Good morning. Well, open up your copies of God's Word to John 17.
! For those of you who have been praying for me this morning, I'm really grateful.
! The two hours of sleep are slowly being overtaken by pre-workout and Jesus,
to which all pre-workout would be worthless.
So I drank the most potent stuff I could find this morning, so here I am. We're ready.
But usually when I'm tired, one of the first things to go are my reading out loud ability for some reason.
So show me a lot of grace today if you can find it in your heart.
So for those of you who are new on the scene, last week we began a three-week series on John 17,
which is known as the true Lord's Prayer or the high priestly prayer of Jesus.
And it is a passage that I've been enthralled by for many years.
Truly, I don't just say that like I really mean that.
It's one that just kind of stands out and tucked away in the pages of Scripture.
And so for a long time I've been wanting to hopefully encourage other people with how my soul has been blessed by this prayer.
We know that our Lord was in constant prayer.
We know that He was completely devoted to prayer and communing with the Father.
But the content of Jesus' prayers are not really out there for the most part.
But John 17, we get a peek, we get a glimpse of what it looked like for Jesus to talk to the Father.
And you feel almost like you're eavesdropping on a very, very intimate conversation.
And many people throughout the history of the church, many people have been awed by John 17.
19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon, not a stranger to this crowd.
He said,
And so what's been commonly again referred to as the Lord's Prayer.
It has about 650 words in it.
It just takes a couple minutes to read, but there's enough depth in this prayer for you to spend eternity just diving into.
So what I'm able to preach in three weeks won't even come close to tapping in to what's really here.
So I encourage you to seek this passage out in your own study and ask the Lord to teach you from it.
So Martin Luther, the reformer, he said about this prayer,
It sounds so honest, so simple, yet it is so deep and so rich and so wide that no one can fathom it.
This prayer does stand out as preeminent in God's Word.
Philip Melanchthon, who was a friend of Luther's, another hero, if you would, of the Reformation.
Before he passed away, before he died, he gave a final lecture to his students.
And this was the passage that he preached on, John 17.
And he stated this,
And again, I feel very inadequate to explain or to reveal or try to expound on all that is in this.
So please go and allow God just to work in your heart as you read it.
But before we turn to the passage,
I think it would be really important to understand one of the roles that our Lord Jesus plays in our life,
a role that he fulfills, particularly exemplified in John 17,
is that of the high priest, the great high priest.
See, as sinners who are wretched, unclean, broken, and guilty before God,
we are like in desperate, dire need of someone to come and intercede on our behalf before a holy God.
So, praise be to God, that role is being fulfilled by our Lord Jesus.
Scripture has much to say about Christ being our eternal, perfect high priest.
The writer of Hebrews particularly goes at length to talk about how all the ministries of the Old Covenant,
the tabernacle, the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices,
all these things were imperfect representations pointing toward a greater fulfillment.
And we all know that all those things were brought to completion in Christ.
Turn, if you would, just to Hebrews 7.
But hold your hand, John 17, Hebrews 7.
You see, all the animal sacrifices,
all the high priests that were appointed in the Old Covenant,
were imperfect in many, many ways.
No animal sacrifice was good enough,
because it couldn't suffer for human sins ultimately.
It had no moral life.
It couldn't bear the guilt of man.
And sinful priests who served in the temple
had to first make atonement for their own sins
before they atoned for the other people's sins.
So, they were imperfect,
and they couldn't remain either because they were mortal.
They died.
And so, all these things, this imperfect system,
was pointing toward a greater fulfillment in Christ.
So, if you look at Hebrews 7, look at verse 23.
It says,
For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest,
holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners,
and exalted above the heavens.
He has no need, like those high priests,
to offer sacrifices daily,
first for his own sins,
and then for the sins of those of the people,
since he did not once for all,
excuse me,
for he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests,
but the word of the oath,
which came later than the law,
appoints a son,
whom has been made perfect forever.
So, Jesus fulfilled all these things.
He was sinless,
so he had no need to offer a sacrifice for himself.
This is what our passage teaches.
So, he became the final sacrifice.
Furthermore, he was immortal.
He never had to be replaced.
So, he is the one eternal mediator between man and God.
