You can open your Bible, if you have it with you, to John chapter 17.
We're continuing where we left off last Sunday.
We're in the midst of Jesus' prayer.
It's the night of Jesus' betrayal.
After spending quite a lot of time teaching and comforting and warning his disciples,
Jesus began to just pray out loud in front of them.
Last Sunday, we listened to the first words of Jesus in this prayer.
He expressed his longing to be restored to the glory that he had with God the Father before the world began.
He told the Father that he had completed the work that the Father had given him to do up until this point.
Jesus has more to say in this prayer to the Father.
This morning, we're going to hear more about the work that Jesus has finished.
We'll hear what else is on Jesus' heart.
And we'll hear this sort of building up to one big request that Jesus has.
And we'll see more of this unique relationship that Jesus has with God the Father.
So we're at John chapter 17, verse 6.
And as I was studying this earlier this week, I felt like I was trying to come up with a metaphor for this.
But I felt like I was kind of like Indiana Jones.
And I'd stumbled into this treasure room.
And man, there's so much in here that's wonderful.
And then the more I got into it and was looking at the different themes and the things that come up in here,
I thought, man, this isn't just a single room.
This is like the foyer into all kinds of other treasure rooms.
I'll give you an example.
This is not the main theme or the main point of Jesus' prayer.
But three times in these seven verses that we're looking at this morning,
Jesus refers to the disciples as those whom you gave me.
We see this in verse 6 twice.
And then in verse 9 once more.
I pray for them, for those you have given me.
And I mentioned this idea last week, but here again, there's quite a lot of emphasis on this reality.
This thing that was probably unperceived by Jesus' disciples.
About how each one of them has been given to the Father.
Given by the Father to Jesus.
And as we see here in verse 6, there's even a sense in which they belonged to God before they were given to Jesus.
This is one of those smaller treasure rooms.
If you belong to Christ Jesus, there's more to your story than just one day I heard and believed and became a follower of Jesus.
That's what happened from your perspective.
But from God's perspective, you were His.
You were chosen.
You were loved.
Before you were even born.
He was sovereignly at work on you.
And in you.
And around you.
You were preparing for that day on which He would give you to His Son.
It's precious.
It's wonderful.
It's just one of the many things that we find in Jesus' prayer here.
And so even though we're not going to touch on all these things,
I want to encourage you to take time to meditate and reflect deeply on these words of Jesus on your own.
So let's read these seven verses here.
Jesus praying to the Father said,
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours.
You gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.
Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
For I gave them the words you gave me.
And they accepted them.
They knew with certainty that I came from you.
And they believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I'm not praying for the world.
But for those you have given me.
For they are yours.
All I have is yours.
And all you have is mine.
And glory has come to me through them.
I will remain in the world no longer.
But they are still in the world.
And I am coming to you.
Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.
The name you gave me.
So that they may be one.
As we are one.
While I was with them, I protected them.
And kept them safe by that name you gave me.
None has been lost.
Except the one doomed to destruction.
So that scripture would be fulfilled.
There are three sections or movements that we might see in this part of
Jesus' prayer.
The first one is in verses 6 to 8.
Jesus talks to the Father about the work that he has finished.
And the result of that work.
Then in verses 9 to 11.
Jesus prepares to make his request of the Father.
And he begins to express some of the reasons for this request.
What's on his heart.
And then in verses 11 and 12.
Jesus makes the request.
And expresses more about what he longs to see the Father do.
So let's begin with this first movement in verses 6 to 8.
These words of Jesus seem to flow right out of Jesus' previous statement.
Back up in verse 4.
Jesus prayed,
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
And this section,
verse 6 of chapter 17,
is marked by Jesus telling the Father what he has done.
The main verbs here are all first person and past tense.
I have revealed.
First person and past tense.
Down in verse 8.
I gave them the words you gave me.
It's all about the work that Jesus has been doing.
And that is now past.
It's now done.
