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Jesus' Prayer for Us

John 17:20-26

One of the central teachings of the letter to the Hebrews (a letter written to Jewish believers in Jesus) is that Jesus is a superior high priest than the human priests descended from Aaron, Israel's first high priest (Hebrews 4:14–10:39). Prior to Jesus, the primary role of the high priest was to be the intermediary between God and the people. He was the one who, once a year on the Day of Atonement, entered into the Most Holy Place to atone for the sins of the nation. It was his intercessory work—which included prayers—in the presence of God that brought the people, indirectly, into God's presence.

As Israel's (and the Church's) final and ultimate High Priest, Jesus continues the ministry of intercession—representing the people of God in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:1-12, 24). Having offered Himself as the ultimate, atoning sacrifice, His primary ministry now is intercession (Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1).

Jesus actually began His intercessory work on earth by praying for His disciples—for example, when He prayed for Peter's deliverance from an attack by Satan (Luke 22:31-32). But on the night of His arrest, just before His crucifixion, Jesus interceded not only for the disciples with Him then (John 17:6-19) but for all who would come after them in faith (John 17:20-26). Known as Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer," it was primarily a prayer for the unity of those who would believe in Him over time. He prayed that all His followers "may be made perfect in one" (verse 23).

Earlier that same night, Jesus had commanded His disciples to love one another: "By this [love] all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). In John 17 we find Jesus praying for us, that we might be able to do that which would demonstrate to the world that we belong to Him.

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