Podcast: Play in new window | Download

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse dive deep into John 17, often called Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." Building on their summer-long study of the Lord's Prayer, they examine how Jesus' own prayer life embodies profound theological truths while serving as a model for believers. The hosts unpack the trinitarian aspects of prayer, Christ's requests for glory, and the assurance believers have in Jesus' intercession. Throughout their discussion, they highlight how theology isn't merely academic but deeply practical, noting how Christ's prayer for His followers' security provides immense comfort for Christians who struggle with doubts about their salvation. The conversation ultimately reveals how prayer, properly understood, is grounded in who God is and what He has done.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus prays for His own glory, but only to bring greater glory to the Father - His request isn't self-seeking but is rooted in the proper trinitarian relationship and His completed work.
• Christ's prayer demonstrates that good prayer is theologically rich - Jesus' prayer in John 17 contains nearly every major doctrine of systematic theology.
• Jesus' prayer follows the same pattern He taught His disciples - The High Priestly Prayer contains many of the same elements and even specific phrases found in the Lord's Prayer.
• The security of believers rests in Christ's intercession, not their own faith - Jesus specifically prays for the Father to keep His followers in His name.
• True Christian prayer is personal communion with the persons of the Trinity - We don't pray to an abstract divine nature but to the persons of the Godhead.
• Acts of kindness to neighbors are expressions of gospel living - Even simple acts of community service and neighborliness reflect Christ's love when done with the right intent.
• The fact that this prayer was spoken audibly and recorded is itself a gift - God ensured this intimate conversation was preserved for our instruction and comfort.

Deep Dive: Prayer as Trinitarian Communion

Christ's prayer in John 17 reveals that proper Christian prayer is deeply trinitarian. As Tony explains, "Prayer shouldn't exclude any person of the Trinity, certainly not implicitly, but it doesn't need to exclude any person of the Trinity explicitly." While we typically pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit, we must remember that we are addressing the entire Godhead.

The High Priestly Prayer demonstrates this reality as Jesus prays to the Father while affirming both His own divine nature and the Father's. This reminds us that we don't commune with an abstract divine nature, but with persons. As Tony references John Owen's work on communion with God, we have "personal fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." This personal communion is modeled perfectly in Christ's prayer - one person of the Trinity coming to another in intimate dialogue.

Deep Dive: The Security of Believers in Christ's Prayer

One of the most comforting aspects of Christ's High Priestly Prayer is His petition for the Father to keep all those who belong to Him. Jesse notes, "Praise God that our future does not rest upon the strength of our faith, but in the object, and keeping is God's work. It's ours to abide, His to keep."

This truth has immense practical significance. When believers feel beaten down or attacked by the enemy, they can rest in the knowledge that Jesus has specifically prayed for their preservation. And since Jesus always prays according to the Father's will, and the Father loves to give the Son what He asks for, we can have complete confidence that this prayer will be answered. As Tony explains, Christ's ongoing intercession means "every prayer is the high priestly prayer of Christ... Christ is praying on our behalf, in our stead." This reality provides the theological foundation for the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.

Memorable Quotes

What an amazing way to just show the love of Christ in a hot dog. Because when we're making that hot dog, it's coming with the love of Christ... It's coming with the love of Christ. - Jesse Schwamb

Christ's divine glory is obscured in that he is not displaying it... So he's petitioning the Father, basically, to restore Him to that manifestation of His glory... Then he's petitioning the Father to glorify Him with the glory that He's going to obtain, the glory He will merit on the cross. And then he petitions the Father to glorify his people with that same glory. - Tony Arsenal

I think sometimes Christians have this weird tendency to view certain acts of kindness as spiritual enough... but at their basic instinct, they're both acts of kindness that we do out of our Christian conviction. - Tony Arsenal