Jesus prays to the Father for His disciples

Last week, we studied the first part of Jesus’ intercession to the Father. In that part, He prayed for Himself, focusing on His mission on earth and His glorification to come. Through this prayer, He revealed to His disciples the perfect unity that exists between Himself and the Father.

Now, we move to the second part of the prayer, where Jesus prays specifically for His disciples. He reminds them that even though they live in this world, they do not belong to it. Their true home is in the Father’s kingdom because they were chosen and drawn to Him from the very beginning.

The word world (Greek: kosmos) appears around 17 times in this chapter. Here, it refers to the world in a moral sense, the system of evil that stands against God. This repetition highlights the seriousness of Jesus’ prayer. He wants His disciples, and all believers after them, to understand that the world is not holy, pure, or right before God.

The world is not our final destination. It is a temporary place, a stage, testing and missionary ground for those who belong to the Father.

“I have revealed 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 followed Your word. Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You;“ v. 6-7

The name of God was revealed by Jesus to His disciples through His nature and character. The Bible tells us that no one can see God, but through Jesus, the disciples saw God made visible in human form. He is the perfect image of the invisible God, the second Adam, who came to bring humanity back to Himself.

In fact, the Jews were expecting a powerful king, dressed in gold and riding a mighty horse defeating the Romans from oppression. But instead, the Father sent a spotless Lamb, humble, gentle, and full of compassion. Jesus came close to people, reaching out to everyone: the tax collectors, the sick, the poor, the lame, and the blind.

The fact that the disciples were set apart and given by the Father to Jesus shows God’s sovereignty and His ownership over His people. Before they were given to Jesus, they already belonged to God. This means there was already a relationship with Him, just like when God made His covenant with Israel, saying they would be His chosen people.

They were set apart so that God could transform their hearts, from hearts of stone to hearts of flesh, filled with His Spirit. They would become people who proclaim His goodness through songs and praises, in every moment and in every place.

In this prayer, we also see a transfer of authority from the Father to the Son. This was so that Jesus would be crowned with glory and become the only way to the Father, the one and only Mediator between God and mankind.

The Word that came through the Law of Moses had been faithfully preserved, but its full meaning was revealed only through Jesus, the Messiah sent by God. 

The disciples finally understood who Jesus truly was, and they believed and proclaimed Him with faith and conviction. Now Jesus prays to the Father, asking Him to strengthen them and help them remain firm in that conviction throughout their journey on earth.

“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.” v.8

Through these powerful words, the disciples learned from Jesus Christ that the Gospel of the Kingdom must be proclaimed. This divine command has never changed, it still stands today whenever someone desires to know the Gospel of Salvation.

First, the proclamation of the Gospel: Jesus spoke to His disciples on behalf of the Father, using words that came directly from Him. His words are true and without error, they are the Truth that comes from the Father Himself. 

It is the same for us today. When the Truth lives in us, it is through the Holy Spirit that we speak and proclaim what comes from God.

Second, the reception of the Gospel: The disciples heard this message and received the words of Truth.
It is the same for us today. The Gospel must be heard, because it is through hearing that God reaches and saves those He draws to Himself.

Third, the conviction of the Gospel: The disciples understood and recognized that Jesus came from the Father.
It is the same for us today. The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us, showing us our sin, revealing what is right, and reminding us of the coming judgment, so that we may turn to God in repentance.

Fourth, the faith in the Gospel: The disciples believed in Jesus Christ, that He is the only Son of God, the Messiah sent by the Father, the living Word of Truth.
It is the same for us today. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. This Word is eternal, and it brings salvation to everyone who believes.

“I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours;” v.9

Jesus is praying for His beloved disciples. He intercedes for them before the Father, helping them understand who they truly are, their heavenly identity and their royal belonging to the Father who reigns in glory.

At the same time, Jesus teaches them that there is a right time and purpose for every kind of prayer. We are first called to pray personally to God, to seek Him in our own hearts. Then we pray for ourselves, bringing our needs before Him. And here, Jesus shows us the intercession for others, for our brothers and sisters in the faith, praying for their lives, their protection, and their spiritual growth.

In this passage, Jesus clearly says that He is not praying for the world, but for those who belong to Him, for those the Father has given Him. Just like a Good Shepherd, He prays for and watches over His sheep.

