JOHN

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John Chapter 17

John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

We see that Jesus existed before the creation of the world and had glory. Eternal life abides in those that know the true God and that know Jesus is the Christ that God sent into the world to be our savior. If we do not believe that Jesus is the one sent from God to save us, then there is no salvation. Jesus shows us the Father. The only way to the Father is through faith in Jesus.

He is speaking to His disciples here just before He is getting ready to offer up Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Imagine the emotion He must be feeling. He not only will literally suffer horrible physical pain but suffer having our sins come into His body so that His death pays the price for all the sins of those who believe and receive Him into their lives. It is awesome to think about.

John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Through Jesus or Yeshua, we can know the fullness of God. His deity, His power and His greatness. To see Jesus is to see God. Now we can't see Him physically but we can see Him by the spirit which is given to all who receive Him.

Receive means to believe to the point of repenting from sin and turning to Him. God is revealed through Jesus. Before Jesus there was no way to God except through divine appointed prophets. Now all who receive Him become partakers of His holiness and have eternal life abiding within each and every believer.

The apostles were the first ones to receive His word and then spread His word to all others who would hear their preaching. All that was given to Him, He lost not one except Judas who later betrayed Him.

John 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

At this time Jesus is directing His prayer to God on behalf of His disciples. They were given the commission to preach the gospel to the whole world. In other places Jesus prays for the world that they might be saved but at this time His prayer is for believers that are to spread the gospel and receive His spirit when He departs and returns to the glory He had with God the Father before coming in the flesh to the earth.

John 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

He meant for His apostles to be in the same mind and one accord in unity of purpose like the Father and Son are in unity and not divided.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Jesus desires that they and all who believe after them, would live in the world without being of the world. We are to be different and not worldly minded. There is a difference between the spiritually minded and those that mind only earthly things. However, I will emphasize here the spiritually minded is the spirit of God and not some mystical spirit that is not of God.

John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

The godly in Christ Jesus will be different and one can tell the difference in their words, in their actions and in their attitude.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

The word sanctifies the believer. They are clean through the spoken word of Jesus when they believed what He spoke. We today are cleansed and sanctified by the study of the word if we receive what we study. The moment we believe the written word or believe the word preached by faithful preachers, we are cleansed and receive eternal life. If we reject what we read or hear, the word will not profit us. It has to be mixed with faith and the seed begins to grow within us.

John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

They were not to keep the gospel to themselves saving only themselves but were to spread the gospel to the whole world. God wills that all be saved. It is not His will that any perish but that all come to the knowledge of Jesus and receive eternal life. Unfortunately, not all will believe and receive eternal life because they wish to abide in sin and love the world more than they love their eternal souls.

John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Jesus prayed for us before we were ever born. Those who believe on Him through the word preached or read throughout the ages were included in this prayer. When we believe, we are no longer part of the world but of the body of Christ.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

God wills that we all be unified and not separated into denominations and sects. We cannot however be in unity with those that deny basic truths contained in the written word. We can be in unity with those that believe Jesus is the one God sent to save us from sin but we can't be in unity with those that believe there is another way to God without Jesus.

For example if I believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life and my neighbor believes there are other ways, I can love my neighbor but I can't have unity with him in the faith.

I can't join up with, pay tithes into and worship with those that deny Jesus is the Son of God who was sent by God to bring salvation into the world. I can be kind to them and never do them wrong in any way but I can't join them in their worship or deeds.

John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

Jesus prefers that we be one in unity but if a brother departs from sound doctrine and leaves the doctrine that Jesus taught, it is hard to have unity. We are to be one in unity in the bond of peace and in truth. We can't be in unity with those that do not walk in truth. In saying that, I don't mean nit picking on things that have nothing to do with the basic tenants of faith. We are not to be divided over music preferences, whether to worship in a building or a house, Whether the carpet is red or green, or other trivial things that divide people.

John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

His name, His deity, His power, His character, His ways, His word, His salvation and His love. Jesus showed us who the Father was, what the Father requires and how the Father loves us. I am in awe of the mercy of God our Father.

He accepts us when we accept His gift to us, Jesus our Christ (Messiah). When we receive the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus, our sins are automatically covered by the blood that Jesus shed on the cross. Our sins are removed and cast aside and are never again held against us. We are to go and sin no more and immediately ask forgiveness if we do sin.

The Holy Spirit will come to us when we believe in Jesus, obey His word and seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will guide us into all truth. Jesus is the only way of salvation and the only way to be free from the condemnation of sin.. If we reject and refuse to believe and receive the gift of eternal life, we abide in sin and can never enter heaven.

If we abide in Christ and His words abide in us, we will be with Him now and forever. DC