And lastly, he became human,
so he could bear the sins of humans.
And so, the writer goes on to say,
in chapter 8, verses 1 and 2,
Now, the point that we are trying to make is this.
We're trying to tell you this.
Do we have such a high priest,
one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven,
a minister in the holy places,
in the true tent that the Lord set up,
and not man.
So, Christ is interceding on our behalf.
Can you imagine going to a courtroom of God,
being utterly guilty before him,
and having no one to plead your cause?
Jesus is doing this.
For those of us who are found in him,
he is our high priest.
Paul echoes this sentiment,
this idea, this truth in Romans 8.
Something that most of us might look over,
because Romans 8 is so familiar,
we're always trying to get to the end of Romans 8,
which is like the big, you know, huge punch at the end.
But have you ever noticed,
in Romans 8, 33, it says,
Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies.
Who is to condemn?
Christ Jesus, the one who died.
And here it is.
More than that.
Who was raised at the right hand of God?
Who indeed is interceding for us?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
So Christ is our great, eternal, sympathetic high priest.
And that's why John 17 is such a huge glimpse
of his intercessory work.
Think about this.
He's only moments from being betrayed,
arrested, beaten,
treated so unjustly,
and crucified.
All that's right in front of him.
So if you were praying,
what would you mainly be praying for
in that time?
God help me.
Probably.
But isn't it amazing
that the bulk of this prayer,
probably three quarters of it,
is him interceding for his disciples
and for us?
It's not for his own.
He's not trying to pray for his own sake.
He understands what is coming.
So we see a glimpse of the heart of Jesus
for his people
as he's interceding for them
in John 17.
So what a Savior,
an intercessor,
we have on our behalf.
John wrote in his letter,
Little children,
I'm writing these things to you
so that you may not sin.
But then he throws in there,
but if anyone does sin,
don't panic.
It's okay.
Because you have an advocate
with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.
So Jesus is standing in that gap
praying for us.
And as I said last week,
the magnitude of this,
and next week we'll look at
the final section of this
where Jesus is actually praying
for us today.
All those who would come
to believe in him.
That is astounding to me.
Robert Murray McShane,
a young Scottish pastor
in the 1800s,
he died at a young age
of tuberculosis,
so lung problem,
so I have a lot in common with him,
because I probably would have died
about the same age
that he did from lung issues
had I not had a transplant.
But something that he said,
he preached a sermon on John 17,
and I'll repeat this next week
because this is such a powerful statement to me.
He says,
If I could hear Christ praying for me
in the next room,
I would not fear a million enemies.
Yet distance makes no difference.
He is praying for me.
I pray that
that just resonates in us.
So, today we'll look at
the second section of
John 17.
Just because it's just a few verses,
I'll read 1-5,
and this is
the outline of the prayers
in 1-5,
Jesus is praying
for himself
and talking about
the Father's glory
and his own glory.
That's what we looked at last week.
We did a huge introduction
to this last week,
so you can go back
and listen to that.
And then the second part
of his prayer,
which we'll look at today,
is 6-19,
and he's praying for his disciples.
And the key word in this
is this idea of preservation.
And then next week,
the idea of future believers.
verse 1 says,
when Jesus has spoken these words,
he lifted up his eyes to heaven
and said,
Father,
the hour has come.
Glorify your Son,
that the Son may glorify you,
since you have given him authority
over all flesh,
to give eternal life
to all whom you have given him.
And this is eternal life,
that they know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent.
I glorified you on the earth,
having accomplished the work
that you gave me to do.
And now,
Father,
glorify me in your own presence
with the glory that I had with you
before the world existed.
I have manifested your name
to the people
whom you gave me
out of the world.
Yours they were,
and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything
that you have given me
is from you.
For I have given them
the words that you gave me,
and they received them,
and have come to know in truth
that I have came from you,
and they have believed
that you sent me.
I am praying for them.
I am not praying for the world,
but for those that you have given me,
for they are yours.
All mine are yours,
and yours are mine,
and I am glorified in them.
And I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.
Holy Father,
keep them in your name,
which you have given me,
that they may be one,
as we are one.
While I was with them,
I kept them in your name,
which you have given me.