It's now complete.
And what is that work?
In verse 6,
Jesus says,
I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
This has been the work of Jesus.
To reveal God, the Father, to his disciples.
To show them who God is.
What he's really like.
This is one of the primary purposes and missions of Jesus.
To make the Father known to us.
If we look all the way back to John's introduction to the gospel.
Chapter 1, verse 18.
What did John say at the beginning of this account?
He said,
No one has ever seen God,
but the one and only Son,
who is himself God,
and is in closest relationship with the Father.
He has made him known.
That's what Jesus came to do.
It's not as though we knew nothing about God before Jesus came.
I find the author of Hebrews very helpful here.
This is what he says in his writing.
The letter to the Hebrews,
chapter 1, verse 1 to 3.
He writes,
In the past,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets.
The Son, he says,
is the radiance of God's glory.
And the exact representation of his being.
So, Jesus brings a much fuller,
a much greater revelation of the Father to us.
He represents the Father exactly
beyond what the prophets of old could do.
They were spokesmen for God in the past,
but Jesus is the exact representation of God's being
here among us in human flesh and blood.
So, Jesus says,
I have done what you gave me to do.
I have revealed your name to them.
I have revealed you to them.
Well, there's a second work that Jesus has just finished doing,
and it's related.
Verse 8,
Jesus says,
I gave them the words you gave me.
This has also been one of the primary purposes
or missions of Jesus,
to give words,
to speak to his disciples.
And notice the source of these words.
Jesus has been speaking to his disciples
the very words that God has given him to say.
We've talked about this before,
but it's worth saying again.
Jesus doesn't teach his own material.
In everything he says,
he functions like a prophet,
relaying the very words that God has to say to people.
We saw this back in John 7, verse 16,
when Jesus answered,
My teaching is not my own.
It comes from the one who sent me.
We heard it again in John 8, verse 28.
Jesus said,
There, when you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know that I am he,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but speak just what the Father has taught me.
And we heard it again in John 14,
earlier this same evening,
verse 24.
He said,
Anyone who does not love me
will not obey my teaching.
These words you hear are not my own.
They belong to the Father who sent me.
So Jesus now in this prayer
is kind of reporting to the Father.
I've finished the work that you gave me to do.
I've given them your words,
the words that you gave me to say to them.
So we see two types of work
that Jesus has finished doing.
The work of revealing the Father to his disciples,
and the work of giving them the Father's words.
And then we notice throughout this first section
that Jesus kind of reports to the Father
about how the disciples have responded to all this.
I'll just read this whole section again
and emphasize that.
I have revealed you to those
whom you gave me out of the world.
They were yours.
You gave them to me,
and they have obeyed your word.
Now they know that everything you have given me
comes from you.
For I gave them the words you gave me,
and they accepted them.
They knew with certainty that I came from you,
and they believed that you sent me.
So in this conversation between Jesus and the Father,
it's like he's reflecting on the results
of the work that he has been doing,
and the results are very good.
We hear five statements
about how the disciples have responded favorably
favorably to this revealing and teaching work of Jesus.
The first,
they have obeyed your word,
or literally,
they have kept your word.
Verse six,
this is good.
This is what the Father and the Son
have been longing for.
Jesus was sent by the Father into the world
to teach and speak on the Father's behalf,
as we just said,
and the report is good.
These men have been holding fast
to the things that they have been hearing from Jesus.
And let's remember,
it hasn't been easy to hold fast to the words of Jesus.
It's been getting harder and harder and harder
as the story has gone on.
The opposition to Jesus has been mounting,
and yet here they are this night,
on the night of his betrayal,
and they're still holding fast to his words.
The second statement comes in verse seven.
Jesus says,
now they know that everything you have given me
comes from you.
Now this statement
sounds a little strange at first.
Quite literally,
it's,
now they know
that all things,
as many as you have given to me,
are from you.
