Have you imagined how tender that great prayer of Jesus for his disciples must have been? Can you imagine Jesus himself praying for you? What a great privilege those men had. However, there is good news, and it is that Jesus also prayed for us at that pleasant moment. I believe that our greatest privilege is that Christ is our Owner and that He in his eternal mercy has chosen us. Glory to God for this!
I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those you gave me; because they are yours and all mine is yours, and yours is mine; and I have been glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world; but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me in your name, so that they may be one, just like us. When I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name; those you gave me, I kept, and none of them was lost, except the son of perdition, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you; and I speak this in the world, so that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
John 17:9-13
Our verses to use are found in the book of John, specifically in chapter 17, and we realize that Jesus makes such a prayer because his death was approaching. He knew that the hour, the great moment of sorrow, was drawing near, and the last thing he does is entrust to the Father those whom He has given them.
Jesus says in his sublime prayer: «And I am no longer in the world; but these are in the world». I believe that there was no person who knew more about the hardships that are suffered in this miserable world than Jesus himself, He had suffered too many crowds, He knew the price he had to pay, all the insults that were to come for his disciples, He he was an expert when it came to paying the great price. But now he will no longer be in this world, but his disciples have a great commission to fulfill, a great challenge, and Jesus knew what they would suffer and that is why he says to the Father: “I do not pray that you take them out of the world, but keep them from evil» (v.15).
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