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Chapter 17 - The Prayer of Jesus |
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
6"I have told these men about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me; and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8for I have passed on to them the words you gave me; and they accepted them and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
9"My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me, so they are my glory! 11Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them and care for them—all those you have given me—so that they will be united just as we are. 12During my time here, I have kept them safe.* I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
13"And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so they would be filled with my joy. 14I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not. 15I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16They are not part of this world any more than I am. 17Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19And I give myself entirely to you so they also might be entirely yours.
20"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. 21My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
22"I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are—23I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. 24Father, I want these whom you've given me to be with me, so they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me even before the world began!
25"O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26And I have revealed you to them and will keep on revealing you. I will do this so that your love for me may be in them and I in them."
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"Thank you! What a clearly written message. I can't wait to pass it
on--especially to a nephew who loves sports." -Marilyn
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