A Prayer for the People Jesus Loves

October 18th, 2028 - John 17:6-19

Sermon - Pastor Scott Thompson

There’s something deeply comforting about John 17.6-19. On the night before his arrest, Jesus knows what is coming. He knows his disciples will soon be frightened, scattered, and unsure of what to do. And in that moment, he prays for them.

He doesn’t ask the Father to make their lives easy or remove every hardship. He asks that they be kept.

The disciples are not about to prove how strong they are. Peter will deny Jesus, and the others will run. Their courage will fail. But Jesus knows their weakness and entrusts them to the Father. Their hope rests on God’s care, not on their ability to hold everything together.

That is good news for us, too. We have days when we’re distracted, discouraged, or painfully aware of our failures. John 17 reminds us that Christ’s love for his people does not depend on their having an impressive record. The Father gave them to the Son, and the Son holds them in prayer.

Jesus asks the Father to “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17.17, ESV). God’s Word corrects us, comforts us, and teaches us to love what God loves. We don’t grow in holiness by pretending we’re already strong. We grow as God brings us back to his truth and shapes us through it.

Jesus doesn’t ask for his disciples to be taken out of the world. He sends them into it. That can be the harder part of faith: returning to ordinary life with patience, honesty, and love, especially when the world around us does not share our hope. We are not sent because we are naturally brave or wise. We are sent because Christ has called us, and he will keep us.

Jesus prays for his people before they face the trial ahead. He knows their weakness before they see it themselves. Their failures will be real, but they will not have the final word. God’s grace will.

If you belong to Christ, your life is not held together by the strength of your faith. It is held by the Savior who gave himself for you and continues to intercede for you. You can step into today’s work, relationships, and difficulties with this assurance: you are kept by the Father, shaped by his truth, and sent with the love of Christ.

We always encourage everyone to check everything through the lens of the Scriptures. Be like the noble Bereans of Paul's day. Please visit us here for much more, and remember, Christ is enough.

Until we meet again beloved family, let's go serve our King!

FRF Family