Introductory remarks:
What most people think of as the Lord's Prayer is recorded in Matthew chapter six. This is the Lord's High Priestly Prayer personally to His Father. The Prayer the Lord taught His disciples in Matthew was what they should ask for themselves; this Prayer is for the benefit of the disciples, and was also prayed in their hearing. The Lord concludes His Upper Room Discourse in this chapter.
"We now enter most reverently what may be called the innermost Sanctuary (John 17). For the first time we are allowed to listen to what was really 'The Lord's Prayer', and, as we hear, we humbly worship. That Prayer was the great preparation for His Agony, Cross, and Passion; and, also, the outlook on the Crown beyond. In its three parts (vv. 1-5; 6-19; 20-26) it seems almost to look back on the teaching of the three previous chapters, and convert them into prayer. We see the great High- Priest first solemnly offering up Himself, and then consecrating and interceding for His Church and for her work" (Edersheim).
This is one of the most profound portions of Scripture I have ever had the pleasure to study and write down what I Have learned; every time I read it I get more out of it. This portion of Scripture has so much doctrine for us today that I think it is a good place, as John Knox said, 'Where I first put my anchor down.' It is also very interesting to note the differences that exist between the prayer the Lord taught His disciples and this real 'Lord's Prayer. "In the 'Lord's Prayer' (Matt. 6) Christ sets forth what His disciples should desire for themselves. In this Prayer He indicates what He desires for them. It is interesting to study the forms in which the ideas of the Lord's Prayer are reduced and developed in this" (Vincent).
"Jesus turned to His Father in prayer, having concluded His instruction to the Eleven. This discourse had been a further step in preparing them for the ministry to be entrusted to them following His death and resurrection. Christ evidently prayed in the presence of the Eleven. As recorded in John 17 the prayer contains the Son's petition for Himself (vv. 1-5), for His disciples (vv. 6-19), and for the family of believers (vv. 20-26). We have before us one of the most intimate glimpses anywhere in Scripture of the mind and heart of the Lord as He led in prayer" (Pentecost).
The Prayer of Jesus
(The Real Lord's Prayer)
Verse 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."
LGT "These things spoke Jesus and lifted up His eyes unto heaven, said, Father, the hour has come: glorify Your Son, in order that the Son may glorify You."
"These words spake Jesus,"
What words? The words He had been speaking in chapters 13-16. He concludes speaking to His disciples and begins to speak to His Father.
"And lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father,"
Never does Jesus ever address the Father as 'Our Father;' although, He does instruct His disciples to do so, He always says, 'Father' or 'My Father.'
"The hour is come;"
What hour is come? The hour in which He will be glorified is the context. The cross will be the vehicle for His glorification
"As He speaks, the clock is striking the hour that was set way back in eternity, because He was the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. It was arranged back there; now 'the hour is come.' Remember that when He began His ministry at the wedding of Cana, His mother said to Him 'They have no wine.' His answer to her was, 'Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come' (John 2:3, 4). Now the hour has come, the hour when He will pay for your sins and mine. It is the hour when all the creation of God will see the love of God displayed and lavished as He takes your sins and my sins upon Himself and dies a vicarious, substitutionary, redemptive death for you and me. And it will go on to the resurrection" (McGee).
"Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee."
This is the only personal plea from Christ in the entire prayer. Christ is asking the Father to give Him strength to endure the cross for us all. His life glorified the Father, and now His petition is that the Father will see to it that He will be able to glorify the Father in His death.
"He means that there is a mutual connection between the advancement of His glory and of the glory of His Father; for why is Christ manifested, but that He may lead us to the Father? Hence it follows, that all the honor, which is bestowed on Christ, is so far from diminishing the honor of the Father, that it confirms it the more. We ought always to remember under what character Christ speaks in this passage; for we must not look only at His eternal Divinity, because He speaks as God manifested in the flesh, and according to the office of Mediator" (Calvin).
"Glorify Thy Son. This glorification embraced His death, resurrection, and session at God's right hand, as accredited Mediator. But this glorification itself had an object, that the Son may glorify Thee. The Father is glorified by being known in His love and holiness" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 2, "As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him."
LGT "Just as You have given Him authority over all flesh, in order that all the ones You have given Him He should give to them life eternal."
"As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh,"
The Greek word for 'power' is exousian; in this context it means 'authority, rule, dominion or jurisdiction.' Literally, You have given Him authority over all flesh.
"This is the object of Christ's manifestation and reign. This glorification of the Son, which is now imminent [coming up], is in accordance with the purpose of the Father in giving the Son power over men" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"That He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him."
