John Part 37
Notes
Transcript
Tonight, we are picking up in the middle of the prayer
that Jesus prayed in the Garden
the night he was arrested
put on trial
and crucified the next day
Last week, we stopped at verse 8.
So, let’s pick up at verse 9.
9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
Jesus says he is praying for those who have been given to him
This most naturally refers to the disciples
though, it may not be limited to the 12
but to all the ones who believe in him
he explicitly states that he is not praying for the world
and the word “world” can often refer to many different things
but based on the context
it seems Jesus was meaning to use this figuratively
to refer to those who did NOT believe in him
I don’t think this means we shouldn’t pray for lost souls
Just simply, that Jesus’ specific prayer
was not directed toward them
And his prayer
as we will seen shortly
is for the disciples to be “kept”
And so, Jesus wouldn’t pray for lost people to be kepy
but rather he would pray for lost people to be found
or even more likely
for more labourers to go out and find the lost people
Just said the harvest in plenty
and he prayed for more laborers to gather them
But this prayer, on this night
was not about the lost
It was about his followers
who were able to endure major persecution
He prayed that they would be kept
not kept safe
but kept in his name
meaning… not lost
10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
Again, we are seeing a repetition here
that everything Jesus has
is what God has
and vice versa
and this is because Jesus is God
11 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, even as we are one.
Here, Jesus is speaking as if he is already gone
but we know that he is not
He is in the garden
he is praying on earth
in the flesh
as a human
So, he is physically still in the world
But he says that he is no longer in the world.
Why?
Well, Jesus is God
and he can speak of things that are not
as though they already are
And verse one says
The hour has come
and yet, it has not come
And here he says
I’m no longer in the world
and yet, he is still in the world
So, Jesus is speaking from some future perspective
as if everything he is praying for has already happened
That is how sure Jesus is of his mission
And here we see the actual prayer request
it is to “keep them in your name”
So, Jesus is praying that God
keeps the disciples “in his name”
and we know that name is Jesus
Recall vs 6 says that Jesus has manifested
or revealed the name of God
So, the name of Jesus is the name of God
So, the prayer is to keep the disciples inside the name of Jesus
And Paul said that when we are baptized
we are baptized INTO the name of Jesus
And, so Jesus is praying that his disciples
be kept in that name
And then he says, “which you have given me”
So, this can be understood two ways
Either Jesus is referring to the name given to him
or to the disciples given to him
And either one is correct
because we see both are given to him according to this prayer
I personally think it is referring to the name here
but again, either one is correct
And Jesus even says that everything he has is given to him by God
Which includes his name, and his followers
And in vs 6 confirms that both were given to Jesus
Now, some translations will stress one or the other
The KJV implies that it is the disciples that are given to Jesus
and the NASB explicitly says it is the name that is given to Jesus
Again, this is because the text isn’t clear as to which it refers to
but the context has evidence for both the disciples and the name
so, it really isn’t something to stress over IMO
Ok, Then Jesus says, that they may be one
even as we are one.
Now, the words at the end…
“We are one”
are added here by the ESV.
If we look at this in the NASB
We can see a more literally rendering…
11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
Now, what does this mean?
Well, in John 10:30
Jesus said that he and the Father are one
and here Jesus says that he wants us to be one
even as Jesus and the Father are one
So, does this mean we are one in the same way?
Not exactly
We are not being included in the Godhead
But, the way that Jesus is One with the Father
Is because the Holy Spirit is in Jesus
He is the Christ
which means anointed one.
So, the Spirit of the Lord is upon him
And that Spirit is God’s Holy Spirit
So, I think Jesus is praying for that same Spirit
to be in us also
as we will see shortly
He says that he wants us to be filled with his joy
and that is a reference to the Holy Spirit
And so, this is HOW we are going to be kept in his name
12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Again, we are seeing that phrase:
Kept them in your name
and also “which you have given me”
And it seems like the ESV is intentional ambiguous
as to what is given to Jesus
The name, or the disciples
Again, I think it is referring to the name
but it certainly can be referring to the people
and both are true
Jesus says that while he was with them
the disciples
he kept them in the Lord’s name
So, this echos back to chapter 14
where Jesus is telling them
that he is with them
but will soon be in them
So, when Jesus was with them
in person
in the flesh
he kept them in his name
he kept them guarded it says
so, he was actively keeping them from being lost
all of them except one
who, Jesus said, had to be lost
so that Scripture would be fulfilled
And this is of course speaking of Judas
What would we do if Jesus wasn’t guarding us?
What evil might we find ourselves in without his grace?
