John 17

Joh 17:1-26.

THE

INTERCESSORY

PRAYER.

(See on

Joh 14:1).

Had this prayer not been recorded, what reverential reader would

not have exclaimed, Oh, to have been within hearing of such a prayer as

that must have been, which wound up the whole of His past ministry and

formed the point of transition to the dark scenes which immediately

followed! But here it is, and with such signature of the Lips that

uttered it that we seem rather to hear it from Himself than read it

from the pen of His faithful reporter.

1-3. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes--"John very

seldom depicts the gestures or looks of our Lord, as here. But this was

an occasion of which the impression was indelible, and the upward look

could not be passed over" [ALFORD].

Father, the hour is come--(See on

Joh 13:31, 32).

glorify thy Son--Put honor upon Thy Son, by countenancing, sustaining,

and carrying Him through that "hour."

2. given--gavest

him power over all flesh--(See on

Mt 11:27;

Mt 28:18-20).

give eternal life to as many as, &c.--literally, "to all that

which thou hast given him." (See on

Joh 6:37-40).

3. this is--that.

life eternal, that they might--may.

know, &c.--This life eternal, then, is not mere conscious and

unending existence, but a life of acquaintance with God in Christ

(Job 22:21).

thee, the only true God--the sole personal living God; in glorious

contrast equally with heathen polytheism, philosophic naturalism, and mystic pantheism.

and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent--This is the only place

where our Lord gives Himself this compound name, afterwards so current

in apostolic preaching and writing. Here the terms are used in their

strict signification--"JESUS," because He

"saves His people from their sins"; "CHRIST," as anointed with the measureless fulness

of the Holy Ghost for the exercise of His saving offices (see on

Mt 1:16);

"WHOM

THOU HAST SENT," in the plenitude of

Divine Authority and Power, to save. "The very juxtaposition here of

Jesus Christ with the Father is a proof, by implication, of our

Lord's Godhead. The knowledge of God and a creature could not be

eternal life, and such an association of the one with the other would be

inconceivable" [ALFORD].

4, 5. I have glorified thee on the earth--rather, "I glorified" (for

the thing is conceived as now past).

I have finished--I finished.

the work which thou gavest me to do--It is very important to preserve

in the translation the past tense, used in the original, otherwise

it might be thought that the work already "finished" was only what

He had done before uttering that prayer; whereas it will be observed

that our Lord speaks throughout as already beyond this present scene

(Joh 17:12,

&c.), and so must be supposed to include in His "finished work" the

"decease which He was to accomplish at Jerusalem."

5. And now--in return.

glorify thou me--The "I Thee" and "Thou Me" are so placed in

the original, each beside its fellow, as to show that

A PERFECT RECIPROCITY OF SERVICES

of the Son to the Father first, and then of the

Father to the Son in return, is what our Lord means here to express.

with the glory which I had with thee before the world was--when "in

the beginning the Word was with God"

(Joh 1:1),

"the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father"

(Joh 1:18).

With this pre-existent glory, which He veiled on earth, He asks to be

reinvested, the design of the veiling being accomplished--not, however,

simply as before, but now in our nature.

6-8. From praying for Himself He now comes to pray for His disciples.

I have manifested--I manifested.

thy name--His whole character towards mankind.

to the men thou gavest me out of the world--(See on

Joh 6:37-40).

8. they . . . have known surely that I came out from

thee--(See on

Joh 16:29;

Joh 16:31).

9-14. I pray for them--not as individuals merely, but as

representatives of all such in every succeeding age (see on

Joh 17:20).

not for the world--for they had been given Him "out of the world"

(Joh 17:6),

and had been already transformed into the very opposite of it.

The things sought for them, indeed, are applicable only to such.

10. all mine are thine, and thine are mine--literally, "All My

things are Thine and Thy things are Mine." (On this use of the

neuter gender, see on

Joh 6:37-40).

Absolute COMMUNITY OF PROPERTY between the Father

and the Son is here expressed as nakedly as words can do it. (See on

Joh 17:5).