The basis for eternal life has been made very clear by Christ in this Gospel, that whosoever believeth on Him, shall never perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). The predestinarian to bolster their claim of election uses this second verse. However, if any doctrine of salvation carries with it some thought that is contrary to free grace, it is not correct. Just as God the Father gave Jesus full authority over mankind [all flesh], He also gave to Christ all who receives Him as their Savior to make up His Bride, the Church. If I believed that God chose some to heaven and some to hell, and I knew who they would be, I would only speak to the chosen few. Of course this borders on the ridiculous, for we do not know, and we will only know when we get to heaven and receive that promised perfect knowledge. We can be sure of this, as many as receive Him, to them gave He the authority to become the sons and daughters of God, even to them who believe on His name (John 1:12). [For more on this verse see my exposition on the Lord's Prayer - comparing the two]
Verse 3, "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."
LGT "And this is the eternal life that they should know You, the only true God, and whom you sent Jesus Christ."
This verse is parenthetical between verse two and four.
"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God,"
The only way any one can know 'The only true God' is by knowing His Son. The only way to know the Son is through the Word of God. To believe in Christ, and to put your trust in Him, is to have life eternal, and to have life eternal is to know God.
'Life eternal' has the article so it is literally the eternal life, which I have told you about.
"Eternal life, then, consists in the knowledge of God. Since the knowledge of God is mediated through the revealer whom God has sent, and is indeed embodied in that revealer, the knowledge of the revealer is one with the knowledge of God who is revealed. Nor is this knowledge a matter simply of intellectual apprehension: it involves a personal relationship. The Father and the Son know each other in a mutuality of love, and by the knowledge of God men and women are admitted to the mystery of this divine love, being loved by God and loving Him - and one another - in return. This is the basis of the unity for which Jesus prays" (Bruce).
"And Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."
"Since Christ had given life to people, it followed that He would resurrect people. In order for Him to resurrect people He had to be resurrected after His death. Christ defined eternal life, saying 'This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.' If believers were not resurrected, his word could not be trusted and people would not know the Father, they could not possess eternal life. Thus resurrection was necessary if Christ was to impart life to people" (Pentecost).
Verse 4, "I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
LGT "I have glorified You upon the earth having finished the work which You gave Me in order that I should do [it]."
This verse follows verse two because verse three is parenthetical.
"I have glorified Thee on earth."
Jesus' sinless life and all the miracles He performed were a glory to the Father, that is, the Father was glorified in the Son, just as the Son is glorified in the Father. Calvin notes: "His reason for saying this is, that God had been made known to the world both by the doctrine of Christ, and by His miracles; and the glory of God is, when we know what He is." Jesus began His prayer in verse one with His petition that the Father would glorify the Son. Now Christ is giving the grounds for His glorification in this verse I have glorified Thee on earth.
"I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
The verb 'have finished' is an active participle and literally reads, having finished the work, which You gave Me, in order that I should do [it]. "This participle defines the manner in which He had glorified the Father on earth" (Vincent). "The immediate thought here is of the necessary progress which the hour demanded. There remained no longer any reason for His continuance on earth. He did not desire, and did not need, any prolongation of life below" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"Up to the present moment, He had glorified His Father on earth by obediently carrying out His will. One act of obedience remained to be performed - one, moreover, in which the Father would be supremely glorified - but this act is not excluded from Jesus' present thought. On the eve of the Sacrifice of the Cross, as He consecrates Himself for it, He is so totally committed to it that He speaks of it as already accomplished. Any mention of His 'finished work' would be unthinkable if it did not embrace that greatest work of all" (Bruce).
Verse 5, "And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was."
LGT "And now glorify [from] You [to] Me Father, by the side of Thyself, the glory which I possessed before the world was, with Thee."
"Glorify Thou Me with Thine own self,"
Literally, by the side of Thyself. "Jesus prays for full restoration to the pre-incarnate glory and fellowship (cf. 1:1) enjoyed before He became flesh, the Incarnation (John 1:14). This is not just ideal pre-existence, but actual and conscious existence at the Father's side (para soi), with Thee" (Robertson). Jesus is praying for that pre-incarnate fellowship He enjoyed throughout eternity, for in the three hours of darkness He would lose it, and He is now at the present feeling the pangs of being out of fellowship as a present reality; for with the Godhead, there is no separation of time element.
"In Philippians 2, it speaks of Jesus emptying Himself. Some try to teach that He emptied Himself of His deity. John makes it very clear that the Word became flesh. That little baby in Mary's lap is God, and He could have spoken this universe out of existence. He wasn't just 99.9 % God; He was, and is, 100 % God. So of what did He empty Himself? He emptied Himself of His prerogatives [privilege] of deity; He laid aside His glory" (McGee).
"With the glory which I had with Thee before the world was."
Jesus is now ready to go back to His Father and resume the glory He enjoyed before He came to earth to die for all mankind.