I guarded them,
and not one of them
has been lost,
except the son of destruction,
that the scripture
might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you,
and these things
I speak in the world,
that they may have my joy
fulfilled in themselves.
I have given them your word,
and the world has hated them,
because they are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
I do not ask
that you would take them
out of the world,
but that you would keep them
from the evil one.
They are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world.
Lord,
sanctify them in the truth.
Your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I sent them into the world.
And for their sake,
I consecrate myself,
that they may also
be sanctified in truth.
Pray with me, please.
Lord, we,
upon looking at these words,
and just are amazed
at how much you care
about your people.
And Lord,
I just ask that you would
teach us in this time
that we wouldn't walk away
from this hour the same,
that you would renew our hearts,
our minds,
refresh our souls to go out
and to live for you
with the confidence
of knowing that you pray for us.
In Jesus' name, amen.
So,
a few things
we're going to look at.
We're going to break them down
into the two statements,
and then underneath
those two statements,
a couple of things.
I'll give them to you first, though.
The first one is,
Jesus affirms them
as genuine apostles.
Jesus affirms them
as genuine apostles.
That's the first thing
that we see.
And then secondly,
Jesus prayed
that they be kept
by His Father.
Okay, so those are
the two main points.
And underneath those two,
we're going to have
a couple others.
But to the first point,
Jesus affirms them
as genuine apostles.
So, underneath that,
we see in verses 7 and 8,
if you'll look at 7 and 8,
we see that it's because
because of their faith
in Him as the Son.
Because of their faith
in Him as the Son,
He affirms them
as genuine apostles.
So, though they had been
with Jesus for several years,
they had followed Him,
they had seen Him
work miracles,
they had heard Him preach,
they saw how He lived,
He walked with them
on a daily basis.
They had some understanding
of who He was
and the mission He was on.
But, and then there were occasions
where they kind of revealed that,
that they knew who He was.
But the full measuring
of who He was
had not yet been revealed to them.
But in this case,
as we see in verse 7,
He's like,
now they know
that everything you have given Me
is from you.
So they were beginning
to really clearly understand
who He was.
and they believed,
they believed in Him
as the Messiah.
And they believed
that He came down
from the Father
to be the Savior.
And Jesus,
while He was with them,
He says,
I manifested
who you were, Father,
to them.
One, because He was
the Son of God incarnate.
He was walking among them.
He was the visual
representation of the Father.
Jesus said in John earlier,
if you have seen Me,
you have seen the Father.
And putting Himself
pretty much
on the level of God.
So He walked among them.
He manifested His name to them.
And they believed.
And they obeyed.
And they kept His Word.
They followed Him.
So that's the first reason
they are affirmed
to genuine apostles,
because of their faith in Him.
But,
one that we will spend
some more time on
underneath this,
so part B, if you would.
Because they were given to Him
by the Father.
Alright?
They were affirmed
as real, genuine apostles
because they were given to Him
by the Father.
So look at verse 6.
He says,
I've manifested Your name
to the people
who You gave Me
out of the world.
Yours they were,
and You gave them to Me.
And they have kept Your Word.
And if you jump down
to verse 9,
I am praying for them.
I am not praying
for the world,
but those whom You have given Me,
for they are Yours.
All Mine are Yours,
and Yours are Mine,
and I am glorified in them.
So,
there's another reason
this idea
that being genuine disciples
is affirmed.
In fact,
it's really the source
of the first reason.
So,
notice really carefully here
that these words
that are used,
the disciples receiving,
knowing,
and believing in Jesus
that you see
in verses 7 and 8.
Notice how 7 and 8
is kind of sandwiched
in between
verses 2 and 6,
9 and 10,
which revealed
that the Father
has chosen,
elected a people
out of the world
and has given them
to the Son
to manifest Himself to.
Now,
I know that
now that some of the hair
is standing up
on some of your necks,
things,
I want to just go ahead
and throw out there
that though I believe
that in this passage
elsewhere in Scripture
that the doctrines
of election
and particular atonement
are here
before us today,
that's not the only point
of this message.
And I'm not going to just
make that a soapbox,
but it is here,
so we are going to deal
with it,
but my calendar is open
for if you'd like
to hang out
and just talk about
this stuff
and look at God's Word.
