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John 17
Joh 17:1 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:
Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do.
Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory
which I had with thee before the world was.
We see that Jesus existed before the creation of the world and had glory.
Eternal life abides in those that know the true God and that know Jesus Christ
that God sent into the world to be our savior. If we do not believe that Jesus
is the one sent from God to save us, then there is no salvation. Jesus shows us
the Father. The only way to the Father is through faith in Jesus.
Joh 17:6 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.
Through Jesus or Yeshua, we can know the fullness of God. His deity, His power
and His greatness. To see Jesus is to see God. Now we can't see Him physically
but we can see Him by the spirit which is given to all who receive Him. Receive
means to believe to the point of repenting from sin and turning to Him. God is
revealed through Jesus. Before Jesus there was no way to God except through
divine appointed prophets. Now all who receive Him become partakers of His
holiness and have eternal life abiding within each and every believer.
The apostles were given to Jesus to receive His word and then spread His word to
all others who would hear their preaching. All that was given to Him, He lost
not one except Judas who later betrayed Him.
Joh 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me
are of thee.
Joh 17:8 For I have given unto 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.
Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me; for they are thine.
At this time Jesus in directing His prayer to God on behalf of His disciples who
would be given the commission to preach the gospel to the whole world. In other
places Jesus prays for the world that they might be saved but at this time His
prayer is for believers that are to spread the gospel and receive His spirit
when He departs and returns to the glory He had with God the Father before
coming in the flesh to the earth.
Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in
them.
Joh 17:11 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.
He meant for His apostles to be in the same mind and one accord in unity of
purpose like the Father and Son are in unity and not divided.
Joh 17:12 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.
Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that
they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
Joh 17:14 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.
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that
thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Jesus desires that they and all who believe after them, would live in the world
without being of the world. We are to be different and not worldly minded. There
is a difference between the spiritually minded and those that mind only earthly
things. However, I will emphasize here the spiritually minded is the spirit of
God and not some mystical spirit that is not of God.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The godly in Christ Jesus will be different and one can tell the difference in
their words, in their actions and in their attitude.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The word sanctifies the believer. They are clean through the spoken word of
Jesus when they believed what He spoke. We today are cleansed and sanctified by
the study of the word if we receive what we study. The moment we believe the
written word or believe the word preached by faithful preachers, we are cleansed
and receive eternal life. If we reject what we read or hear, the word will not
profit us. It has to be mixed with faith and the seed begins to grow within us.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them
into the world.
They were not to keep the gospel to themselves saving only themselves but are to
spread the gospel to the whole world. God wills that all be saved. It is not His
will that any perish but that all come to the knowledge of Jesus and receive
eternal life. Unfortunately, not all will believe and receive eternal life
because they wish to abide in sin and love the world more than they love their
eternal souls.
Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be
sanctified through the truth.
Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word;
Jesus prayed for us before we were ever born. Those who believe on Him through
the word preached or read throughout the ages were included in this prayer. When
we believe, we are no longer part of the world but of the body of Christ.
Joh 17:21 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.
God wills that we all be unified and not separated into denominations and sects.
We cannot however be in unity with those that deny basic truths contained in the
written word. We can be in unity with those that believe Jesus is the one God
sent to save us from sin but we can't be in unity with those that believe there
is another way to God without Jesus.
For example if I believe that Jesus is the only way to eternal life and my
neighbor believes there are other ways, I can love my neighbor but I can't have
unity with him in the faith.
I can't join up with, pay tithes into and worship with those that deny Jesus is
the Son of God who was sent by God to bring salvation into the world. I can be
kind to them and never do them wrong in any way but I can't join them in their
worship or deeds.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may
be one, even as we are one:
Jesus prefers that we be one in unity but if a brother departs from sound
doctrine and leaves the doctrine that Jesus taught, it is hard to have unity. We
are to be one in unity in the bond of peace and in truth. We can't be in unity
with those that do not walk in truth.
Joh 17:23 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.
Joh 17:24 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: for thou
lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known
thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Joh 17:26 And I have 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.
His name, His deity, His power, His character, His ways, His word, His salvation
and His love. Jesus showed us who the Father was, what the Father requires and
how the Father loved us. I am in awe of the mercy of God the Father. He accepts
us when we accept His gift to us, Jesus Christ. When we accept the gift of
salvation by faith in Jesus, our sins are automatically covered by the blood
that Jesus shed on the cross. Our sins are removed and cast aside and are never
again held against us. We are to go and sin no more and immediately ask
forgiveness if we do sin. The Holy Spirit will come to us when we believe in
Jesus. He will guide us into all truth. Jesus is the only way of salvation and
the only way to be free from the condemnation of sin.. If we reject and refuse
to believe and receive the gift of eternal life, we abide in sin and can never
enter heaven.
If we abide in Christ and His words abide in us, we will share the glory He now
shares with His Father in Heaven.
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