“5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed…24Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” – John 17:5 & 24 (ESV)
Jesus is praying to His Father, God here. He is acknowledging and declaring His existence prior to the world coming. He was with Him prior and will be with Him again. But, before He goes to again be with His Father, Jesus makes sure to declare and ask for some things for us.
“8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in the truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me…14I 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. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one…17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” – John 17:8, 14-15 & 17 (ESV)
Jesus makes sure, by saying it, that God is aware of us and what we know and believe. He does not just look at God and say, “you know”. He states what it is that we know and intercedes for us. He then asks His Father to care for us here and not just remove us for protection, but to protect us as we continue to do His work based on what it is that we now know.
What a loving brother and Father we have. Jesus knows us and goes to bat for us with our Father in heaven and our Father in heaven listens and provides for that request from our brother.
Did you know that Jesus was around prior to this world even? And when He returned, did you know He declared and asked for us? Shouldn’t honoring those declarations and asks be our work here?
Trevor's Thoughts 