Jesus Prays for His Followers
"That all of them may be one"
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Before he went to the garden where he was arrested, Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed. He prayed that the Father would glorify him, that the Father would protect his disciples from the evil one and make them holy by the truth of God's word, and that everyone who would believe through their message would be one. He ended by asking that they would be with him and see his glory.
Where it is in the Bible: John 17
Before You Read
Where we are. It is the night before Jesus dies. He has finished his last long talk with his disciples (John 14 to 16). Before he goes out to the garden where he will be arrested, he prays (18:1).
Who is listening. Jesus prays out loud, and his disciples hear him. John wrote the prayer down.
What this prayer is. It is the longest prayer of Jesus in the Bible. Many Christians call it Jesus's High Priestly Prayer. A priest prays to God for the people. Here Jesus prays for his followers.
Who he prays for. First himself. Then his disciples. Then everyone who will believe in him through their message. That includes Christians today.
Map of the Prayer
| Section | Verses | What Jesus prays |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Hour Has Come | 17:1-5 | Jesus prays for himself |
| 2. They Were Yours | 17:6-10 | Jesus thanks the Father for his disciples |
| 3. Protect Them | 17:11-19 | Jesus prays for his disciples' protection |
| 4. For Those Who Will Believe | 17:20-23 | Jesus prays for all believers to be one |
| 5. With Me Where I Am | 17:24-26 | Jesus prays that they will see his glory |
Section by Section
Section 1 of 5The Hour Has Come
Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed.
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You" (17:1).
"The hour" is the time of his death and rising. To glorify means to show someone's greatness.
The Father gave Jesus authority over all people, so that he could give eternal life to everyone the Father gave him.
"Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (17:3).
Eternal life is not only about living forever. It is knowing God, starting now.
Jesus said he had finished the work the Father gave him. He asked to be glorified with the glory he had with the Father before the world began.
Section 2 of 5They Were Yours
Next, Jesus prayed about his disciples.
He said the Father had given them to him. They had kept God's word.
Jesus had given them the words the Father gave him. They had received them. They believed that the Father sent him.
"I ask on their behalf" (17:9). On their behalf means for them.
Section 3 of 5Protect Them
Jesus would soon leave the world. His disciples would stay in it.
"Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one" (17:11).
While Jesus was with them, he kept them safe. Not one was lost, except Judas, "the son of destruction" (17:12).
Jesus prayed that they would have his joy in full.
The world hated them, because they belonged to Jesus.
"I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one" (17:15). The evil one is the devil.
"Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth" (17:17). To sanctify means to make holy, to set apart for God.
Jesus was sending them into the world, the same way the Father sent him.
Section 4 of 5For Those Who Will Believe
Then Jesus prayed for people who were not in the room.
"I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message" (17:20).
That means everyone who would later hear about Jesus and believe. That includes people today.
He prayed "that all of them may be one" (17:21). He wanted them united, like the Father and the Son, so the world would believe that the Father sent him.
Jesus has given them the glory the Father gave him, so that they may be one. The world will see that the Father loves them, just as he loves Jesus.
Section 5 of 5With Me Where I Am
"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me" (17:24).
The Father loved Jesus before the world was made.
Jesus ended with a promise. He had made the Father's name known to them, and he would keep making it known, so that the Father's love would be in them, and Jesus himself in them.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Father, the hour has come" (17:1) | Jesus faced the cross with prayer. |
| "This is eternal life, that they may know You" (17:3) | Eternal life starts now, in knowing God through Jesus. |
| "Protect them by Your name" (17:11) | Jesus asked the Father to keep his followers safe. |
| "Keep them from the evil one" (17:15) | Jesus did not pray for an easy life for them. He prayed for them to be kept safe from the devil. |
| "Your word is truth" (17:17) | God makes his people holy through his word. |
| "Also on behalf of those who will believe" (17:20) | Jesus prayed for you. |
| "That all of them may be one" (17:21) | Jesus wants his followers united in love. |
Back Then
Priests prayed for the people. In the Old Testament, the high priest went before God for all of Israel (Leviticus 16). Many Christians call John 17 Jesus's High Priestly Prayer, because Jesus prays for his people.
Jesus looked up to pray. Many people stood and lifted their eyes when they prayed (17:1).
This prayer comes right before the garden. John tells the arrest next (18:1-12).
Literal Reader Alert
Did Jesus really pray for me? Yes. He prayed for "those who will believe in Me through their message" (17:20). Everyone who has come to believe through the apostles' message is included.
Why are there so many different churches if Jesus prayed for us to be one? That's a good, honest question. Christians are divided in many ways, and it saddens many of them. Jesus's prayer still stands. Christians who confess Jesus share something real, even when they disagree.
"The son of destruction." Did Judas have no choice? Jesus is saying that Judas was lost, as the Scriptures foretold. The Bible says both that Judas chose and that God knew. It doesn't explain everything about how those fit together.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus | Ready | The hour had come (17:1) |
| Jesus | Protective | He prayed for the Father to keep them safe (17:11, 17:15) |
| Jesus | Joyful | He wanted his joy to fill them (17:13) |
| Jesus | Loving | He wanted them to be with him (17:24) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Which part of Jesus's prayer means the most to you? Tap one.
He prayed for me
He did. "Those who will believe in Me through their message." That's you.
Keep them safe
Jesus asked the Father to protect his people from the evil one. He still prays for you (Romans 8:34).
That they may be one
You can pray Jesus's prayer too: for Christians to love each other.
With Me where I am
Jesus wants you with him. That is where this prayer ends.
You Might Have Heard
"Prayer is mostly asking God to make life easier."
What's true: God wants us to bring him everything, big and small.
What the passage is mainly about: Jesus's prayer for his followers isn't about easy lives. He doesn't ask the Father to take them out of the world (17:15). He asks the Father to keep them, make them holy by his word, make them one, and bring them to be with him.
Where Jesus is: Praying for his friends, and for you, on the night before he dies for them. Today he still prays for his people at the Father's right hand (Romans 8:34).
Good News
On the night before he died, Jesus didn't only pray for himself. He prayed for his disciples, and for everyone who would believe in him later.
"Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am" (17:24).
That is what Jesus wants: you with him.
Jesus prayed for you. He asks the Father to keep you, make you holy, and bring you to be with him.
Big Idea
On the night before he died, Jesus prayed for his followers, and for everyone who would believe. He asks the Father to keep us, make us one, and bring us to be with him.
If this passage brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther valued this chapter highly. He taught that in John 17, Christ opens his heart to the Father and to us, and shows how he cares for his church. Luther preached a series of sermons on this prayer.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads from John 17 on the Seventh Sunday of Easter in all three years: John 17:1-11 in Year A, John 17:6-19 in Year B, and John 17:20-26 in Year C.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.
How did that feel?
You finished Jesus Prays for His Followers.
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Seventh Sunday of Easter Year AGospel, John 17:1–11
- Seventh Sunday of Easter Year BGospel, John 17:6–19
- Seventh Sunday of Easter Year CGospel, John 17:20–26
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Jesus Prays for His Followers, explained in plain words. On his last night, Jesus prays for his friends, and for everyone who will believe. About 11 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/jesus-prays-for-his-followers/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church