But what Jesus
is saying here,
in other words,
is that their faith
in Him
is the result of,
evidenced of,
the Father's choosing them
and giving them
to the Son.
This is what we see
in our text.
It's repeated three times
in this whole prayer.
This idea of the Father
giving a people
to the Son.
So earlier in John 15,
Jesus said to His disciples,
You did not choose Me,
but I chose you
and appointed you
to go and bear fruit.
And remember,
their faith in Him,
again,
a result of the Father's
electing them.
Earlier in Matthew 16,
this is very clearly shown.
Simon Peter,
Jesus is asking people,
Who do people say
that I am?
And He threw out
some things
and then He asked,
Who do you say I am?
And Simon Peter said to Him,
You are the Christ,
the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered him
and said,
Blessed are you,
Simon Barjona,
for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you.
You didn't figure this out,
in other words.
But my Father,
who is in heaven,
has revealed this to you.
So,
the truth that God
has graciously,
emphasized that word,
graciously,
mercifully,
chosen a people
to give to the Son
to save,
is repeated three times
in John 17.
And again,
it's not the focal point
of this whole prayer,
but it's a big part
of this prayer.
So,
you may think,
wait a minute,
these verses have to do
with the disciples
being chosen
and given to the Son.
So,
surely that doesn't mean
that all believers
come to faith
in the same way.
that's not true
for all Christians.
I used to argue that way
until I read the rest
of the prayer
in verse 20,
where Jesus turns
His attention
to all believers,
like you and I,
and He says
in verse 24,
Father,
I desire that they also
whom You have given Me.
So,
this is
all of us.
It was God's
eternal plan
to mercifully
call out a people
for salvation,
to give them
eternal life
through the ministry
of His Son.
So,
remember that
as you read
the Scripture,
think of the idea
that redemption
is a Trinitarian effort.
It wasn't just
the Father,
it wasn't just
the Son,
and it wasn't
just the Spirit.
It was all three
of them playing
a unique role
in our redemption.
And the Father's
role in this
was that He
planned,
ordained,
the plan
of redemption.
He chose
those whom
He would give
to the Son.
The Son came
and He died
on behalf
of those people.
And the Spirit
now regenerates
those people.
It is,
He applies
the work
of the Trinity,
the Holy Spirit.
So,
you may again
say,
wait a minute,
doesn't Jesus
love the world.
Right?
John 3,
16.
Very,
very clever.
So,
I've heard
many people say,
Jesus loves
the entire
world.
He loves
all people,
even from
Adolf Hitler
to Mother Teresa.
Jesus,
their love
is no different.
So,
I would just
argue with you
humbly,
like no,
no,
Jesus did not
come to save
every single
person in the
world.
And though God
does have a
certain care,
a certain love
for the world
in general,
He has a
very specific,
very unique
care for
His people.
right?
The special
fellowship that
exists between
the Savior
and those He
came to save.
So,
what I'm trying
to tell you
is that Jesus'
atonement was
an exact
atonement,
not a potential
atonement.
Can you imagine
the Father
sending His
Son to the
earth to
die a
terrible,
wretched
death,
shedding
His precious
blood,
and then
just saying
to Jesus,
I hope
some people
make the
most of
this sacrifice
you made.
I really
hope they
do.
No.
The blood
of the Son
is far too
precious to be
wasted.
And so,
we all believe
that the
atonement of
Jesus is
limited in
some way.
we know
according to
the Scripture,
and indeed
just looking
at our own
lives,
that not all
people will
have eternal
life.
We know
that some
will be
separated
from God
because of
their willful
sin and
rebellion.
We know
that.
We know
that some
people are
going to
perish.
So,
if you
believe that
Christ's
atonement was
for the
entire world,
for every
single person
ever to
walk,
then it
was limited
in its
power.
because it's
not going
to save
everybody.
But I
believe the
Scripture
teaches,
not as here
in John 17,
but everywhere,
that the
atonement was
limited not in
its power,
but its
extension.
It was given
to save those
exactly who it
was meant to
save.
The blood of
Christ made
an exact
purchase.
It wasn't
wasted on
some and
then made
much of
by others.