And Jesus will clarify
some of what he means
in this next verse.
For I gave them the words
you gave me,
and they accepted them.
So some of the everything,
some of the all things
that have been given to Jesus
that they are recognizing
is from God,
are the words
that God has given
to them,
to Jesus,
to give to them.
So Jesus is saying,
now they know
that the words
that you have given me
come from you.
They recognize that.
But as I was thinking about this,
I don't think Jesus says
all things
or everything
without reason.
As we've seen,
the Father has given
more than just words
to Jesus.
He's given him
various kinds of authority.
Authority to judge,
authority to forgive sins,
miracle working power,
supernatural wisdom,
knowledge of the future,
and more.
It's a package deal,
I think,
as Jesus says it here
in verse 7.
Now these disciples of mine,
they know that
all these things
that they've been seeing
come from you.
Again, this is good.
This is success.
This is mission accomplished.
They're seeing Jesus
and the things
he says and does
and they're coming
to the right conclusion
from it.
They're tracing
all these things
back up to the source
as they should.
They recognize
that everything
Jesus does
and says
is from God,
the Father.
The third statement,
Jesus says,
they accepted
the words
you gave me.
This in verse 8.
For I gave them
the words
you gave me
and they accepted them.
The fourth statement
comes also
in verse 8.
They knew
with certainty
that I came
from you.
And the fifth statement
also in verse 8.
And they believed
that you sent me.
all of these things
are a big deal.
The claims of Jesus
are lofty.
The promises of Jesus
are out of this world.
But the disciples
have accepted them.
They've believed.
They know
with certainty
that Jesus
has been sent
from God
in heaven.
I can't help
but think
that Jesus
is full of joy
as he reflects
on this
and tells this
to the Father.
This is what
they've been
working together
toward.
Just like
in the days
of creation
where God
saw all
that he had made
and it was good.
I can't help
but see
the smile
of Jesus
as he reflects
on the past
three years
of difficult work
and says
to his Father
it's done
and it's good.
The result
is good.
They believe
you sent me.
They know it
with certainty
that I came
from you.
They have accepted
the words
you gave me
to give them
and they have
kept those words
and are holding
fast to them.
It's good.
It's very good.
But as we come
to this second
section
it's not over yet.
What's happened
is good.
The work is done
but there is
on the heart
of Jesus
a weight.
A burden.
A loving
concern
for these
followers
of his
because a very
difficult time
is coming.
And so we come
to verse
nine.
Jesus says
I pray
for them.
I pray
for them.
I'm not praying
for the world
but for those
you have given
me.
Quite literally
I
for them
am asking.
Not for the world
am I asking
but for those
you have given
to me.
Jesus has
on his heart
a request
something
to ask
for.
And he doesn't
immediately make
his request.
First he
clarifies
just who
he is asking
this for.
It's not
for the world
he says.
It's not
for every
single person
on earth
that Jesus
asks this
is about
to ask
this.
It's
specifically
he says
for those
you have
given me.
here in the
present context
that's the
disciples of
Jesus.
That's these
eleven men
with him.
But perhaps
also in his
mind are
the other
followers that
he has
that are
not here
with him.
The Marys
and the
Marthas
the Lazaruses.
Jesus
grounds
his request
that he's
about to
make with
some reasons.
He reminds
the father
that these
disciples of
his belong
to him
the father.
They're not
just Jesus
disciples
even though
they have
been given
to him.
At the
same time
they also
belong to
the father
as well.
They're his
people too.
I pray
for them
for they
are yours
says Jesus.
Now I
imagine that
if we were
among the
eleven disciples
with Jesus
listening to
all this
we might be
wondering about
this.
First Jesus
talks about
how we've
been given
to Jesus
by the
father and
so we belong
to Christ
now.
Just as he
said earlier
they were
yours you
gave them
to me.
But now
Jesus says
that we are
still God
the fathers
yours.
So whose
are we?
