“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.”
John 17:9 (NLT)
In John 17, Jesus lifts His eyes to heaven and begins to pray on the night before His betrayal. He first asks the Father to glorify Him—not for His own sake, but so that He might bring glory to God. Then He gives us a simple, profound definition of eternal life: knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, the One He sent. Eternal life isn’t just about where we go after we die; it’s about experiencing that life now through relationship.
Jesus says He brought glory to God by completing the work He was given. He didn’t make His own plans—He followed the Father’s will. Then He speaks of belonging. The disciples belonged to God, were given to Jesus, received His word, and believed He was sent by the Father. Everything Jesus had was a gift from God, and He passed that gift on to them.
Then comes a striking moment. Jesus says He is not praying for the world—but for those the Father gave Him. Not because He didn’t love the world—He would die for it—but because He was about to leave it. Jesus would no longer be visibly present, but His disciples would remain. They would be His visible representation.
That’s why Jesus prays for their protection and unity. As the Father and Son are one, believers are meant to reflect that same unity. We are mirrors—revealing Jesus to the world through surrendered lives. We don’t reflect Jesus by striving; we reflect Him by staying close to Him. The more we look like Him, the more others see Him. Jesus was glorified in His obedience, and He is glorified in us the same way. If we are the plan for others to experience Christ, then the question becomes personal: Am I reflecting Him well today?