I believe
that the
Father
honored the
sacrifice of
His Son and
gave Him a
people to
become His
bride to
save.
And again,
if you look
at Romans 9,
read Romans 9,
there's an
argument,
this idea of
that's not
fair.
God is
being unjust.
He's being
not right in
doing that.
if He's
going to
save people,
He needs
to save
us all.
Well,
first of all,
know that
sinful man is
in no
position to
accuse God
of being
unjust.
I am
not.
I wouldn't.
I can't
imagine me
pointing a
finger at God
and saying,
you are
unjust and
I am
right.
And that's
an argument
that Paul
makes.
Who are
you,
oh man,
to talk to
God that
way.
But I
want to
paint the
picture for
you this
way.
In our
Western
democratic
minds,
we have
a skewed
view in
some ways
of what
justice
means.
But in
the ancient
and the
medieval
world,
this was
very clearly
seen.
But we
know that
a king
or an
emperor
would also
serve as
a judge
over his
people.
And many,
many times,
like there are
examples of
the Bible
of this.
I could
give you a
lot of
examples of
history,
but you
would all
fall asleep.
But there
are examples
when a
king or
an emperor
would be
presented
with a
whole band
of rebels
or criminals.
All guilty.
All have
come against
the king.
And sometimes
this is what
would happen.
The king
would say
something along
the lines
of,
all of you
have rebelled
against me.
All of you
are guilty.
None of
you deserve
to live.
True,
right?
They're all
guilty.
But then he
would say
something like
this,
but because
I am a
merciful king,
because I
desire to
show my
people that
I am
merciful,
I will
pardon you
and you,
but the
rest of
you get
the sword.
Because I
also need to
show my
people that
I am not
a pushover
and that
I take
this sin
very
seriously.
And so
at that
same time,
that king
would have
demonstrated
his justice
and his
mercy with
one act.
And can
you imagine
the ones
who were
spared just
standing there
trembling,
saying,
why me?
Like,
why was I
spared and
not this
other?
And that
is the
position that
we are
in.
If you
think that
you could
walk up to
God and
be like,
I deserve
mercy.
This person
deserves
mercy.
None of
you would
stand.
None of
us would
make it.
The king
is merciful.
So we
are not
in the
position of
an innocent,
sweet,
deserving
child of
God's mercy.
We are
all rebels,
criminals,
all deserving
justice.
But,
because he
is merciful,
he has
showed us
justice,
or showed
us mercy.
So,
a lot
in all
of that.
But what
I am
trying to
say is
that Jesus
came here
to die
for those
that the
Father had
given him.
Right?
It is all
in John
17 and
other places
in the
Gospel of
John.
So,
that is
the first
part.
Jesus
affirms
them as
genuine
disciples.
And he
does it
because of
their faith
in him,
but even
underneath
that,
because the
Father had
given them
to him
as a
gift.
This
brings us
to our
second
point.
We see
this in
verses 11
through 16,
that Jesus
prays that
they be
kept by
his Father.
So,
underneath
this,
this idea
of being
kept by
the Father,
he prays
for a
couple of
things.
First,
spiritual
protection.
Spiritual
protection.
11
through 16,
he identifies
two
enemies,
two things
that are
going to
come against
them.
The first,
he says,
is the
world,
the
cosmos,
the
established
order.
It's not
speaking of
like the
beauty of
creation or
the order
that God
has created
in the
universe.
It's not
what it's
saying.
The world
in this
way is
being used
in a
way of
displaying
ungodly
ideology,
things that
have alienated
itself from
its creator.
It's a
way of
fallen,
sinful,
organized
system of
human
civilization
that sets
itself
against
God.
And that's
all around
us.
We just
got to
open our
eyes and
see how
the world
is against
God,
against
everything
we stand
for.
That's
the
cosmos,
is this
idea of
everything,
being against
God,
a world
hostile to
its creator.
So,
he prays
for their
protection from
the world.
Something I
might not have
mentioned a
second ago was,
do you notice
that Jesus
says in this
prayer,
I am not
praying for
the world?
He said
twice.
I'm not
praying for
every single
individual,
but I'm
praying for
those that
you gave
me out
of the
world.
So,
he's not
praying for
the cosmos.