"That the Son divested Himself of this glory in some sense by His incarnation, and continued divested [separated Himself] of it during all the days of His flesh, is implied in the words. And that the restoration of this, which He here asks was the restoration of what, He laid aside - neither more or less - is equally plain. But what that was is not easily conceived, though more easily conceived than expressed. Abstract [imaginary] theological discussions, as they do nothing whatever to clear this up, so on such a subject they are very unsavory [unpleasant]. But two things seem to meet the facts of the case, and pretty nearly all that can safely be said upon the subject. First, In His ordinary intercourse [contact] with men here below, He appeared not to be what He was, and appeared to be what He was not. Instead of its being impossible for any person, at any moment, to doubt that He was the Everlasting Son of the Father in human flesh, it seemed hardly possible to believe it - so entirely like other men was He in His appearance and ordinary movements, and often even more helpless than many other men. Secondly, That this was a shrouding of His proper glory, and a continual and sublime exercise of self-restraint, is evident not only from what we know of His proper glory and freedom, and what He once and again said of it, but from the occasional breakings forth of that glory and majesty of His - as if to let men see for a moment Whom they had in the midst of them, and what a carriage [a figure] He might have assumed if it had been but fitting that His whole glorious Self should be habitually displayed before them. Well, He submitted during all the days of His flesh, for the high ends on which He came hither, thus to restrain Himself; and so 'the world knew Him not' and 'received Him not.' But it could not be that He should be contented with this abnormal condition; it could not be but that He should desire its cessation and feel it to be joy as He told His disciples, scarcely a brief hour before this, they should rejoice in on His account (see on ch. 14:28). But the wonder of this restoration of the glory, which He had with the Father before all time, is, that it was to be in our nature. His Divine glory as the Only begotten of the Father was never lost, and could not be parted with; it was inalienable [absolute] and essential. But during the days of His flesh it was shrouded from human view; it was not externally manifested; in respect of it, He restrained Himself. And what He now asks is, that this veil might be removed from Him as the incarnate One, and that as the risen and ascended Representative of Humanity - the second Adam - He might be invested and manifested in the glory which He had with the Father before the world was. Transporting [moving] thought!" (David Brown).
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
Verse 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."
LGT "I have made known Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. Yours they were, and to Me You gave them and Your word they have kept."
"I have manifested Thy name"
The Greek word for 'manifested' is ephanerosa' a first aorist indicative from 'phaneroo' meaning, to declare or make known. I have chosen 'to make known' in my LGT for clarity. Another good definition is 'to bring to a clear light.' Jesus says that He glorified the Name of God by making it known to His disciples. In verse four, Jesus says that He glorified God on the earth, and now He includes in this glorification that He has done this by making God's name understood by His disciples. "To manifest the name here means to make God known as the Holy loving Father" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"Unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world:"
Jesus regards the disciples as a love gift from the Father, as we all are, who believe on His name. This verse is especially used by the 'predestinarians' to give them what they believe is a doctrine to be taught, that some are predestined to heaven, and some are predestined to hell; we cannot accept this line of human reasoning, because it is diametrically opposed to God's Justice. Many commentators will not even touch this so-called doctrine, because they say it is too profound. I do not elevate myself by thinking I know the answer completely, but I have used grace logic to support what I believe is God's teaching on the subject; we cannot deny the teaching of the 'Foreknowledge' and 'Predestination' of God, but what I believe about it is that it is the Divine side of our salvation, and that everywhere it is taught, it is not dealing with salvation at all, but what position we have in Christ after we are saved as adopted sons and daughters. One commentator who admits that it is too mysterious is J. Vernon McGee; I will give in full what he teaches on the subject:
"Notice this: 'to as many as Thou hast given Him' (v. 2): 'unto the men which Thou gavest Me . . . and Thou gavest them Me' (v, 6); 'for them which Thou hast given Me' (v. 9); 'whom Thou hast given Me (v. 11); and 'those that Thou gavest Me' (v. 12). We are back to the great doctrine of election. Jesus talked to the Father about it. It was a private conversation, but He wanted the disciples to hear it and to know about it. I don't know as much about election as maybe I should know. I've read Hodge, Calvin, Thornwall, Shedd, and Strong on the subject, and they don't seem to know much more about it. The reason we know so little about election is because it is God's side, and there are a lot of things that God knows that we don't know."
I agree with McGee that there are two sides; God's side and man's side; however, that is the reason that He gave His Word so that we may know the Divine side. I don't claim to know more than McGee, or Hodge, or any other of the men He quotes, however, I don't expect any man to be able to reveal the mysteries of God to me. What I expect is to study the Word of God, and keep everything in its grace context, and rely on His Spirit to reveal it to me, and not in some mystical way. The reason I quote many expositors in my expositions is for reinforcement. I enjoy reading men who agree with my grace position, because I feel it is the only right position; if I did not think this way, I would not write anything. On the subject of 'predestination and election' I have stated many times that it is not a doctrine of salvation, but a doctrine of the riches of grace in salvation; in other words, it is not what we are saved from, but what we are saved to. Once we believe in Christ we are adopted into His Divine family with all the benefits of His Divine Riches of Grace. Augustine, in His commentary on the Gospel of John states exactly my position on 'election:" "Perhaps we shall have some fear in saying that He was predestinated, because the apostle seems to have said so only in reference to our being made conformable to His image" (Augustine's Comm. on The Gospel of John - page 398). Augustine wrote this around A.D. 387, and this is precisely my position on 'election.' I believe we are predetermined to be conformed to the image of His Son after we are saved. This is positional truth. We weren't predestined to be saved, but once we are saved, we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ, and to be the recipients of all 'His Divine riches of Grace.'
"Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me,"
They belonged to God; this can only mean that they were believers in God before He chose them for Christ's disciples. Jesus says that God had given them to Him; and He completes the statement by saying that they were keeping His 'Word,' that is, the doctrines that Jesus was personally teaching them. Jesus therefore, presents to the Father, in His prayer, these disciples that God had given Him, saying that they are faithful to His Word.
"And they have kept Thy word."
The verb 'kept' in NT Greek is tetereken is in the perfect active tense and in this context it means 'to observe practically'. These disciples then, did not only listen to the Lord speaking, they believed every word He spoke. They believed in Christ, and they believed what He told them concerning the Father.
Verse 7, "Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee."
LGT "Now they have known that all things whatsoever You have given Me are from You."
"The verb 'have known' is a perfect active verb, and it means 'they have come to know' in a real sense" (Robertson). Jesus is saying what they have learned, they know is from heaven, and that the doctrine is divine. "The object of the manifestation in Christ has been attained: the Father has been seen in and through Him. All the wisdom and power of Christ have been recognized as from God" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 8, "For I have given 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."
LGT "Because I have given the words which You gave Me to them, and they have received [them] and they knew truly that from You I came out, and they have believed that You did send Me."
"For I have given them the words"
In verse six we read 'they have kept Thy word' which is singular; Vincent says that the singular use of the 'word' signifies the Gospel message in its entirety. Here the plural use of 'words' is the message in its constituent parts, (that is, particular doctrines Christ taught them directly).
"Which Thou gavest Me;"
These words of Jesus do not in any way diminish His deity; He is not saying that He is inferior to the Father, only that in His humanity, He is truly being obedient to the Father's will, as He is the Servant and Mediator.
"He speaks according to His ordinary custom, in the person of the Mediator or servant of God, when He says that He taught nothing but what He had received from the Father; for, since His own condition was still mean, while He was in the flesh, and since His Divine majesty was concealed under the form of a servant, under the person of the Father He simply means God. Yet we must hold by the statement, which John made at the beginning of this Gospel, that, in so far as Christ was the Eternal Word of God, He was always one God with the Father. The meaning therefore is, that Christ was a faithful witness of God to the disciples, so that their faith was founded exclusively on the truth of God, since the Father Himself spoke in the Son. The receiving, of which He speaks, arose from His having efficaciously manifested to them the name of His Father by the Holy Spirit" (Calvin).
"And they have received them,"
The disciples knowing that Jesus' doctrine was true, they spiritually received them into their hearts.
"And have known surely that I came out from Thee,"
Literally, 'and they knew truly that I came out from Thee.' These disciples made great progress over the past three years with the Lord; one thing is for certain, they knew that Christ pre-existed with the Father, they did not doubt His deity. There were a lot they had to learn, but they were well grounded in the basics for their salvation.
"And they have believed that Thou didst send Me."
The verb 'have believed' is a perfect active verb, meaning they believed in the past, and that it continues in their hearts as a completed result. They believed in God the Father, and they also believed in God the Son. God did send Christ as His Apostle to man. The term 'apostle' means sent from God.
Verse 9, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine."
LGT "I make request concerning them, not concerning the world do I make request, but concerning whom You gave Me, because they are Yours."
"I pray for them: I pray not for the world,"
This may sound to some very hard to believe, that Christ only prays for believers. In this do-gooder society, liberal clergy would like every one to think that Jesus prays for every one. This verse tells us quite the opposite; you see, Christ died for sinners; and now that His work is finished, there is no more He can do, because there is no more that can be done. However, He does make requests for believers, for we are all part of His wonderful family. "I pray for them" is literally, I make request for them.' If Christ ever prayed for a sinner it would be that he prayed that they would be saved, that is, that they would believe on Him.
"But for them which Thou hast given Me;"
Jesus is praying to the Father, but what He is saying is for the benefit of His disciples, for the Father does know whom Jesus is praying for. The example we must follow is to pray for one another, and not for sinners.
"For Thine are Mine."
All believers belong to the Father and the Son.
Verse 10, "And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them."
LGT "And all My things are Yours, and Your things are Mine, and I have been glorified in them."