God only knows
But Jesus is guarding his followers from being lost
Now, this doesn’t mean they can’t be lost
But if you are lost when Jesus is guarding you
it is because you willfully left him.
13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Jesus is about to ascend to heaven
but not for a few weeks
but again, he is speaking as if that day has come
and the joy fulfilled in themselves
I believe is the Holy Spirit
14 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.
Jesus told his disciples before this prayer
that the world would hate them
and the reason being
we are not of this world.
We may have been born here
but we been born again in a new kingdom
and so, we are not of this world
Again, that wouldn’t happen until Pentecost
but Jesus is speaking as if the future has already happened
all throughout this prayer
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
So, unfortunately
God doesn’t want to take us out of the world
and that would be awesome for us
but if we are not in the world
how will the church grow?
So, Jesus is not giving us an easy way out
we must remain behind
and reach the lost
but we are going to be kept from the evil one
while we are waiting
He can’t touch us unless we let him
and that is something we must remember
The devil is a liar
he can’t win
Jesus already prayed that we would be kept in his name
and kept from the evil one
and so, the only way that doesn’t happen is if we willing leave
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
The word “Sanctify” here is similar to the word “keep”
It is a word, though, that is closely associated with the word holy
And to be sanctified
means to be set apart.
That is what holiness is
that is what is means to be holy
So, the way we are to be sactified
is through the truth
and of course this is referring to the word of God
as the rest of the verse implies
but it is also referring to the Spirit of God
because Jesus said that it is the Spirit of Truth
that would lead us into all truth
and remember Jesus is THE truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
So, Jesus is not sending us into the world
as ambassadors
who will be kept in his name
and kept from the evil one
and kept, or sanctified by the truth
through the Holy Spirit.
19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
The word “consecrate” is very similar to the word “sanctified”.
It is the same root word,
just a different verb tense
So, Jesus was consecrated for our sake
and it was so that we may also be consecrated or sanctified in truth
Again, this happens through the gift of the Holy Spirit
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
So, Jesus was seemingly only talking about the followers
who he gathered during his earthly ministry
but this verse is giving us the power
to continue to add people to the list
of people who this prayer applies to
and so, the process of perpetual discipleship is set in motion here
Anyone who believes in Jesus
through the words of a disciples
are now able to find themselves under the umbrella
of this prayer
to keep us and sanctify us
And this was really the whole purpose of Jesus coming
Not to reach as many as he could in one short life on earth
but to put in motion
a living organism
called the church
that would continue to reach more and more new believers
until Jesus returns for his bride — church.
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
So, this is a repetition of vs 11
but it is now expanded to include future disciples like us
And we can see more clearly here
that what is meant by “being one as we are one”
does seem to mean that we will be filled with God’s Spirit
He says, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you
that they may be in us
and as this part continues in the next couple of verses
we see that it also means that God is in us
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
Here, the glory that God has given Jesus
is most definitely the Holy Spirit
And, so, Jesus is saying he is going to give us that same glory
now, the Bible is clear that we have a different measure of it
but it is the same Spirit that filled Jesus
Only, He was given the Spirit without measure
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
So, again, continuing this idea
that we become one
in the same way Jesus and the Father are one
is because his glory is in us
and that means that he, Jesus, is actually in us
and vs 26 says exactly that
as do other verses in these last 3 chapters.
For any other position besides the Oneness position
this prayer is very hard to square with your doctrine
if you think the Holy Spirit is another person or another Spirit
then it becomes difficult to explain which person is in us
since Jesus is saying it is him that is in us
the father that is in us
and the Spirit that is in us
So, either we have 3 Spirits in us
or there is only one Spirit
and that is God’s Spirit that is in us
and that is why Romans ch 8 uses
the terms Spirit of Christ
and Spirit of God
and the Holy Spirit
interchangeably
Because the Apostles didn’t think those were different things.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
This goes back to start of chapter 14
the promise to come back to us
and bring us to heaven
the place God has prepared for us
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.
The word “know” here
is a reference back to the prologue
John ch 1.18
where it says Jesus came to make the Father known.
not another person
but the Father
and Jesus
And Jesus said in vs 3 of this prayer
that Knowing God the Father
is eternal life
So, knowing God can only mean
having God abide in you
having a real relationship with God
Jesus said, in Matt ch 7
that many would call out to him Lord Lord
but he would tell them to depart from him
because he never knew them
and this “knowing”
is not just about intellectual knowledge
It isn’t about knowing OF Jesus
but, rather, knowing God
is having a relationship with him
being one with him
and that is through the process of being born again
baptized in his name
and filled with his spirit
26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