And then
secondly,
we see he
talks about
protecting them
from the
evil one.
Satan,
the adversary
who prowls
around like a
roaring lion,
seeking someone
to devour.
The devil,
which means the
slanderer,
the accuser,
who hurls up
accusations at
us and at
God.
But one name
that kind
of stands
out of
Satan's
that I
think is
really
important,
at least
according to
John 17,
is that he
is called in
Revelation the
accuser of
the brethren
who brings
up charges
against us
day and
night.
That's
Revelation 12,
10.
And so,
though we
know,
if you keep
reading in that
chapter,
that Satan
no longer
has access
to God's
presence,
we do get
a picture
of who he
is.
It betrays
Satan as
the anti-intercessor.
So if Jesus
is interceding
for us,
Satan was
accusing us,
saying he
has done
this,
she has
done this,
right?
So he's
like the
anti-intercessor
in this way.
So,
but again,
Christ is
pleading our
cause and
the Father
listens to
his Son.
Awesome.
And so,
it talks
about the
world and
the devil
hating,
hating them.
That is
this idea
of like
someone
pursuing
another with
great,
intense
hatred.
Like so
hateful that
you're going
to like
go after
them,
hatred.
A detest
to detest.
And Jesus
knows that
their love
and their
obedience to
him is
going to
collide with
the world
that hates
God.
He knows
that.
Hold your
hand,
John 17,
and flip
back two
chapters to
John 15.
So Jesus
has been
telling them
this.
He's been
doing a lot
to prepare
them.
John 15,
verse 18.
He says,
if the world
hates you,
know that
it hated
me before
it hated
you.
If you
were of
the world,
the world
would love
you as
its own,
but because
you are
not of
the world,
but I
chose you
out of
the world.
Therefore,
the world
hates you.
Remember
the word
that I
said to
you,
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master.
If they
persecute
me,
they will
also
persecute
you.
If they
kept my
word,
they would
also keep
yours.
But all
these things
they do,
do to you
on the
account of
my name
because they
do not
know him
who sent
me.
So,
Jesus had
been warning
them,
this is going
to come.
So he was
telling them
that,
you know,
horizontally,
and now he's
praying about
it vertically.
This is going
to come.
So,
Lord,
Father,
protect them
against the
persecution
that is
coming.
So,
but what does
this mean?
Jesus isn't
praying.
He says
right there
that,
I'm not
praying that
they will
be taken
out of
the world.
So he's
not in
a position
of an
overindulgent
parent trying
to protect
their child
from any
kind of
trouble
in the
world.
That's
not how
he's
approaching.
He knows
that persecution
will come.
Rather,
he's praying
that they
would
persevere,
remain
steadfast
in him,
and then
triumph in
him.
So real
genuine love
for Christ
will incur
opposition
from the
world.
Paul wrote,
indeed,
all those who
wish to live
a godly
life in
Christ Jesus
will be
persecuted.
So it's
not an
overindulgent
protective
parent.
It should
be more
seen as
a general
who loves
and cares
about his
soldiers,
but he
sends them
out on a
really dangerous
mission because
that mission
is so
important.
But yet he
equips them
for that
mission,
gives them
all they
need,
and then
promises
them that
they will
have victory
in the end,
that this
is not a
losing battle
that they
are fighting.
And in
fact,
he's not an
armchair
general either.
He's actually
leading the
way by
going himself
first to
the cross.
So he's
prepared that
way, going
before them,
showing them
that example.
So that's
the prayer he's
making, that
they will
persevere,
they will
remain
steadfast,
and that he
prays that his
father would
keep them.
He says the
only person
that was
lost was
Judas Iscariot,
if you see
that in our
passage.
So on
several occasions
though, so
know this, I
heard a preacher
on radio many
years ago talk
about how we
could lose
our salvation,
and he was
using Judas
as an example.
And that is,
it's like, have
you read the
rest of John
where Jesus
repeatedly says,
this one does
not belong to
me?
Like it's very
clear that Judas
never belonged
to Jesus.
Though salvation
is secure for
true believers,
scripture warns
that faith that
many people have
in Christ is
not genuine,
and that it
won't persevere,
especially under
a trial.
And so Jesus
says that Judas
did this in
fulfillment of
scripture.
