John 17:1-10 Jesus is the High Priest Over His Kingdom

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.  This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.  I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.  Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.  Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;  for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.  I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;  and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

The verses of Jesus' High Priest prayer wrinkle our understanding of His mission.  He states that He came to bring the word of God to those who were ordained to receive it, in other words the elect. Through them, Jesus glorifies God and God glorifies Jesus and Jesus states that eternal life is for those who know Him.

Jesus declares that His hour has come and therefore salvation to the elect.  Those who hear the words of Jesus and believe them are those who Jesus call His own.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, Your work is finished on the Cross and salvation came to me because of it.  But not to me alone, but for all those who believe.  For all those who have not yet believed, but belong to You, let their hour come so that they serve you because of who You are and Your great gift.  In Jesus name I pray     Amen.