Jesus says that He is glorified in His disciples; Robertson says, 'with all their shortcomings Christ still says that He is glorified in them; what comfort this should be to all of us.' Jesus is so confident in His disciples future devotion He speaks in the perfect tense; 'I have been glorified in them'; in other words, 'I have been glorified, and remain glorified.
Verse 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."
LGT "And I am no longer in the world. Holy Father, preserve them in your name which You have given Me, in order that they may be one just as We are."
"And now I am no longer in the world,"
The Lord is soon to depart this world, and would no longer be physically present to protect and teach His disciples.
"The circumstances necessitating the prayer are now stated. Jesus is no longer in the world, already He has bid farewell to it, but the disciples remain in it, exposed without His accustomed counsel and defense" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"But these are in the world,"
Jesus' disciples are the main objects for this Intercessory Prayer.
"And I come to Thee."
This is the reason He says that He is no longer in the world. Jesus is looking forward to be reunited to the direct presence of His Father.
"Holy Father,"
This is the only time Jesus addresses God as 'Holy Father.' This is obviously for the benefit of His disciples, in order that He might encourage them.
"Keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me,"
Literally, preserve them in [the knowledge of] Thy name, which Thou gavest Me.
Here is the encouragement; although Jesus will go to the Cross and die, and will leave them, they will not be alone; for God, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, will keep them by His Word. "This was the fundamental petition. The retention of the knowledge which Christ had imparted to them of the Father would affect the next phrase" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
"That they may be one, as we are."
Literally, in order that they may be one, just we are [One]. "Unless there was unity (of doctrine and purpose) among the brethren, their mission would fail" (The Expositor's Greek Testament).
Verse 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."
LGT "When I was with them I continued to preserve them in Your name which You gave Me, and I guarded, and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction [eternal ruin], in order that Scripture might be fulfilled."
"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name:"
The Greek word for 'kept' is eteroun, meaning 'to preserve.' It is an imperfect active verb and reads literally, I continued to preserve them. Christ speaks as a man and God's apostle when He says that He continues to preserve them in His name. Calvin says, "Christ says that He hath kept them in the name of the Father; for He represents Himself to be only a servant, who did nothing but by the power, and under the protection, of God."
"Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost,"
There is a different word for 'kept' in this phrase, ephulazo, meaning 'to guard.' In the first phrase Christ says that He preserves them, and here He is said to guard over them. This He is about to turn over to the Father, and we can all rest assured, that the Father guards us and preserves us.
"But the son of perdition:"
Literally, the son of destruction, the Greek word apoleias, the same term Paul uses in 2 Thess. 'lawlessness.' The meaning is the same. 'None of them perished except the son of perishing' (Wescott).
"That the Scriptures might be fulfilled."
It is one thing to foretell a thing, and quite another to foreordain something. Judas betrayed Christ of His own free will, not because he was foreordained to. Jesus is saying 'the son of perdition is lost just as it is recorded in the Scriptures. The Scripture He is referring to is probably Psalm 41:9, "Even My close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me."
"By the Father's power, imparted to Jesus, Jesus Himself had guarded them as a treasure entrusted to Him by the Father, and now He gives an account of His stewardship. All of them were safe but one, and that was the one to whose defection the Scripture pointed forward, as Jesus had said before when He announced to His disciples that there was a traitor among them (John 13:18-30). The reference to one 'who was destined to be lost' (literally, 'the son of perdition') is paralleled in 2 Thess. 2:3 where the 'man of lawlessness' is so described, but the expression does not have quite the same force in the two passages. Despite the predestinarian flavor of the language, Judas was not lost against his will but with his consent. He might have responded to Jesus' last appeal to Him in His gesture of fellowship at the supper table (when Jesus offered Him dish to sop), but he chose to respond instead to the great adversary. Jesus has no responsibility for Judas' fatal decision. Judas, like the other disciples, had been given by the Father to the Son, but even among those so given, apostasy is a solemn possibility" (Bruce).
Verse 13, "And now come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves."
LGT "And now I am coming to You and these things I am speaking in the world, in order that they might keep on having My joy fulfilled in themselves."
"And now come I to Thee;"
Christ had just said this in verse eleven, but He loves to repeat it. He says it aloud so the disciples hear Him.
"And these things I speak in the world,"
He had just said I am no longer in the world, and now He says, I am speaking in the world. There is no contradiction; when He says He is no longer in the world, He is saying that His physical ministry to the world is over, and that His last days are before Him, because He will go to the cross and finish His work, and then go to the Father; here He is saying I am speaking in the world as His last message to His disciples. He has done all that was possible to convince sinners of their need of Him as their Savior, now He concentrates on praying for his family. Calvin says, "I speak in the world, says He; that is, within their hearing, or, in their presence, that their minds may be calm; for their salvation already was in no danger, having been placed by Christ in the hands of God."
