On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus prayed for His followers. The eleven men who were with Him, but also for the follower who would come to faith later. He was praying for us!
What did He pray for us? Why would He pray for us? How could His prayer help us?
In John 17:11-26 we find the prayer and the answers to these questions. Over the next few days, we will study this prayer and answer these questions. As we do, take the words of Jesus and let them encourage you because they are just as true today as they were when they came out of His mouth.
15 Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I.
John 17:15–16 (CEV)
This part of His prayer answers some of our questions because it reveals that while we live in this world, it's not our home. When we confess Jesus as the Lord of our life and believe in Him as our Savior, we have been reborn in God's eyes. Our old sinful stains were washed clean.
You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side.
Colossians 3:1 (CEV)
We have been granted complete access to God and have been given, as a gift, an eternal home through Christ. Because we have now been set apart from this world, we see it differently. The corruption and sinfulness seem unbearable at times. It appears that God has forgotten us or that His justice is slow.
Sometimes it helps to hear the words of others who have struggled to understand God's way of doing things.
Whenever I complain to you, Lord, you are always fair.
But now I have questions about your justice.
Why is life easy for sinners?
Why are they successful?
Jeremiah 12:1 (CEV)
Jeremiah knows that God is righteous in all He does, but this does not change his concerns about why God allows the things He does. It's easy to question why God allows certain things if we don't understand that this fallen world is not our home. Wisdom remembers that God's heart is to restore lost people. God wants more people to find Christ, trust Him, and receive a new inheritance in heaven.
When Jesus prayed for us, He didn't pray for us to be taken out of this world. We are stuck here until God calls us home. What He did pray confirmed that we don't belong here, and one day we will see our eternal home in glory.
Have hope and peace today, knowing that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for prepared people.
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