Awaken The Dawn

The High Priestly Prayer

The Prayer of Our High Priest In John 17, Jesus prays as a high priest: first, as one who is about to offer sacrifice (Himself); and second, as the high priest described in Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:34 who stands before the throne of God, interceding for us. If there ever was a prayer that could be considered as a model “key” that conformed to the will of God, surely it would be this. The deep, unselfish piety, the unabashed confidence of Jesus, the unusual insights—all these fac- tors combine to make this glorious prayer the finest of all prayers. Herbert Lockyer, in his study on the prayers of the Bible, says of this prayer that “We have now come to the Holy of Holies in the New Testament.” 6 I have read this chapter dozens of times—on my knees, seated at a desk, silently, audibly, privately, publicly. I have attempted to outline the chapter, noting the oft- repeated words, etc., and each of these studies has yield- ed great benefit. The most profitable aspect of this prayer to me, however, is understanding what the prayer is and why it occurs in this period of Jesus’ life. We have all heard sermons that close with a prayer. John 17 is just that. It is the closing prayer of a farewell speech. Jesus has just given one of His most profound sermons (called His Final Discourse) in chapters 14, 15 and 16. This amazing prayer is the conclusion of that deeply spir- itual message. Jesus taught some of His greatest thoughts in a special communion with His disciples; then, He prayed to His heavenly Father—allowing his disciples to listen in! Although praying on earth, Jesus lifts the disci- ples into the heavenlies. I like the comment of A.B. Bruce:

131