"That they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves."
The Greek word for 'fulfilled' is pepleromenen a perfect passive participle of pleroo, literally, "That they may keep on having Christ's joy in their faithfulness realized in themselves" (Robertson).
"He calls it His joy, because it was necessary that the disciples should obtain it from Him; or, if you choose it more briefly, He calls it His, because He is the Author, Cause, and Pledge of it; for in us there is nothing but alarm and uneasiness, but in Christ alone there is peace and joy" (Calvin).
"This joy of His that is bestowed on them by Him, was to be fulfilled, He says, in them; and for that very end declared that He had spoken in the world" (Augustine)
Verse 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."
LGT "I have given them Your Word and the world hated them, because they are not out of the world just as I am not out of the world."
"I have given them Thy Word;"
Thy Word is the total word that God intended them to have, which is included in the words of verse eight.
"And the world hath hated them,"
McGee writes, "The Word of God causes problems in the world today. The Bible is the most revolutionary Book in the world. It is revolutionary to teach that you cannot save yourself that only Christ can save you. And you can't make this world better. Only Christ can do that. That's revolutionary, and the world doesn't want to hear that. They'd rather plant a few flowers and try to clean up pollution. The problem is that the pollution is in the human heart."
"Because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
Christians are not of this world in the sense of the 'world system' of doing things. The world looks at all problems from a strictly human viewpoint, while believers are supposed to view everything from the divine viewpoint, that is, from the Word of God viewpoint. We are not of this world just as Jesus Christ was not of this world; this is the reason the world hates Christians, because it first hated Christ. If the world crucified the Lord of Glory, what will it do to His children?
Verse 15, "I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
LGT "I request not that You should remove them out of the world, But in order that You should preserve them out of the evil."
I believe if we are to pay strict attention to context of Jesus' prayer, He is speaking of this 'world evil system'. Many commentators read 'keep them from the evil one', because they say 'ponerou (evil) is masculine, and they are correct; I do not think it enough to argue over, however, I believe it is this entire world system that is at enmity with God, and not so much the personal attack of Satan himself, that is the context of Jesus' Prayer. The world is the 'servants of sin, and the slaves to sin' as Paul brings out to us so clearly in his Epistle to the Ephesians.
"But that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
This is literally, that you preserve them from the evil. This should be an encouragement of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ; we are all being 'preserved [sealed] by the Holy Spirit', and we can never lose our salvation. If it were up to us to preserve ourselves we would be lost. "God does not take His people out of the world, because He does not wish them to be effeminate and slothful; but He delivers them from evil, that they may not be overwhelmed; for He wishes them to fight, but does not suffer them to be mortally wounded" (Calvin).
Verse 16, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
LGT "They are not out of the world just as I am no out of the world."
Literally ek tou cosmos 'out of the world', Jesus repeats this statement, so we realize it is very important; the sooner we realize this truth, the sooner we can relax in Him. Jesus assures His disciples that it is on His account that the world hates them. Earlier [verse 6] it was stated that God called them out of the world, but now they are no longer out of the world. They were once a part of this world system, but now they are God's children, preserved by Him. They no longer belong to the world, because they now belong to God, as we shall see in the next verse.
Verse 17, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.
LGT "Sanctify them in the Truth: Your Word is Truth."
"Sanctify them through Thy truth:"
The emphasis here is on the word 'sanctify' gr. hagiason, to set apart for a purpose. This is Christ's prayer for His disciples that they would be set apart for their preaching of the 'Gospel of the Kingdom.' Doctrine is still affecting the same results in every believer today, for we are all set apart to God spiritually, and we all enjoy the benefits of His Grace; that is, if we know what they are, for you can not enjoy what you are ignorant of.
Thy Word is truth."
"For right doctrines asserted concerning God sanctify the soul. And if He said that they are sanctified by the Word, marvel not. And to show that He speaks of doctrines, He adds, Thy Word is Truth. That is, there is no falsehood in it, and all that is said in it must needs come to pass; and again, it signifieth nothing typical or bodily. As also Paul saith concerning the Church, that He hath sanctified it by the Word. For the Word of God is wont also to cleanse (Eph. 5:26). Moreover the sanctify them, seems to me to signify something else, such as this, Set them apart for the Word and for preaching. And this is made plain from what follows" (Chrysostom - fourth century A.D.).
Verse 18, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so I also have sent them into the world.
LGT "Just as You have sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world."
The Greek word for 'sent' is apostelia meaning to send with a mission. Once again we must be very careful to keep this Prayer of Christ in context. He is praying for His disciples saying, I am sending them into the world with a mission [Apostles], just as You sent Me into the world. Jesus is praying for the Sanctification of the apostles for their future mission. The apostles will be taking over when Christ leaves, and they will be equipped with same gifts of the Spirit as Christ has. We in this age of Grace cannot apply this verse in its strict sense, because we do not possess these gifts, for we have 'The Truth', the 'Word of God' as our gift.