Psalm 41,
9 and others
talk about how
the Messiah
would be
betrayed.
But Jesus
is saying he
never belonged
to me in the
first place.
So he didn't
have it, and
then lost it, he
never had it in
the first place.
So Jesus told
them earlier,
if you continue
in my word,
then you're
truly my
disciples.
Judas did not
persevere.
And so,
again,
understand that
God's electing
and choosing
is so key
to us
keeping our
salvation.
All right?
I want you to,
I want to unpack
this for you a
little bit.
Their spiritual
protection, the
disciples and
ours, is not
based on our
resolve, our
willpower, but
fully on God's
redemptive work.
Jesus repeats
that twice in our
text.
He says, keep
them, guard
them in your
name.
So there are
two things in
this.
He says, by the
power of your
name.
In the ancient
world, a person's
name stood for
who they were
and what they
represented.
And so,
someone like
Caesar, his
name would be
powerful and
would provide a
ton of protection
for those under
that name.
So, but
there's no more
powerful name in
the universe or
in existence in
God's name.
Proverbs 18.10
says, the name
of the Lord is
a strong tower.
The righteous
man runs to
it and is
safe.
So he says,
keep them safe
by the power of
your name.
And then
secondly, and I
think this is so
cool, that Jesus
says that they
will be protected
by their being
one, spiritually
unified in him.
we see in
various ways
throughout this
prayer, the
indwelling of
believers by the
Father and the
Son.
So, if you
can, just look at
John 17 and try
to follow this.
21 and 23
indicate that the
Father is in
the Son.
And then you
add to that
verse 21,
where it says
the Son is in
the Father.
And also in
verse 21,
believers are in
the Father and
the Son.
And then you
add, 23 and
26, the Son is
in all believers.
You see that?
It's just like
this indwelling,
this unity, us
being united to
the Father and
the Son.
If that is true,
that is a safe,
secure, impenetrable
place to be.
That is our
unity to Christ.
The faith that
we have that
unifies us to
Christ.
So, all being
kept by God's
power.
And this is what
I was getting
at a second ago.
If salvation is
synergistic,
meaning that we
cooperate with
God, he comes
to the table,
presents his
deal, and says,
look, you're in
trouble.
And here's my
deal.
So, if you
take my son, I'll
save you.
But you probably
have to be, you're
going to have to be
humble and wise to
probably take my
son.
So, but that's the
deal I'm presenting
you.
Take it or leave
it.
If you take it, I
reward you with
salvation.
The problem,
though, is that
though God would
keep his end of
the bargain, man
can surely violate
his.
His end of the
contract.
Might not be
upheld.
So, therefore,
this idea of
us discussing
the ultimate
security of the
believer, it
lies in the
Father.
Do you see that?
If salvation
really is a
cooperation with
God, at some
point, we can
screw that up.
If it was up to
me to cooperate
with God for
being saved, I
think I would
lose it every
day.
God's
faith in the
Thankfully, again,
our eternal
security rests in
the unconditional
election of the
Father.
All right, look at
John 10.
This is the last
place I think you
have to flip, but
John 10.
Trying to keep you
in John all I
can.
So, but I want
you to see this.
John 10, verse
24.
And that is a
consistent theology
that many have
held, a consistent
theology that says
if you have the
ability and the
right to choose
Jesus, you also
possess that same
ability and right
to walk away from
Jesus.
That's a correct
thinking, but
unbiblical.
Right logic, I
should say.
Look at John 10,
verse 24.
So the Jews
gathered around
him and said
to him, how
long will you
keep us in
suspense?
If you are the
Christ, tell us
plainly.
Listen to this.
Jesus answered
them, I told
you and you
don't believe.
The works that I
do in my
Father's name
bear witness
about me.
Now listen to
this, verse 26.
But you do not
believe because
you are not
among my
sheep.
He doesn't say
you are not my
sheep because you
don't believe.
He says you
don't believe in
the first place
because you
don't belong to
me.
But read on.
Then he says,
my sheep, those
the Father has
given me.
My sheep hear
my voice.
I know them
and they
follow me.
I give them
eternal life
and they will
never perish
and no one
will snatch
them out of
my Father's
hand.
