How we Got Jesus’ Prayer

Part of the Lord’s “high priestly prayer” is found in John 17:1-11. How did we get that prayer? Did someone take word-for-word notes in a shorthand? Did God inspire a later writer word-for-word? Did John just summarize it in his own words? We don’t know. Forensic linguists theorize about a set of notes called Q, from the German word Quelle (source), and that later writers used Q to write individual accounts. Witnesses using reference notes does not diminish their testimony. We don’t know if the words are exact or more general. However, the prayer’s emphasis is unmistakably Jesus, as he prayed for glory, eternal life and unity for his followers.