A prayer that most assuredly was answered!

The High Priestly Prayer and some thoughts.......
17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 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. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, 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. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Verse 2: since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

(1) Jesus has authority over ALL flesh….

(2) Jesus gives eternal life to ALL that the Father has given him. Therefore, since ALL do not get eternal life, the Father does not give everyone that has ever lived to the son. Some are not given to the son and do not receive the gift of eternal life.

Verse 3: And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

(1) Those that are given eternal life know the only true God and Jesus Christ. They are not given eternal life for sincerely believing in false gods and false gospels. They are not given eternal life for believing in the Jesus of false holy books. The person and work of Jesus Christ as he is presented in the Holy Bible is the only Jesus that saves sinners.

Verse 5: And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
(1) Jesus Christ is fully God and pre-dates the universe with glory.

Verse 9: I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
(1) Jesus clearly states that his prayer is only for those that God has given him. These are the elect of God.
(2) Jesus specifically states he is NOT praying for everyone in the world.

(3) He is praying for a specific group of people that were given to him by the Father. Salvation is accomplished from beginning to end by God. (Romans 8:29-30)

(4) It is inconceivable that he would die for the unredeemed people for which he would not pray.
(5) It is also illogical. The atonement succeeded in securing the redemption of a people for Himself. Therefore, if He died for people who are not redeemed then his atonement would have failed for them. This would not be glorifying to God, and would insult his perfect holiness and sovereignty.

Verse 17: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

(1) Jesus prays for those that are given eternal life to be sanctified in truth by the Father. It is by grace they are given eternal life and Jesus is asking God to sanctify them with grace. Notice that Jesus prays they will be sanctified by the POWER of God and not by left in and of themselves to accomplish their sanctification.

(2) It is beyond comprehension that God would not answer the prayers of Jesus.
(3) This would mean that all that are given the gift of eternal life are sanctified in truth.

(4) Therefore, none who are given the gift of eternal life totally refuse to be sanctified and this means that the so-called carnal Christians who refuses to obey the commands of Christ are not Christians at all. They are simply unsaved sinners who profess to be believers.

Verse 20: I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

(1) Jesus clarifies that he is also praying for all who will be redeemed in the futur

Verse 26: I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

(1) Jesus is asking that believers be given the same love for him that the Father has for him.

(2) Jesus affirms again that He will be in believers.