Well Jesus
next statement
will clarify
this.
We who
believe belong
to both
the father
and the
son.
Jesus makes
the statement
all I have
is yours
father.
And all
you have
is mine.
What a
statement.
all I
have is
yours
says
Jesus.
Yes
you gave
them to
me
but
everything
I
have
is
yours
says
Jesus.
There is
I think
in these
words
an absolute
surrender
an absolute
devotion.
Jesus
keeps
nothing
to
himself
and for
himself
alone.
Everything
I have
is yours
it belongs
to you
father.
He's got
a whole
hearted
devotion
to God
that same
kind of
devotion
that every
one of
us
every human
being
should
have
all of
me
all I
have
belongs
to you
God.
Oh
that we
would all
have
that same
heart
always.
But then
Jesus says
something else
the flip
side
something
that's
quite
surprising
all I
have
is
yours
whoa
but then
all
you
have
is
mine.
Again
Jesus
claims
things
that
nobody
else
claims.
It's
one thing
to belong
completely
to God
it's
another
thing
to say
that all
God
has
belongs
to
you.
This
would be
the height
of
blasphemy
if
Jesus
was merely
a man
but
Jesus
is
more.
He
is
the
divine
son
of
God
sent
from
heaven
who
makes
this
claim.
He
says
to
God
the
father
I
share
completely
in
what
you
have
everything
that
you
have
as
if
it
were
my
own.
Do
you
hear
this?
Let
me
tell
you.
What's
that?
Sure
do.
Let
me
tell
you
if
Jesus
was
just
a
man
making
false
claims
and
if
God
knew
that
in
this
moment
Jesus
was
speaking
blasphemy
God
could
strike
Jesus
dead
on
the
spot
and
make
it
absolutely
clear
to
his
followers
that
Jesus
had
crossed
the
line
with
this
statement.
In
fact
God
did
that.
He
struck
a man
dead
for
accepting
worship
as
though
he
were
God
on
a
particular
occasion.
That
was
Herod
in
Acts
chapter
12.
But
no
God
knows
his
own
son
and
there
is
this
mysterious
and
wonderful
relationship
between
father
and
son
such
that
yes
even
this
is
true
all
I
have
is
yours
and
all
you
have
is
mine
says
Jesus.
We
keep
going
forward
verse
11
Jesus
says
I
will
remain
in
the
world
no
longer
but
they
are
still
in
the
world
and
I
am
coming
to
you
Jesus
is
getting
closer
to
making
his
request
and
again
he
seems
to
explain
the
reason
for
this
request
a little
bit
more
he's
aware
that
these
disciples
of
his
these
ones
who
have
been
given
to
him
entrusted
to
him
by
the
father
they're
going
to
continue
to
remain
in
this
world
with
all
its
troubles
all
its
difficulties
and
Jesus
will
no
longer
be
with
them
because
he's
leaving
I'm
leaving
the world
and coming
to you
father
says
Jesus
but
it's
like
this
reality
weighs
on
his
heart
his
people
are
not
coming
with
him
they're
going
to
have
to
live
and
endure
all
that's
ahead
without
him
right
there
by
their
side
like
he
has
been
for
these
past
three
years
and
so
Jesus
finally
makes
his
big
request
of the
father
he
asks
for
something
very
specific
I
will
remain
in
the
world
no
longer
but
they
are
still
in
the
world
and
I
am
coming
to
you
holy
father
protect
them
by
the
power
of
your
name
the
name
you
gave
me
so
that
they
may
be
one
as
we
are
one
here
it
is
at
last
this
is
Jesus
concern
for
these
men
with
him
this
night
keep
them
safe
let
no
harm
come
to
them
we
often
call
this
prayer
Jesus
high
priestly
prayer
and this
is
partly
why
this
is
probably
one
of
several
requests
but
one
of
the
first
ones
that
he
prays
for
his
followers
that's
what
priests
do
they
speak
to
God
on
behalf
of
people
and
that's
what
Jesus
is
doing
here
he's
asking
for
something
on
behalf
of
his
people
and
what
is
it
protection
why
protection
well
Jesus
gives
us
a number
of
reasons
right
here
in
his
prayer
first
protect
them
because
they are
still
in
the
world
verse
11
this
is
something
that
Jesus
has
been
thinking
