When Jesus prays before heading to the cross, he shows us the kind of relationship he was securing for us with his death. Jesus’s relationship with God as he prays to his Father is a foreshadowing of what he was accomplishing for us on the cross. Without Jesus, we are separated from God, alone, trapped in our sin. Without Jesus, we don’t get to enjoy free access to our Father whenever we want and need.
But because Jesus prayed to his Father and submitted himself to God’s will, he willingly went to the cross to secure our salvation. He was separated from God so that we could be reconciled. He was cut off from the Father so that we could enjoy free access to Him whenever we want. The Son of God died so that we could become sons and daughters of the King.
Because of the cross, we get to pray the same way that Jesus did in John 17. We get to pray to God as our loving Father who wants to hear from us. He is a Father who wants to spend time with us and desires deep connection with us. He isn’t waiting for us to pray so that he can reprimand us or demand something of us. He isn’t going to remind us of the ways we have failed. He will simply pour out his love and grace on us as his beloved children. He is exactly who we need in our times of crisis.
Reflection/Discussion Questions: How do you pray to God? Do you pray to him like he is your Father?
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