Time for Important Things - John 17

Do you think Jesus liked to pray? I mean the human Jesus. I know He in the flesh was 100% man/100% God; did the human form of Jesus like to pray? It is clear that prayer was important to Him. Maybe “liked” is the wrong word. And maybe even asking the question borders on sacrilege. So maybe it’s better to ask why, or how, or when, or for whom He prayed, because there can be no denying that He placed a huge priority on prayer. And He made time for it, because of its importance to Him.

John 17 is often referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. If you recall, a main job of the high priest in Judaism was to present to God the prayers and sacrifices of the people. The high priest was in effect the representative of the people, the mediator between God and His people.

So how does that fit in with this chapter? Jesus, acting as mediator between God and His people, prays for His people, prays for us! Jesus, the Son of God, prayed for you, for me. Man, if that does not bring chills, I’m not sure what will! The Creator of the universe (as per Colossians 1:16), who allowed Himself to take on human form to save us (Phil. 2:6-8), prays for His people. Thus the “title” of His prayer.

And when you look at the overall picture, believers are seen as priests, able to approach God on a personal level, just as a high priest would, knowing that THE High Priest is still mediating on our behalf, right next to the Father (1 John 2:1-2). Try to get your head around that one!

I am deeply touched that Jesus asked the Father to “keep me”, to protect me, to allow truth to reign. If that was not enough, then He said that if I ever needed anything, I could go to the Father, and tell Him that I am doing so because of Jesus. This is why we tend to end our prayers by saying “In Jesus name…” It is because of Christ that we can even pray. And it is because of Christ that God will hear us. And so we ought to pray in His name.

SO WHAT…?

So, how important is prayer to us? We make time for important things.

So, when we pray, do we truly see prayer as worship, as being a priest who humbly comes before God’s Throne, striving to please Him, and reverently approaching Him who welcomes us with open arms?

So, look at what Jesus prayed about, and let’s allow that to shape our prayer lives.