does something that would have made any first-century Jew’s hair stand on end. He talks about glorifying himself (John 17:1). In Jewish thinking, only God deserves glory, and anyone claiming it for themselves was committing the ultimate blasphemy. Yet Jesus speaks of mutual glorification between himself and the Father as naturally as breathing.
Grammar Geeks
The word “doxazo” (glorify) appears five times in the first five verses alone. But here’s what’s fascinating – it’s not about getting praise or recognition. The root meaning is “to make visible what was hidden.” Jesus isn’t asking for applause; he’s asking to reveal who he truly is through the cross.
The prayer’s structure reveals Jesus’ priorities. He spends exactly five verses on himself, then shifts immediately to his followers. Notice what he doesn’t pray for – he doesn’t ask to be spared from suffering, doesn’t request an easier path, doesn’t even ask for the disciples to understand what’s about to happen. Instead, he prays for protection, sanctification, and unity.
When Jesus says he’s giving his followers the same glory the Father gave him (John 17:22), the Greek “doxa” carries the weight of God’s own presence. This isn’t just about honor or status – it’s about sharing in the very life of God.
What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?
The eleven disciples listening to this prayer would have been processing some mind-bending concepts. When Jesus talks about the glory he had “before the world existed” (John 17:5), he’s claiming pre-existence in language that echoes the creation account in Genesis. Any devout Jew would immediately think of the “Shekhinah” – the visible glory of God that filled the temple.
But here’s what would have really gotten their attention: Jesus prays that his followers would be one just as he and the Father are one (John 17:11). In Jewish theology, God’s unity (the “Shema” from Deuteronomy 6:4) wasn’t just about monotheism – it was about perfect, indivisible harmony. Jesus is saying that kind of unity should characterize his people.
Did You Know?
When Jesus says he’s “sanctifying” himself (John 17:19), he uses temple language. The word “hagiazō” was used for consecrating sacrificial animals. Jesus is essentially saying, “I’m setting myself apart as the ultimate sacrifice.”
The disciples would also have caught the reference to God’s name (John 17:6, 11, 12). In Hebrew thought, a name wasn’t just a label – it was the essence of someone’s character. When Jesus says he’s revealed the Father’s name, he’s claiming to have shown them who God really is.
Wrestling with the Text
Here’s where things get wonderfully complex. Jesus prays for people who don’t exist yet – “those who will believe in me through their message” (John 17:20). Think about that. Hours before his crucifixion, with his own disciples about to scatter, Jesus is praying for you and me.
But why does he pray for unity above almost everything else? The Greek word “hina” (that/so that) appears repeatedly, creating a chain of purpose: unity so that the world may believe (John 17:21), unity so that the world may know (John 17:23). Jesus isn’t asking for unity because it feels nice – he’s saying it’s the key to mission.
Wait, That’s Strange…
Jesus says he’s not praying for the world (John 17:9), yet the entire purpose of his prayer is that the world might believe (John 17:21). What’s going on? He’s not praying against the world, but for his people to be so unified that the world will be drawn to God through them.
There’s also this stunning moment where Jesus speaks of his glory as something he can give away (John 17:22). In human experience, glory is usually something you hoard, something that diminishes when shared. But Jesus treats it like love – the more you give, the more there is.
How This Changes Everything
This prayer rewrites our understanding of what it means to be chosen by God. Jesus doesn’t pray for his followers to be successful, comfortable, or even happy. He prays for them to be protected (John 17:11), sanctified (John 17:17), and unified (John 17:21). Those three words define the Christian life.
The protection isn’t from trouble – Jesus explicitly says his followers will have trouble in the world (John 16:33). The protection is from the evil one (John 17:15), from losing our identity and purpose in the midst of opposition.
“Jesus isn’t praying for his people to escape the world, but to transform it through their unity.”
The sanctification happens “through truth” (John 17:17), and Jesus defines God’s word as truth. This isn’t academic knowledge but transformative encounter. We’re set apart not by following rules but by being shaped by God’s revelation.
And the unity? It’s not uniformity or organizational structure. It’s the kind of oneness that exists within the Trinity itself – diverse persons in perfect harmony, each contributing to the whole while maintaining their distinct identity.
Key Takeaway
Jesus’ longest prayer isn’t about himself, but about us – and his greatest concern isn’t our comfort, but our unity. When Christians are truly one, the world sees God.
Further Reading
Internal Links:
External Scholarly Resources:
- The Gospel According to John by D.A. Carson
- John by Andreas Köstenberger
- The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus by Raymond Brown
- Jesus and the Father by Kevin Giles
Tags
John 17:1-26, Prayer, Unity, Glory, Sanctification, Protection, Trinity, Mission, Discipleship, High Priestly Prayer, Farewell Discourse, Pre-existence of Christ, Name of God, Eternal Life, Truth, Love