about
in
fact
it's
been
the
topic
of
conversation
this
very
night
Jesus
has
been
warning
them
about
how
the
world
will
treat
them
they
will
hate
you
chapter
15
verse
18
and
19
they
will
persecute
you
chapter
15
verse
20
they
will
kick
you
out
of
the
synagogues
chapter
16
verse
2
they
will
hunt
you
down
and
try
to
take
your
life
also
same
verse
you
will
be
scattered
chapter
16
verse
32
you
will
have
trouble
16
verse
33
Jesus
knows
that it
will
not
be
easy
for
them
to
continue
on
in
this
world
and
so
Jesus
calls
on
God
he
asks
God
the
father
protect
them
keep
them
safe
in
his
second
we
see
here
in
verse
12
just
how
personal
this
is
for
Jesus
says
while I
was
with
them
I
protected
them
and
kept
them
safe
by
that
name
you
gave
me
this
is
personal
for
Jesus
he's
walked
three
years
with
these
men
He's endured the challenges and the jeers and the insults with these men.
He's been there through all of it to encourage them,
to remind them as the trouble comes, don't lose heart.
He's been there to remind them what's true.
Remind them to have faith in God and in Him.
I think this is so interesting.
If you've seen any of The Chosen,
that new TV series that portrays something of the life of Jesus,
there's at least a few episodes in it where
they kind of portray Jesus' disciples as having a bit of a bodyguard mentality.
Peter especially, but the others as well.
They're going to try to keep Jesus safe as He does His ministry.
They're going to try to keep the crowds at bay so that Jesus can move around unhindered.
Were the disciples really like that?
We don't know.
We will see Peter draw his sword in the next chapter
and fight to prevent Jesus' arrest in the garden.
But according to Jesus, they haven't been protecting Him.
He's been protecting them.
He's been watching over them,
keeping them safe as the tensions have been rising,
as the opposition has been growing.
Do you see the heart of Christ here?
He is an ever-vigilant shepherd of His sheep.
He cares about them so deeply.
He's making arrangements for them in this prayer
to be cared for by His Father
because they will remain in the world
while He goes to the Father.
This is personal for Jesus.
I protected them.
I kept them safe while I was with them.
But now, Father, I ask You to take up that work.
Watch over them.
Keep them safe.
Protect them.
Because I'm leaving.
I'm coming to You.
There's a third reason that Jesus prays for their protection.
And we see it in verses 11 and 12.
Jesus prays,
Holy Father, protect them
so that they may be one
as we are one.
Now, this sounds strange to me,
probably to you as well.
Protect them so that they may be one.
It's like Jesus is concerned about their unity,
about them staying together,
continuing to have this deep fellowship with each other.
And I can't say for sure what Jesus means by this.
I can only guess.
But could it be that Jesus knows
what the tactic of the devil is
in this hours that are coming?
That He knows what the devil is going to try to do,
that He's going to try to divide them
and conquer them,
to isolate them,
to scatter them,
to rip this fellowship that they have
with each other apart.
And so perhaps Jesus prays
that God would protect them
so that they would be one,
undivided,
deeply one,
together, united,
just like Jesus is together
and united with His Father.
The devil is on the prowl.
Jesus alludes here,
to Judas,
in the next verse.
He's kept all of His disciples,
protecting them and keeping them safe.
None of them has been lost
except one,
says Jesus.
Back in John chapter 13,
verse 27,
this was just hours ago,
John told us this,
as soon as Judas took the bread,
Satan entered into Him.