My Father
who has given
them to me
is greater
than all
and no one
is able to
snatch them
out of my
Father's hand.
I and the
Father are
one.
You see that?
This idea of
like belonging
to the Father
and how that
secures us
for eternity
that no one
can take them
from my
Father's hand.
So obviously
if you really
do believe
that your
salvation is
eternally
secure,
that should
disrupt,
like erupt
into joy.
As we see
in verse 15,
he's praying
for their joy,
praying that
their joy
will be
fulfilled
in themselves.
It points
back to John
15, 11
where he's
talking about
joy.
There,
they may
have his
joy in
all its
fullness.
So,
believe me,
words like
joy and
peace would
not exist
in the New
Testament if
we could lose
what the
Father has
given us.
Those are
the outflow,
the overflow
of our
eternal
security
with the
Father.
So,
that's A,
praise for
their spiritual
protection.
And then
lastly,
and in
closing,
he prays
for their
sanctification.
See that
in verses
17 through
19.
So,
he says,
sanctify them
in your
truth.
Your word
is truth.
And this
is in
terms of
being set
apart from
sin,
being set
apart from
evil in
the world
for a
holy purpose.
sin.
So,
that's why
he's
praying this.
Jesus is
saying,
you sent
me into
the world,
Father,
I'm about
to send
them into
the world.
And so,
holiness is
key to
mission here.
He understands
that them
living holy
lives will be
very important
to them going
out into the
world to
live before
a broken
world.
So,
think about
our mission
that we
have.
Are we
living holy
lives before
people?
That doesn't
mean too
good,
snotty,
legalistic
people.
It just
means free
people that
have been
liberated by
Jesus and
living for
Jesus.
So,
without holy
living,
our mission
will be
hindered.
So,
Christians are
not of the
world,
right?
It says here
in our text.
So then,
but Jesus
makes us
point of
him sanctifying
himself.
What does
that mean?
Well,
it doesn't
mean that
he's trying
to become
more holy
because we've
already established
that he was
the perfect,
sinless
son of
God.
Rather,
it does
mean that
Jesus has
set himself
apart to
do the
Father's
will and
his will
alone.
And that
includes
going to
the cross,
however
repulsive
that might
be to
him.
He does
this for
the sake
of his
disciples
and really
for us
as well.
He goes
before us
to be
secure.
So,
so Paul
says in
1 Thessalonians
5,
23,
talking about
sanctification
and also
us
persevering.
Now,
may the
God of
peace
himself
sanctify
you
completely
and may
your whole
spirit and
soul and
body be
kept
blameless
at the
coming
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
He calls
you,
he who
calls you
is faithful
and he
will surely
do it.
So,
I pray
that
your hearts
are rejoicing
that Christ
does stand
on our
behalf
interceding
for us
before the
throne of
God.
I,
I'm just
blessed,
overwhelmed
to know
that a
sinful man
like me,
and I
don't say
that with
any false
humility,
I'm a
wicked man.
I mean,
I feel a
verse that
just comes
to my
mind a lot
is Peter
when he
tells Jesus,
go away
from me,
I'm a
sinful man.
I feel
that,
but to
know that
he has
accepted
me,
saved me,
and is
now changing
me for
some reason,
I don't
know why,
but he's
doing that
for all
of us,
and he's
standing
before the
Father
saying,
I died
for them.
My life
belongs to
them,
my death
belongs to
them.
So they
are right
before,
or we
are right
before the
Father.
Look at
I'm a
part of
this in
our text
where he
calls him,
Jesus calls
him Holy
Father.
That's
echoing this
assertion of
God's awesome
purity,
his otherness
that's described
in the Old
Testament.
But listen,
this is the
only time in
the New
Testament this
title is
used for
God.
And I
just sort
of think
that's worth
pointing out
that Jesus
has this
unique
relationship,
very unique
with the
Father,
where he
can say
Holy
Father,
I'm
praying on
behalf of
these people,
listen to
me.
And as we
know,
the Father
honors what
his Son
says.
So,
let's pray
together.
A lot to
chew on,
but I pray
that your soul
is rejoicing
in the fact
that he
has showed
us mercy
and that we
have an
advocate
before the
Father.