Christian Reflection and Prayer

"The High Priestly Prayer"

Lenten Devotion

"When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes
to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your
Son that the Son may glorify You'" (John 17:1).

Read John 17.

Jesus has finished His Last Supper and offers a special prayer
before leading His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. We
call it the High Priestly Prayer because Jesus our great High
Priest offers prayers for Himself, His apostles, and all who
believe in Him.

Jesus first prays that God the Father would glorify Himself
through Jesus' coming death. The Roman cross was never
connected with glory; it was a symbol of shame and dishonor.
St. Paul would call it a "stumbling block to the Jews" and
"foolishness to the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:22). The Jews
stumbled over the idea that God would let His own Son suffer
and die on a cross, rather than sit in glory on a throne. The
Gentiles thought it foolishness that you could receive salvation
through someone else's execution.

Jesus prays to His Father to keep His eleven disciples in His
Name. He is about to leave this world, so He asks the Father to
keep them in faith, that believing they may share the one true
Gospel, which brings salvation by God's grace through faith for
Jesus' sake.

The final part of Jesus' prayer touches us, and all who have
heard and believed the words of the apostles. May we glorify Him
by trusting in Jesus as our only Savior from our sin and death,
and tell others of His great and incomparable love.

THE PRAYER:

Lord God, as You glorified Your Son Jesus Christ through His
death and resurrection, keep us in Your Name through this true
faith, and bless us to share it with all those around us. In Jesus'
Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer