One of the ways that Jesus continues to express His love for us is through His prayers in our behalf. We were included in His prayer back on that night before He was betrayed and He prays for us now (Hebrews 7:25).
"It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love." John 13:1
Jesus prayed, "I have given [my disciples] your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do.
"Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I [set myself apart as holy] for them so they can be [set apart as] holy by your truth.
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
"I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. John 17:14-21 - New Living Translation (brackets added)
Jesus clarifies that the word from the Father is the truth (John 17:14-19). Therefore truth revealed to us from the Father defines true love (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21).
Love based upon truth effectively communicates the truth of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. John 17:20-21
Love based upon the truth of Christ and His word results in unity with God and one another. As we learn and apply the love Christ has for us, His love is communicated to others around us (cp. John 13:34-35; 1 Peter 2:1-11).
The emphasis in the last part of Christ’s prayer in John 17 is clear. He wants us to know how much He loves us.
Christ Jesus gives us the capacity to love (John 17:22-24). But to have this capacity we must keep on looking to Christ Jesus, His Word and His Spirit for His insight and understanding.
Christ gives us the same glory that the Father had given to Him. This means that we may have the God-given capacity to love as He has loved us. This includes being filled with the Spirit of God that empowered Christ in His humanity (Luke 4: 1-13; Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16).
Capacity to love results in communicating the truth that God has sent His Son, Jesus Christ.
Because Christ loves us He wants us to see His glory in eternity (cp. Revelation 5). In the context of His prayer, this especially includes seeing His awesome love.
Christ and His Spirit will continue to help us know the Father so that we will have His love in us. How is this accomplished? As we keep on fixing our eyes on Jesus at the foot of His cross, bringing to mind the great cost of His sacrifice in our place so that we can live with God and truly know God, we come to know the love of the Father and the Son more and more.
Like the Apostle Paul prayed for believers in Christ, so we should pray for one another:
"I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 4:14-21 - New Living Translation)