11. I am no more in the world--(See on

Joh 17:4).

but these are in the world--that is, Though My struggles are at an

end, theirs are not; though I have gotten beyond the scene of strife, I

cannot sever Myself in spirit from them, left behind and only just

entering on their great conflict.

Holy Father--an expression He nowhere else uses. "Father" is His

wonted appellation, but "Holy" is here prefixed, because His appeal

was to that perfection of the Father's nature, to "keep" or preserve

them from being tainted by the unholy atmosphere of "the world" they

were still in.

keep through thine own name--rather, "in thy name"; in the exercise

of that gracious and holy character for which He was known.

that they may be one--(See on

Joh 17:21).

12. I kept--guarded.

them in thy name--acting as Thy Representative on earth.

none of them is lost, but the son of perdition--It is not implied

here that the son of perdition was one of those whom the Father had

given to the Son, but rather the contrary

(Joh 13:18)

[WEBSTER and

WILKINSON]. It is just as in

Lu 4:26, 27,

where we are not to suppose that the woman of Sarepta (in Sidon)

was one of the widows of Israel, nor Naaman the Syrian

one of the lepers in Israel, though the language--the same as

here--might seem to express it.

son of perdition--doomed to it

(2Th 2:3;

Mr 14:21).

13. I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in

themselves--that is, Such a strain befits rather the upper sanctuary

than the scene of conflict; but I speak so "in the world," that My

joy, the joy I experience in knowing that such intercessions are to be

made for them by their absent Lord, may be tasted by those who now hear

them, and by all who shall hereafter read the record of them,

15-19. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world--for

that, though it would secure their own safety, would leave the world

unblessed by their testimony.

but . . . keep them from the evil--all evil in and of

the world.

16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world--(See

Joh 15:18, 19).

This is reiterated here, to pave the way for the prayer which

follows.

17. Sanctify them--As the former prayer, "Keep them," was

"negative," asking protection for them from the poisonous element

which surrounded and pressed upon their renewed nature, so this prayer,

"Sanctify them," is positive, asking the

advancement and completion of their begun sanctification.

through--in.

thy truth--God's revealed truth, as the medium or element of

sanctification; a statement this of immense importance.

thy word is truth--(Compare

Joh 15:3;

Col 1:5;

Eph 1:13).

18. As thou hast sent--sentest.

me into the world, even so have I also sent them--sent I also them.

into the world--As their mission was to carry into effect the purposes

of their Master's mission, so our Lord speaks of the authority in both

cases as co-ordinate.

19. And for their sakes I sanctify--consecrate.

myself that they also might--may.

be sanctified--consecrated. The only difference between the application

of the same term to Christ and the disciples is, as applied to Christ,

that it means only to "consecrate"; whereas, in application to the

disciples, it means to consecrate with the additional idea of

previous sanctification, since nothing but what is holy can be presented

as an offering. The whole self-sacrificing work of the disciples appears

here as a mere result of the offering of Christ [OLSHAUSEN].

through--in.

the truth--Though the article is wanting in the original here, we

are not to translate, as in the Margin, "truly sanctified"; for

the reference seems plainly to be "the truth" mentioned in

Joh 17:17.

(See on

Joh 17:17).

20-23. Neither pray I for these alone--This very important explanation,

uttered in condescension to the hearers and readers of this prayer in

all time, is meant not merely of what follows, but of the whole prayer.

them also which shall believe--The majority of the best manuscripts

read "which believe," all future time being viewed as present, while

the present is viewed as past and gone.

