In the Shadow with Jesus: A Look at the High Priestly Prayer of John 17

"Here's what intrigues me about the high priestly prayer. It's the record of the petitions Jesus made to his heavenly Father an hour or so before he was arrested. He spoke aloud, and John pieced together a remembrance of the Lord's final intimate conversation with both God and his disciples. Here's an opportunity to overhear what pressured the Savior's heart as he moved quickly and finally toward the immense sacrifice he was called to make. Surely, what he said publicly at that moment is important for you and me to understand."
Larry Armstrong from the "Preface" to In the Shadow with Jesus