Take your time and read, gently.
After saying all these things,
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father,
the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For
you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one
you have given him. And this is the way to have
eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent
to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you
gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the
glory we shared before the world began.
“I
have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were
always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now
they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for
I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know
that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
“My
prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they
belong to you. All who are mine belong to you,
and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world,
but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now
protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we
are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you
gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed
for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
“Now
I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world
so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word.
And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do
not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them
out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is
truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the
world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made
holy by your truth.
“I
am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe
in me through their message. I pray that they will all be
one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And
may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
“I
have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect
unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much
as you love me. Father, I want these whom you
have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you
gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
“O righteous
Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent
me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then
your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
An amazing chapter!! =))) <3 <3
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I agree with Rachelle. :) (I wonder if she's someone I'm following on twitter ... something tells me maybe yes.) John 17 is an amazing chapter! :') I sooo wish we all as Christians could live like Jesus wants us to, as He said in that chapter. :')
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