His prayer for all believers
John 17:20 – 26
In chapter 17, Jesus prays for believers.
In John 17:20, Jesus prays for future believers who will believe in Him through believers’ message.
Regarding to ‘message’, Romans 10:17 says
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Paul argued in Romans 10:14 that
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
Therefore, someone has to preach the message to them. There should be a messenger.
Baptist John was a messenger. Quoting from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, Mark 1:2 – 3 says about Baptist John:
2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way’—
3 ‘a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.” ’
In Isaiah 49:2, the mouth of the messenger was compared to sharpened sword.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
How would be the message from the mouth of sharpened sword?
Let’s read Hebrew 4:12 – 13.
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Such message would be based on the Word of God, and reveal what are hidden in their heart for them to repent their sins, be inspired and aspired to follow the son of God, Jesus.
In John 17:24, Jesus prays for believers to be where He is.
Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am
John 17:24 agrees with the fact that God wants all people to be saved, as shown in 1 Timothy 2:3 – 4:
3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
See John 17:25 – 26.
The world does not know God (25a). As a result, people in the world are lack of God and His attributes. They are cruel, evil and without love (2 Timothy 3:2 – 4, Romans 1:29 – 32). Jesus, who knows God (25b), came to the world and made God known to them (25c), so that the love God has for Jesus may be in them (25d).
