"I’ll pray for you." Those are comforting words, aren’t they? We take it as a sign of love when someone offers to take the time to pray for us. When a friend, or a relative, or a brother or sister in Christ says, "I’ll pray for you," we are always thankful for their thoughtfulness.

Although our prayers for each other are motivated by love, the Scriptures also command us to pray for each other. James 5:16 says exactly that, "pray for one another." In 1 Timothy 2:1 the Apostle Paul urges that, "supplications, prayers and intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people." In addition to directives like those the Scriptures are also filled with examples of people praying for others.

"I’ll pray for you." How would you feel if Jesus said that to you? I know it would sure put a smile on my face! My Savior praying for me sounds pretty awesome. It would show his love and concern for me. And of course just knowing who he is and what he can do, would add to my appreciation of his offer to pray for me.

Thankfully the idea of Jesus praying for us is more than just wishful thinking. The Bible tells us that Jesus does pray for us. Since he has risen from the dead and has ascended into heaven he takes what we express in prayer (our needs, our hopes, and our fears) to his Father on our behalf. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus "lives to make intercession" for those who draw near to God. And in 1 Timothy 2:5 we are told that Jesus is the "mediator between God and men."

But Jesus does more than just act like a transmitter for our prayers. He has specific things that he too wants to see happen in our lives. And so he also prays for us in addition to bringing our prayers to God the Father. Of course the whole idea of Jesus praying for us when he is true God and one with the Father and the Holy Spirit boggles our minds. How can God pray to God? But may the truth still be a comfort to us. With childlike faith may we accept the awesome truth that our Savior prays for us.

So what does Jesus say when he prays for us? The Word of God that we will consider this morning lets us listen in on at least one of Jesus’ prayers on our behalf. Today, through the words of our text and by the power of the Holy Spirit, may each of you: "hear Jesus’ prayer for you."

Whenever we read or listen to something our Savior said we naturally consider the setting for his words. To whom was he speaking? When was he speaking? What did he say before and after? Context is especially important in the case of this prayer for you. Jesus spoke these words on the night he was betrayed. He was just minutes away from the horrific events leading up to his crucifixion. And yet even then he was thinking of you—he was praying for you. Jesus prayed for those who would come to faith through the words of the Gospel that would be spread by his disciples.

It is also worth noting that what Jesus was about to do would make the answer to his prayer possible. Experiencing God’s love and having a relationship with him was never going to be a possibility for humanity unless Jesus went forward with his mission. His suffering and death in the place of those of us who had no hope of getting to heaven would allow us to go there just as Jesus prayed we would.

Since there is a progression to the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer for those of us who believe in him, let’s look at the last part of his prayer first. Jesus prayed, "O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I have 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."

As you hear Jesus’ prayer for you, realize that he wants you to grow in faith and love, as you come to know God the Father’s love better. He also wants to dwell in you more completely.

Jesus prays that his followers may all be one, following the perfect example that he and the Father have had from eternity. We’re included in Jesus’ prayer because of his incredible, unfathomable, eternal love for each one of us. Love is the way the Father and the Son have always interacted, and this love that existed before the foundation of the world is extended by God’s grace to each and every one of Jesus’ disciples, past, present, and future.

As you hear Jesus’ prayer for you realize that he has placed the answer to his prayer right in front of us. Through the Word of God Jesus makes the Father’s

love known to us and puts it in our hearts and minds. And through that same Word he lives among us. That is why Paul told the Colossians, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (3:16)

Sadly our response to the Word doesn’t always reflect what we know about it. We let days or weeks go by with no contact with the Word. Our sinful nature shows its "know-it-all" attitude as we tune out the message from our Savior. We become content with a plateaued knowledge of God instead of hungering to know more. In our rugged pride we may at times try to "go it alone" without the love of God revealed to us in the Bible.

As hard as it is to admit and accept we have stood in the way of the answer Jesus offers to the prayer he prayed for us. As a result we don’t know the Father as well as we could. Jesus’ presence in our lives isn’t as complete as it could be. And God’s love doesn’t shine as brightly as it could in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Thankfully Jesus continues to pray this prayer for us. Although this prayer in John’s gospel is almost twenty centuries old its content is current. This is the wish Jesus still has for us. Today he wants us to grow in faith and love. And so he forgives our sins of standing in the way of his prayer and sets the answer in front of ... us once again. "O Righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known."

Jesus brings us back to know his Father’s love better. If we let him answer his prayer for us then we will see the results he prayed for, "that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them." As we grow in faith and love Jesus’ prayer for us is answered.

From growth in faith and love we now turn to the goal of our faith. After all that Jesus did to make heaven a possibility for us it shouldn’t surprise us that he wants us to be there with him. He prayed, "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." As you hear Jesus pray for you I hope you catch the deep love he has for you. He wants you to be with him forever in heaven.

In addition to making heaven a possibility through his suffering and death on the cross, he also sent out his disciples with the message about how to get there. Jesus began his prayer for you by saying, "I do not ask for these only, (meaning his disciples) but also for those who will believe in me through their word," - meaning us!

Centuries after the disciples joined Jesus in heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit, their message is still bringing people to faith. In that way Jesus’ prayer for you has been answered. Through the Means of Grace you were brought to believe in Jesus so that you can join him in heaven.

I recently read about a Christian teacher who asked everyone in his class to raise their hands if they wanted to go to heaven when they died. Everyone put their hands up. Then he asked them, "How many of you want to go to heaven today?" Most of the students hesitated.

They weren’t all ready to go. Obviously the things of the world held their attention and love. In a similar way we may not always be longing for our heavenly home. In our ignorance we may say, "Heaven sounds kind of boring." In our lust for pleasure we may be thinking, "Some day Jesus can take me to heaven but right now I am having too much fun on earth."

So many people have that exact attitude toward life. We only see our existence as a chance to enjoy the good life. Jesus would have us look at life very differently.

It is the time in which we are being prepared to enter heaven. We are just passing through this life. He is praying for us to be where he is and to see his glory.

"I’ll pray for you." We love to hear those words. They are even more precious when our Savior speaks them. Today, my prayer is that each of you hears Jesus’ prayer for you. Hear his desires for you. He wants you to know his Father’s love and let it shine in your life. He wants to live in you.

And finally he wants to never be separated from you as you live in the place he has prepared for you. As you hear Jesus’ prayer for you, rejoice in His love for you. Amen.