“and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.” v.10

This verse reveals the perfect unity between the Father and the Son in all things. Jesus reaffirms this divine truth to His disciples. This unity also shows the unity of authority, the power of the Father and the power of the Son are one and the same.

The coming of the Holy Spirit would complete this revelation of God, showing His presence and work both in mankind and for mankind, fully displaying the mystery of the Trinity.

The glory that Jesus speaks about here is the glory that will be revealed through the power of the Holy Spirit, working in the world, through His disciples, and by extension, through His living Church that walks in faith and obedience.

It is through the faithful preaching of the Word, the defense of the Truth, and the obedience to His commandments that Jesus Christ is glorified, lifted up, and honored.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His disciples that they will be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Through these words, He calls all who belong to Him not to be ashamed of His Name, but to share His Gospel boldly in every circumstance, no matter the cost, no matter the suffering.

“I am no longer (going to be) in the world; and (yet) they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, (the name) which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We (are.)” v.11

Here, Jesus prays for the protection of His disciples in the Name of God, the very Name that was revealed and made known through Him. This prayer shows the deep reality of the transfer of authority and power from the Father to the Son, for the sake of His people.

Jesus speaks of His coming departure from the world, pointing to His return to the Father, from whom He came. Yet even during His time on earth, Jesus was never spiritually separated from heaven. The Son has always been in perfect and eternal communion with the Father.

This verse reminds us of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, witnessed by Peter, James, and John. There, the divine glory of Christ was revealed, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light, as He spoke with Moses and Elijah. This moment confirmed His divinity and heavenly identity, showing that He is truly the Son of God who came down from heaven.

Even though Jesus took on our human nature to carry out His mission of redemption, His divine nature never changed. His departure was not an end, it was the completion of God’s eternal plan of salvation.

By returning to the Holy Father, Jesus was preparing the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, through whom every redeemed soul would be reconciled with God, renewed, and sealed for eternity. Through the Spirit, believers would live in perfect unity and communion with Him forever.

“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” v.12

In this verse, Jesus helps His disciples understand that they had been kept and protected by the Father, just as He had promised through the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of God’s people.

Jesus also prayed that His mission, to reveal the God of Israel in visible form, would be fully understood by His disciples. This revelation was not given all at once but unfolded gradually. Step by step, Jesus taught them through His words, His miracles, and His example, so that they would not fall into the same error as those who claimed to know God but failed to recognize Him in Jesus, nor did they do the works the Father desired.

Through this prayer, Jesus made it clear that His true disciples, the ones for whom He interceded, were not lost like the hypocrites. Only one, the “son of destruction,” Judas Iscariot, was lost, and even that fulfilled Scripture (Psalm 41:9). Judas’s betrayal was part of God’s His divine plan to accomplish redemption for all humanity.

You might ask, “Isn’t that unfair? Isn’t God too harsh?” But the truth is, God in His perfect sovereignty has the right to do what He wills. He is the Creator and Lord over all things and circumstances.

God’s decisions are never arbitrary or unjust, they are rooted in His perfect wisdom, holiness, and righteousness.

The apostle Paul reminds us of this truth in Romans 9, quoting God’s words to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Therefore, Paul concludes, “It does not depend on human desire or effort, but on God who shows mercy.”

This reminds us that God’s mercy is not something we can earn through works; it flows from His sovereign will. We are deeply privileged that God, in His grace, has chosen to save us and call us His own. Therefore, our response should be one of humble gratitude, to give Him all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise that He alone deserves.

“But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves” v.13

Here, Jesus speaks of His joy as He prepares to return to the Father. He knows the suffering that awaits Him, but His joy comes from doing the will of the Father, from loving Him perfectly, and from completing everything the Law and the Prophets had spoken about through His sacrifice on the cross.

The joy Jesus speaks of for His disciples was not yet something they could fully understand. That perfect joy would come later, when the Holy Spirit would be sent, and through the Spirit, they would receive the full revelation and understanding of all that Jesus had done and accomplished.

“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”  v.14

In this verse, Jesus speaks about the Word He has given to His disciples, the divine teaching that He shared throughout His ministry. Through this Word, Jesus helped His disciples understand the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies about His coming and the true meaning of the Scriptures.

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus was establishing the Kingdom of Heaven, not in a physical temple built by hands, but in a spiritual temple made of hearts that worship God in Spirit and in Truth.

