John 16:13 and John 17 - The Holy Spirit and Jesus' Prayer Before His Betrayal

In John chapter 16 there is further teaching on the Holy Spirit, the Comforter of all those who believe on Jesus.  One verse in particular stands out:

V12-13 "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever  he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."

It is a precious truth that the Holy Spirit is the best teacher of believers.  He will teach all truth, he will not speak of himself, but of those things which Christ taught, and which are taught in all the Bible.  He will show us things that God will reveal, but not the things of which we have no need to know.

Chapter 17 is the great prayer of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane just prior to his betrayal and arrest.  Some people think the Lord's prayer begins "our father who art in heaven" but that prayer was taught to the disciples by Jesus, as how they should pray.  John 17 is Jesus true prayer to his Father.  As his disciples lay sleeping, Jesus first prays for himself, then for the disciples that were with him, and finally for all those who will believe on Jesus through all time until he comes again.

V1-5 Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent......and now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

These are huge verses.  Jesus says that the Father has given him power over all flesh, that all who will have eternal life were given Christ by the Father.  And eternal life of believers is found in this: believing in the true God and the Lord Jesus Christ who the Father sent to redeem his own.  Then Jesus prays of the time when he was with the Father before the world was, and asks that he be glorified with the glory he had then.



Jesus next prays for his  that were with him before his betrayal.

V8-10,12,15-17  "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me: for they are thine.  And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them....While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scriptures may be fulfilled.....I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."

More powerful verses, those that the Father gave to Jesus have believed on his words.  Then a stand alone verse: Jesus is praying not for the world, but for those who the Father has given him.  Jesus prays that he has lost none of these save for Judas, the betrayer, who was chosen so that the scriptures would  be fulfilled and Jesus would go to the cross to redeem his own.  Jesus does not pray that God would take them out of the world, but that they would be protected from the evil one.  After the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection, the disciples had much to do in going forth spreading the gospel.  This is still what believers should be doing today, this is why believers at this time are not taken out of the world except by natural death.  They should be going forth to spread the gospel "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved....."  but sadly, there is so much compromise in the world today, and too many professed Christians and churches are more caught up in entertainment than in standing for the good old truths.  Jeremiah 6:16 says "thus saith the LORD, stand ye in the ways and see, and ask or the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls"  Too many people today want to hear not right things, but smooth things.  But God will always have his remnant, those who will stay true to the bible and to the command of Jesus to preach the gospel.

From V20 to V26 Jesus prays for all those who will believe on him:

V20-21,24,26 "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.....Father, I will that they also, who thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world....and I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hat loved me may be in them, an I in them."

Jesus prays for all believers, those that were alive then, those that are alive now, and those that will be saved until Jesus comes again.  That we all may be one, that our testimony will be such as that the world will believe that Jesus was sent by God, that Jesus is God, the Word become flesh, full of grace and truth, that He is the way to heaven.  Jesus then prays that believers will be with him in heaven that we may behold his glory, and finally that the love of Jesus will be in us.

Next post will be the beginning of John 18, Jesus betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane.
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