Prayer of Jesus: I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. John 17:19

The Last Supper was one of the most special moments in Jesus' life, and the Gospel of John recounts what Jesus taught his disciples. Jesus spoke to his disciples about his departure and the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, who would accompany them as an inner teacher. But the disciples did not understand all these things. They asked each other questions and could not reach any conclusion based on what Jesus was telling them. The knowledge of the truth eluded them, and they could not retain it; the mysteries of the Kingdom of God had not yet been revealed to them in their entirety.
And it is in this situation that Jesus, to conclude this encounter, made a prayer for his disciples, another prayer for himself, and a prayer for those who believe in him. After praying for the end of his mission in the world through his crucifixion, to give the spiritual gift of eternal life to those whom the Father chose, Jesus continued his plea to the Father for his disciples. Jesus prayed for the lives of his disciples because, like him, they did not belong to the world, because whoever loves the things of the world, such as riches and the pleasures of the body, is condemned to sin. That is why Jesus said: "They do not belong to this world any more than I do" John 17:16. And then the divine master invoked God's assistance through his Spirit with these words: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth" John 17:17. With this, Jesus asked for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, for his disciples so that they might have a clear understanding of the mysteries of the Kingdom. And then he concluded with more determination: "I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth" John 17:19. Jesus knew that through his sacrifice on the cross, the disciples would receive a spiritual strength from on high, and that is what he asked for.
With his departure from the world, Jesus announced a new time for humanity where oppression and ignorance would give way to the true knowledge of God, as many prophecies of the Old Testament had anticipated. Times that would begin with the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the preaching of the gospel to all corners of the world for the redemption of sins.

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