[Jesus said] I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. – John 17:9
His work was almost finished. With the cross only hours away and the weight of the world pressing in on Him, Jesus wasn’t thinking about Himself – He was thinking about the circle of trembling men sitting near Him. So He began praying to His Father in heaven.
When I think about this moment, I envision a Good Shepherd kneeling beside His sheep before stepping into the darkness to lay down His life. He knows what’s coming. He knows the danger, the confusion, and the hostility that awaits His sheep on the other side of His departure. He knows they’re not strong, that their faith will be enormously tested. And yet… He prays for them. Not for the world. He prays for His own. The ones who have walked with Him, listened to Him, stumbled after Him. The ones who, somehow, even despite all their flaws, belong to Him.
And He knows they’re about to walk straight into a wilderness of cynicism, unbelief, and outright hatred. You see, the world didn’t just shrug Jesus off. It wanted Him gone for good… dead. So, what will the world do to the ones who carry His name and His message?!
Jesus didn’t pray for escape, or that His disciples will have an easier path than He did. He prayed for their keeping, their perseverance and faithfulness. He prayed that God would guard them as they become the first stones of His church, the first voices calling out into the world: “If you love the truth, come! There’s a place for you in this flock.”
For me, I find this one of the most comforting things I’ve ever read in my Bible. Jesus didn’t just teach and preach to His disciples – He prayed over them. He knew what they would face and He entrusted them to His Father. They belonged to Him.
So sit with that truth and meditate on it today. Jesus’ care for His own didn’t end in that upper room. He prayed for them then, and He still intercedes for His church today. For all who cling to Him in a hostile world, for all who love the truth and are still learning how to walk it out.
We’re part of the same flock He prayed over that night – all believers. The same Shepherd. The same protection. The same mission – to seek out those who belong to the truth…
… and bring them home.
Former Blackout Artist 