"The statement 'I have sent them' is perhaps prolepsis [anticipating the future]: His actual sending of them is recorded later, after His return from the dead (John 20:21). Since they are to be sent into hostile territory, to reclaim it for its rightful owner, they must be given spiritual protection. Negatively, they must be preserved from the power of the usurper, whose occupied domain they have invaded; positively, they must be 'sanctified.' This involves their consecration for the task now entrusted to them; it involves further their inward purification and endowment with all the spiritual resources necessary for carrying out the task. The purification and endowment are the work of the Spirit, but here Jesus declares the instrument of that work to be 'the truth' - the truth embodied in the Father's 'word', which Jesus had given to the disciples as He Himself, had received it from the Father (verses 8, 14). The very message which they are to proclaim in His name will exercise its sanctifying effect on them: that message is the continuation of His message, just as their mission in the world is the extension of His mission" (Bruce).
Verse 19, "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
LGT "And on behalf of them I sanctify Myself in order that they might be sanctified in Truth."
"And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,"
Literally, on behalf of them I sanctify Myself. If Christ were not God, He could not set Himself apart, that is, sanctify Himself. Christ first 'consecrated Himself to the Father in order that the disciples would be consecrated to the Father also. It was through the sanctification of Christ that the disciples would be sanctified.
"That they might be sanctified through the truth."
This phrase gives the reason as well as the instrument of their sanctification; in order that that they might be sanctified in Truth. The word 'sanctified' is in the perfect tense and is literally, that they remain sanctified (Robertson). In this 'Age of Grace' Christ has sanctified us through His indwelling us the moment we believe (1 Cor. 1:30).
Verse 20, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word."
LGT "And not concerning these alone I make request, but also concerning the ones that believe, through their word, unto Me."
"But for them also which shall believe on Me through their word."
"The word 'believe' is a present participle and is literally, the ones that believe as present actuality. Christ speaks regarding the future as an actual event already taking place" (Vincent). Every one who has ever believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died on our behalf, is included in Christ's request in this verse.
Verse 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."
LGT "In order that they all might be one, just as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, in order that also they might be in Us, in order that the world might believe that You did send Me."
"That they all may be one;"
Unity in doctrine is what Jesus is referring. Denominationalism is the culprit of the Churches disunity. Individual believers make up the body of Christ, and this unity of Spirit is the request of the Son. If the Church would be faithful in His commands to love God and to love the fellow believer, unity would be a piece of cake; however, when the flesh sticks its ugly head in, unity disappears. The Lord does not expect believers to be chummy with one another; He only requests that we agree in doctrine.
"As Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may one in us:"
Our true example of unity. Jesus is not talking with regard to homousias the same eternal 'essence', which we could never be included; Christ is speaking of the same purpose of the Father and the son regarding things pertaining to salvation. Of course Jesus and the Father are one in essence, however, it is as the Head of the Church, and Christ as our mediator, this is the oneness that He is referring. It is Christ's desire that the church be one with the Divine Trinity by understanding all things in the light of eternity from a Divine viewpoint; this is the reason He inspired His Word and revealed it to us; we are completely unable to experience any kind of unity apart from His Word.
"That the world may believe that Thou sent Me."
Jesus said earlier that He prays 'not for the world' (vs. 9), and we know that He was speaking of the world system; so here He could only be speaking of the world that would believe in Christ. Just as He speaks of His up-coming death as a finished work in this prayer, so He speaks of all future believers as a finished work.
"For through this faith the world is reconciled unto God when it believes in the Christ whom God has sent. For the world itself here consisteth of all who by their own believing become one. For the words, they all may be one, are equivalent to the world may believe, since it is by believing that they become one, perfectly one" (Augustine).
Verse 22, "And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One:"
LGT "And I, the glory which You have given Me I have given them, in order that they may be one just as We are One:"
"And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them;"
This phrase is literally, And I [emphatic I], the glory which You have given Me, I have given them." Jesus uses the perfect tense have given in both cases because it is a completed action, that is, it has already taken place. What this means is that this is a doctrine of positional truth; it has already been accredited to our account as a completed position, that is, we stand before the Father displaying the perfection of the Son; we all know that we are far from perfect, but positionally, we are perfect in the sight of the Father.
"That they may be one even as We are One:"
We well know that the Church in the world today is not unified as Jesus prays; but in eternity we will be one.
