Question 1

Who is Jesus praying for when He says He prays not for these alone?

Accepted Answer

In this part of the prayer, Jesus is not only praying for the disciples who were with Him that night. He clearly says He is also praying for everyone who will later believe in Him through their word. That means all who come to faith through the message passed down from the apostles. So this prayer reaches across time and includes every true believer. Jesus is thinking about His whole church, not just a small group, and He brings all of them before the Father in loving care.

Question 2

What does Jesus mean when He prays that they all may be one?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus prays that all believers “may be one,” He is not mainly talking about being in the same group or organization. He is asking for a deep, spiritual unity that comes from sharing the same faith in Him and being joined to Him and the Father. This unity reflects, in a creaturely way, the loving oneness between the Father and the Son. It shows itself in shared truth, shared love, and a shared life in God. Such unity becomes a clear witness to the watching world that Jesus was truly sent by the Father.

Question 3

What is the glory that Jesus says He has given to His followers?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says, “The glory which you gave me I have given them.” This glory is not His eternal Godhead, but the honor, grace, and rich gifts the Father has given Him to share. It includes the light of the gospel, the work of the Spirit, and the new life that changes believers into His likeness. This shared glory is meant to draw believers together, not lift one above another. As they receive and value what Christ has given, they grow in holiness and unity, and their shared life points back to the beauty of Christ Himself.

Question 4

Why does Jesus connect believers’ unity with the world believing that the Father sent Him?

Accepted Answer

Jesus prays for unity “that the world may believe that you have sent me” and later “that the world may know.” When people see very different believers joined in one faith, one love, and one purpose in Christ, it gives weight to the message they share. It shows that the gospel does not just change individuals, but brings broken people together as one new family. This kind of unity is not natural to human hearts, which are often divided. So when it appears, it points beyond itself and helps show that Jesus truly comes from God.

Question 5

What does it mean that the Father has loved believers as He has loved Jesus?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says the Father has loved believers “as you have loved me,” He is highlighting how sure and rich God’s love is for those who are joined to Christ. The Father’s love for the Son is eternal and unchanging. Believers are not loved apart from Christ, but in Him, as members joined to the Head. This means God’s love for them flows from His love for His Son. It is not a small or uncertain love, but a strong, faithful, and lasting love that began before the world was made and continues into eternity.

Question 6

What does Jesus mean by wanting His people to be with Him where He is?

Accepted Answer

Jesus prays, “Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am.” He is looking beyond His death and resurrection to His return to glory with the Father. His desire is that all given to Him will one day be with Him in that place, seeing His glory openly. This is a promise of final salvation and closeness to Christ, not just in spirit now but in full enjoyment later. To “behold His glory” means to share in the joy and brightness of His presence forever, free from sin and sorrow.

Question 7

Why does Jesus call God righteous while saying the world has not known Him?

Accepted Answer

Jesus addresses God as “O righteous Father,” then says that the world has not known Him, but He has, and His disciples know He was sent. Calling the Father righteous shows that all His ways are just and right, even when many do not know Him. The world’s ignorance does not mean God has failed, but that people have turned from His light. Jesus, however, knows the Father perfectly and has made Him known. Those who receive Jesus’ word come to a true knowledge of God, while the world remains in the dark by its own choosing.

Question 8

What does it mean that Jesus has declared the Father’s name and will declare it?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says, “I have declared to them your name, and will declare it,” He means He has already shown the disciples who the Father is, and He will go on doing so. The “name” here is God’s character and ways, not just a title. During His time on earth, Jesus revealed the Father’s heart, will, and purpose. After His death, resurrection, and sending of the Spirit, that revelation would deepen. The goal is that the same love the Father has for the Son would live in believers, and that Jesus Himself would dwell in them.

Question 9

How does this passage show the close union between Jesus, the Father, and believers?

Accepted Answer

This passage is full of phrases like “I in them, and you in me,” and “that they also may be one in us.” It shows a living chain of relationship. The Father and the Son are one in perfect love and purpose. The Son, as Mediator, shares this life with believers by His Spirit. Believers do not become God, but they are truly joined to Christ and share in His grace. This union leads to growth in holiness, unity with one another, and a clear witness that God has sent His Son and set His love on His people.

Question 10

How can believers today respond to Jesus’ prayer for unity and love?

Accepted Answer

Believers today are included in this prayer, since they have come to faith through the word first preached by the apostles. To respond, they can hold fast to the truth about Jesus, seek peace and love with other believers, and remember that unity is rooted in a shared life in Christ, not in human plans alone. Focusing on the glory and grace Jesus has given, rather than on pride or rivalry, helps guard this unity. As they walk in this shared love, their life together points others to the reality of Jesus and the Father’s love.

John 17:20

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Prayer for All Believers

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John 17:20

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

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