Our Lord's High Priestly Prayer (1)

The Lord's farewell discourse to His disciples concluded with the end of John 16. We next read our Lord's prayer to His Father, which was expressed in the hearing of His disciples. It includes all 26 verses of John 17. It is commonly referred to as our Lord's high priestly prayer, in which He prays to His Father, interceding on behalf of His people. On this occasion our Savior prayed effectually for His own. We know from other places in Holy Scripture that this is a continual ministry of our Lord Jesus before His Father. We read in Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them." Through our study of John 17, we may learn not only what He prayed on this occasion, but we may be instructed in His ongoing ministry of intercession on behalf of His people.