"But what grounds were there for expecting such a thing, or rather, what materials existed for bringing it about? The answer to that question is what we have in the present verse. 'In order' says Jesus 'that they may be one, even as We are one, I have given unto them the glory which Thou hast given unto Me.' The glory, then, here is all that which Jesus received from the Father as the Incarnate Redeemer and Head of His people - the glory of a perfect Acceptance as the Spotless Lamb - the glory of Free Access to the Father and Right to be Heard always - the glory of the Spirit's Indwelling and Sanctification - the glory of Divine Support and Victory over death, and hell - the glory of finally inheriting all things. This glory, Jesus says not, 'I will,' but 'I have given them;' thus teaching us that this glory is the present heritage of all that believe, and the divine provision - the heaven-provided furniture - for their attaining even here to that exalted Unity amongst themselves which would stamp the mission of their Lord as Divine even in the eyes of the world" (David Brown).
Verse 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."
LGT "I in them and You in Me, in order that they may be perfected into one, in order that the world may know that You have sent Me and are loving them just as You are loving Me."
"I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in one:"
The indwelling of every believer by Jesus Christ is the very power, which is at work perfecting this unity, a unity, which begins with the Father.
"And that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me,"
"Now He prayed, 'May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You loved Me.' Thus the unity of believers was to be an evidence to the world that Jesus Christ came from God and was God. This unity would show that He had shared His love with people so that they might love one another" (Pentecost).
"And hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me."
This last phrase is the epitome of positional truth. I find it almost impossible to comprehend how the Father could possibly love me as much as He loves His Only Begotten Son. Jesus died on the Cross in order that the Father could love me so. How in this world can we live a defeated life when we are loved with such a magnificent perfect love? "The word 'loved' is a timeless aorist meaning there is no end to His love" (Robertson). But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:37-39- NASB). Earlier Jesus had said that God loved Him before the foundations of the world; this puts another dimension on God's love for the Son; this love is an eternal love; so now, we are told that God loves us with an eternal love. How wonderful is this?
Verse 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 before the foundation of the world."
LGT "Father, what Thou gavest Me I desire that where I am they also may be with Me, in order that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me, before [the] foundation of [the] world."
This is the entire purpose that God made man, so that he might glorify God through His Son. The plan of salvation was created far before the world was created. God planned this great salvation, the Son executed this great plan, and the Holy Spirit was the power behind the plan. Heaven will be wonderful for all of us, when we will behold the glory that was given the Son; we will be trophies of God's wonderful grace, for the Son to display before all His creatures for eternity.
Verse 25, "O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me."
LGT "Righteous Father, though the world knew You not, but You I have known, and these have known that You did send Me."
"Righteous Father,"
Here Jesus addresses the Father with one of His divine attributes, Righteousness. "By calling God Righteous Father, Christ defies the world and its malice; as if He said, 'However proudly the world may despise or reject God, still it takes nothing from Him, and cannot hinder the honor of His Righteousness from remaining unimpaired" (Calvin).
"The world hath not known Thee:"
"Just because Thou art righteous it hath not known Thee. While the world which He hath reconciled unto Himself through Christ hath known Him not of merit, but by grace. For what else is the knowing of Him but eternal life? Which, while He undoubtedly withheld it from the condemned world, He bestowed on the reconciled. On that very account, therefore, the world hath not known Thee, because Thou art righteous, and hast rendered unto it according to its deserts, that it should not know Thee" (Augustine).
"But I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me."
Believers know that God sent Christ into the world to die on the Cross for them; this is the reason for His Incarnation, for if He did not die, we would all perish. Jesus points out in this prayer the justice of God when He says 'Righteous Father.' In comparison to those who would crucify Him, Jesus encourages His disciples with His statement to His Father. "Being sent from the Father actually embraces His entire mission of redemption. Anyone who is a believer knows that the Father has sent Him, and the purpose was for Him to die for our sins" (McGee).
Verse 26, "And I 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."
LGT "And I made known to them Your name and will make [it] known, in order that the love with which You love Me may be in them and I [will be] in them."
Christ's crowning purpose that He might reign in men that they may share in the love He has with His Father. "I am with you, is good, I am in you is supreme" (Bruce). "And I in them is a clause that deserves our attention, for it teaches us that the only way in which we are included in that love which He mentions is, that Christ dwells in us; for, as the Father cannot look upon the Son without having likewise before His eyes the whole body of Christ, so, if we wish to be beheld in Him, we must be actually His members" (Calvin).
We must know Him in order that we can appreciate His abiding communion with us; this can only be acquired by the study of doctrine.
"Christ had said previously that 'when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth' (16:13). Now He promised that He Himself would continue to make the Father known to them. This continuing revelation would lead people into a deeper knowledge of God's love for Christ, and of the love of the Father and the Son for them. This deepening knowledge would strengthen their fellowship with Christ. The goal of the continuing revelation was to be; that I Myself may be in them' (v. 26). Christ previously had said concerning the believers, 'We [the Father and He] will come to him and make our home with him' (14:23). Christ's words here referred not to His residence with them but to the intimate relationship that He and believers may enjoy because of His continuing revelation to them. Expanding knowledge brings more intimate fellowship" (Pentecost).
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