21. that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in

thee, that they may be one in us--The indwelling Spirit of the Father and the Son is the one perfect

bond of union, knitting up into a living unity, first all believers

amongst themselves; next, this unity into one still higher, with the

Father and the Son. (Observe, that Christ never mixes Himself up with His

disciples as He associates Himself with the Father, but says I in

THEM and

THEY in

US).

that the world may believe that thou hast sent me--sentest me. So

the grand impression upon the world at large, that the mission of Christ

is divine, is to be made by the unity of His disciples. Of course,

then, it must be something that shall be visible or perceptible to

the world. What is it, then? Not certainly a merely formal, mechanical

unity of ecclesiastical machinery. For as that may, and to a large

extent does, exist in both the Western and Eastern churches, with little

of the Spirit of Christ, yea much, much with which the Spirit of Christ

cannot dwell so instead of convincing the world beyond its own pale

of the divinity of the Gospel, it generates infidelity to a large extent

within its own bosom. But the Spirit of Christ, illuminating,

transforming, and reigning in the hearts of the genuine disciples of

Christ, drawing them to each other as members of one family, and

prompting them to loving co-operation for the good of the world--this is

what, when sufficiently glowing and extended, shall force conviction

upon the world that Christianity is divine. Doubtless, the more that

differences among Christians disappear--the more they can agree even in

minor matters--the impression upon the world may be expected to be

greater. But it is not dependent upon this; for living and loving

oneness in Christ is sometimes more touchingly seen even amidst and in

spite of minor differences, than where no such differences exist to try

the strength of their deeper unity. Yet till this living brotherhood in

Christ shall show itself strong enough to destroy the sectarianism,

selfishness, carnality, and apathy that eat out the heart of

Christianity in all the visible sections of it, in vain shall we expect

the world to be overawed by it. It is when "the Spirit shall be poured

upon us from on high," as a Spirit of truth and love, and upon all parts

of the Christian territory alike, melting down differences and heart

burnings, kindling astonishment and shame at past unfruitfulness,

drawing forth longings of catholic affection, and yearnings over a world

lying in wickedness, embodying themselves in palpable forms and active

measures--it is then that we may expect the effect here announced to be

produced, and then it will be irresistible. Should not Christians ponder

these things? Should not the same mind be in them which was also in Christ

Jesus about this matter? Should not His prayer be theirs?

22. And the glory which thou gavest--hast given.

me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one--The

last clause shows the meaning of the first. It is not the future glory

of the heavenly state, but the secret of that present unity

just before spoken of; the glory, therefore,

of the indwelling Spirit of Christ; the glory of an accepted state,

of a holy character, of every grace.

23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in

one--(See on

Joh 17:21).

24-26. Father, I will--The majesty of this style of speaking is

quite transparent. No petty criticism will be allowed to fritter it

away in any but superficial or perverted readers.

be with me where I am--(See on

Joh 14:3).

that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me--(See on

Joh 17:5).

Christ regards it as glory enough for us to be admitted to see and gaze

for ever upon His glory! This is "the beatific vision"; but it

shall be no mere vision, for "we shall be like Him, because we shall

see Him as He is"

(1Jo 3:2).

25. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee--knew thee not.

but I have known thee--knew thee.

and these have known--knew.

that thou hast sent--sentest

me--As before He said "Holy Father," when desiring the display

of that perfection on His disciples

(Joh 17:11),

so here He styles Him "Righteous Father," because He is

appealing to His righteousness or justice, to make a distinction

between those two diametrically opposite classes--"the world,"

on the one hand, which would not "know the Father, though brought so

nigh to it in the Son of His love, and, on the other, Himself,

who recognized and owned Him, and even His disciples, who owned

His mission from the Father.

26. And I have declared--I made known or communicated.

thy name--in His past ministry.

and will declare it--in yet larger measure, by the gift of the Holy

Ghost at Pentecost and through all succeeding ages.

that the love wherewith thou hast loved--lovedst.

me may be in them, and I in them--This eternal love of the Father,

resting first on Christ, is by His Spirit imparted to and takes up its

permanent abode in all that believe in Him; and "He abiding in them and

they in Him"

(Joh 15:5),

they are "one Spirit." "With this lofty thought the Redeemer

closes His prayer for His disciples, and in them for His Church through

all ages. He has compressed into the last moments given Him for

conversation with His own the most sublime and glorious sentiments ever

uttered by mortal lips. But hardly has the sound of the last word died

away, when He passes with the disciples over the brook Kedron to

Gethsemane--and the bitter conflict draws on. The seed of the new world

must be sown in Death, that thence Life may spring up" [OLSHAUSEN].