And then of course,
Judas went off to
put the betrayal in motion.
So the devil is on the prowl.
He's infiltrated
Jesus' circle of 12.
And perhaps this prayer of Jesus
suggests that Satan means
to divide
and conquer them.
And so Jesus asks the Father,
protect them
so that they may be one,
so that they may come through this
united together.
This last part about Judas
also suggests to us
that there's another dimension
to the protection that Jesus has in mind here.
It's about more than just physical protection.
Jesus says,
basically,
up till now,
I've been successful.
I haven't lost
any of them
except Judas.
This is about more than just
physical protection.
This is about the spiritual battle
that's going on as well.
And Judas has been lost,
which means not that he's come
to physical harm,
but that he's come
to spiritual harm,
spiritual ruin.
And so I hear
in these words of Jesus
not just a plea
that the disciples
will have physical safety,
but a plea that God
would keep their souls,
their faith,
that they would not
turn away from God
or from Jesus
when the going gets tough
like Judas did,
or that they would not
be drawn away
by the allure of this world
and its offerings
when they begin to sparkle
like they did for Judas.
It's protect them,
keep them safe
for eternity,
for they are yours.
Now I know there's parts here
that I haven't even touched on.
Some of you might have
some questions.
What does it mean
to keep them safe
by the name
that you gave me?
What scripture was fulfilled
by Judas being lost
and why is he
the son of destruction?
How has glory come to Jesus
through these disciples?
Again,
there's lots of doors
to lots of different
treasure rooms
off the main room here,
so I encourage you
to take time on your own
to search these things out,
to meditate on these things.
But with these last few minutes,
let's think about
how these words
apply to us.
Clearly these words
are for the disciples,
the eleven men
with Jesus at night
and possibly,
by extension,
the Marys and Marthas
and Lazaruses.
We aren't mentioned
in this prayer
until verse 20,
and we'll get there.
But I think we all know
that there are
timeless principles
and truths
about Jesus
and about all
of his followers
revealed in this section
that we work through today.
Jesus has come
into our world
to reveal God
to us.
He's come to give us
the very words
of God himself.
The disciples
believed
that God sent Jesus.
Do you?
The disciples
knew with certainty
that Jesus came
from the Father.
Do you?
The disciples
accepted the words
that Jesus spoke
to them
from the Father.
Do you?
The disciples
kept God's word.
They held fast
to God's words.
Are you?
In the same way,
we know that Jesus
is not only
the good shepherd
of these eleven sheep
with him,
but that his care
and concern
is for the whole flock.
Jesus said so
for all
who the Father
will give to him.
Do you know
that Jesus
understands
and feels
the weight
and burden
of what it's like
to be in this world?
Do you know
that Jesus
asks the Father
not just for the apostles,
but for you also,
that God
would protect you,
bring you through,
keep you safe
to the end
until he returns.
Jesus' desire
is that none
be lost,
not a single one.
He desires you
to make it.
And God
will answer
Jesus' prayer
for them
back then
and for you
and me
today.
so take heart
as Jesus said,
in this world
you will have trouble,
but Jesus
has prayed for you
and by his grace
if you believe
in him
like the disciples
did,
God will see
to it
that you make
it through
safe and secure
to the end
to be with him
and the Father
one forever.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Lord Jesus,
we address
our prayer
to you.
We thank you
that you went
to your knees
for us.
Thank you
that we're not
alone in this world.
Thank you
that you know
exactly what it's like
to live here.
And thank you
that your promises
are sure.
Thank you
that one day
you will bust
through
the clouds
in the sky
and you will
gather
all your people,
all who belong
to you
and the sorrows
and the sighs
and the troubles
and the temptations
and the sin,
all of it
of this world
will vanish,
will disappear.
You'll make
everything right
and you will
usher us
into glory
with you forever.
Oh, I pray
that we would
hold fast,
each one of us
to your words.
We ask this
for your glory
and your name.
Amen.