NOTES:
1] Ch.17 is referred to as 'Jesus' High Priestly prayer'. It's an insight into Jesus' heart, his relationship with the Father, & his care for his disciples on the eve of his death. (We're still in the upper room, of course.) 2] If this is hard going, try comparing translations, & discuss it within your Group. 3] Jesus uses 'glorify' several times; his death will be his 'glorifying'.

WARMING UP: Do we pray more easily, more naturally, in private or in public?

TREASURES OLD & NEW: Identify God at work in anything this week?

EXPLORING GOSPEL:

1-5       Does the fact that Jesus 'looked up to heaven' tell us anything in particular? Do we tend to 'look up' when we pray? Do we usually associate Jesus' glorification with his death, or afterwards? How seriously are we to take Jesus' claim to 'authority over all people'? What about those who deny him that authority - for any reason? What does 'eternal life' really mean, anyway, this 'knowing God.....and Jesus (sent by God) bit? Can we know God / Jesus unless we first accept his authority?

Are we ever conscious of experiencing glory because we've finished some work God's given us to do? Do we expect any glory we experience now will be surpassed one day when we 'go into God's presence'? Or, are we so conscious of being in God's presence now that that question doesn't arise?

6-8       How important is it to us to: a) 'make God's name known'? b) 'keep God's word'? What does it mean to 'know God's name' & to 'keep God's word'? What is God's name, anyway? What is 'God's word' mean? Given JN's opting to describe Jesus himself as God's word (Ch.1) does this mean Jesus himself is the ultimate test of God's authenticity? Have we ever caught Jesus out in an untruth? Have we ever found him other than totally authentic? What about when the church, or we as its members present Jesus in some way that contradicts his integrity, authenticity? Where does that leave us? Him? God?

9-11     Does the fact that Jesus prays not for the world, but only for his followers give us any guideline for our own prayer agenda? Haven't we normally been taught to pray for anyone & everyone? Why might Jesus be praying in a more 'narrow' sense here?
            In what ways is it important to Jesus that we 'may be one'? Does it ever seem to us that churches spend more time explaining / justifying why we shouldn't / needn't be one than in actually working to fulfil Jesus' prayer for unity? If we can't be bothered fulfilling Jesus' prayer, can we really expect him to fulfil ours? Is there some local starting point for 'becoming one'?