But the world hates the truth of God’s Word, especially when it reveals Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation. People may talk about ‘God,’ but His Word has often been misused, reimagined in their own way or even counterfeited, turning away from the truth of the living God. Throughout history, there have been countless false gods, idols, and man-made beliefs. Even today, humanity considers itself as “wise”, ”intelligent” or “enlightened,” placing their own ideas above the knowledge of the true and living God.

To “not be of the world,” as Jesus is not of the world, means to be set apart, chosen by God for His divine purpose, just as Jesus was sent by the Father. Jesus did not say that His disciples were like Him in His divine nature or character, but that they shared in His separation from the world. Like Him, they would be misunderstood, rejected, and even hated, because they no longer belonged to this fallen, sinful world, they belonged to the Kingdom of God.

“I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one.” v.15

Jesus asks the Father that His disciples remain in the world, not taken out of it, so they can carry out His command, to be His witnesses, even in the midst of trials, persecution, or temptation.

To “keep them from the evil one” means to protect them from the temptations that could lead them into sin and prevent them from fulfilling their mission. This is exactly what Jesus teaches us when He tells us to pray, “Keep us from temptation.”

The Father remains the supreme guide of our lives. Through His Holy Spirit, He directs and strengthens us so that we can stay faithful to our mission in the world, walking in obedience, and be Christ’s ambassadors.

“They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” v.16

Jesus repeats this truth so that His disciples fully understand it: they are no longer of the world as they once were; acting according to their own desires, made decisions without consulting God, and often remained religious outwardly while keeping God in a box. But now, they are called to see Him as the living God, present in every part of life, working in all things, and reaching all people.

Being “not of the world” means living differently, guided by God’s Spirit, walking in His truth, and reflecting His character in every choice and action.

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” v.17

What is sanctification? Sanctification is the process by which we are set apart for God’s purposes. It is growing in holiness and becoming more and more like Christ.

Through what truth? Here, Jesus makes it clear: “Your Word is truth.”

In this verse, one of the central teachings of Christianity is highlighted: the truth of God’s Word is the primary way believers are sanctified and transformed. Regular reading, meditation, and application of Scripture are essential for spiritual growth. When a believer truly recognizes God’s Word as the supreme authority and allows it to shape their life in obedience, it is the work of the Holy Spirit within them.

God’s Word is the Truth, It is eternal and unchanging. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” And in Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God endures forever.”

Sanctification happens as we receive the Truth, trust in the Truth, and live according to this eternal Truth. If we abide in Him, He abides in us.

“Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world.” v.18

Once we understand and embrace this Truth, it becomes our responsibility to live it out and show it in our daily lives. Here, Jesus prays for His disciples and tells the Father that He has sent them into the world, reminding them that this is their main mission, the same mission the Father entrusted to Him.

This responsibility is not temporary, nor limited to certain kind of believers; it is a permanent calling for the universal Church. The work of Jesus’ disciples remains the same today as it was then. To be conformed to Christ should be the deepest desire of every believer:

In His incarnation: through our new birth by the Spirit.

In His service: being His witnesses, the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

In His love: by sacrificially serving others.

In His patience: by waiting on the Father’s guidance, learning His will, and acting according to His perfect timing.

The life of every believer has been transformed, because we are a new creation in Christ. Our primary responsibility, both individually and together, is to go into the world, not for our own glory, but to continue the work of Jesus, His disciples, and all the faithful men and women throughout history, making His Kingdom known.

“And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” v.19

These words show us what Jesus, through His act of love on the Cross, set Himself apart, was about to accomplish and what no one else could. His sanctification was a complete dedication to fulfilling His redemptive work. Through His shed blood, the Father justifies all who believe in His beloved Son.

After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples would fully understand this act of being set apart through the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The Spirit would empower them to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of salvation to all nations.

May we, too, recognize that Jesus’ work on the Cross is the solid foundation of our faith. His Word of truth is unique and saving, and all who are ready to receive it may be reconciled to God and saved by His grace for eternity.

Conclusion

In His prayer for His disciples, Jesus acknowledges that they have kept God’s Word and prays for their protection from the evil one. He asks for their sanctification through the truth, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” This serves as an example for all believers: we are called to read, meditate on, and apply God’s Word in our lives so that we may be transformed and set apart for His purposes. Once this Word is received and embraced, just as Jesus entrusted His disciples to be His witnesses, this mission extends to each of us. We are sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel, for the salvation of the souls whom the Father foreknew even before the foundation of the world.