The Gospel of John Lesson 75 (05-18-14) John 17:11- 15

The Gospel of John Lesson 75 (05-18-14)

Lesson 75 – John 17:11- 15

In v. 11 of John chapter 17 Jesus knows that even though death is before Him that that is not His end. In v. 11 Jesus is focused on the prize, so to speak, and His eventual reunion with the Father. In this prayer, in v. 5 Jesus said that He was with the Father before the world was in existence. Now after completing His task and duty He is looking forward to the prize, the glory, union and fellowship that He had shared with the Father before He came to earth.

It is interesting that in this prayer, even knowing that He and the Father will have a time of separation due to His bearing our sin on the Cross, that He knows and is assured beyond a shadow of a doubt that what would be an end for most, ending in death, will not be His end. He knew that even death would not keep Him from the Father.

It tells us in II Cor. 5:21 that even though Jesus was perfect, knowing no sin, that He had become sin for us, bearing our sin for us on the Cross. In Jesus becoming sin fellowship would be broken with the Father. This is why on the Cross Jesus cried out in Matt. 27.46 ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me’. However, in His prayer to the Father here in John 17 He is not focused on the pain, suffering and punishment He would receive for our sins, nor is He focused on the separation from the Father that He will bear for us, but He looks even past the major event of the Cross to His reunion with the Father reestablishing full fellowship with Him again. Jesus was completely assured of His outcome and of the Father’s faithfulness.

However, in doing so, He does not turn His back on the past and leave it all behind going on to better things. In going forward, He will not forget His friends. He prays to the Father to keep them in His absence. He knew that the Father had originally given them to Him, and, that the Father Himself also loved them. However, Jesus in this prayer secures for His friends eternal protection, praying to the Father for their eternal safety.

In v. 11 Jesus asks the Father to keep them in His own Name. In doing this He secures their safety. However, in praying this pray, knowing that these His friends will also receive the same persecution in the world that He did, He does not pray that the Father remove them from all of the difficulties in being connected to Him in this world, but like Himself, He commits them into the Father’s hands for safe keeping.

In v. 11 He also prays one more thing. I personally believe that it is one of the most important components of His prayer and is often overlooked or not given enough of our effort or attention. It is obvious that what Jesus says at the end of v. 11 was important enough to Him for it appears to be the heart of His prayer. We often overlook the full meaning and intent of this portion of His prayer because this kind of fellowship and union that He speaks here of is foreign to us. However, in looking at this section of Scripture and the overall intent of Jesus’ prayer, what He prays here is the central focus and message of not only this prayer, but the entire Bible, including all aspects of His work.

Although all of Jesus’ work was important, the purpose of everything that happened to Him and everything that He did is for this cause, the restoration of fellowship. Jesus took His union and relationship with the Father seriously. Nothing was more important than this. It is amazing; all of Jesus’ work that He did was to reestablish our fellowship with God. His work was not done to just establish a peripheral relationally attachment to Him or even connect us to Him in a servant type relationship. All of His work was done to reestablish us to Him in a full relationship that He referred to as ‘one’.  In Galatians chapter 4 Paul makes it clear that because of Jesus’ work we are given the privilege of having the closest relationship possible being called, and, actually becoming, family. In doing this He intended for us to have the same relationship that He had with the Father. What a privilege!

It is important to remember that all of Jesus’ prayers will be answered in the affirmative. We know that Jesus always did the Father’s will, and that He also always prayed according to the Father's will. In Jn. 14:13 and 14 Jesus promised His disciples that if they were to ask anything in His Name that He would do it for them. And in Jn. 15:7 Jesus told His disciples that if they were to abide in Him and His words abide in them that they could ask whatever they desired and it would be done for them.  In Jn. 16:23 Jesus also told them that whatever they would ask the Father in His Name that the Father would answer their request and give it to them. So, how would the Father deny Jesus any of His requests, knowing that all of Jesus’ requests were asked according to the Father’s will?

Jesus’ request and prayer here in v. 11 was not just for His disciples. In v. 20 of this chapter Jesus refers to this prayer and His requests as including all believers.  Jesus’ request to the Father here is a tall order. His request was obvious. He had asked His Father to make the Church one in relationship as He was one in relationship with Father. His answer to this prayer would not be denied by His Father. It is important to remember, however, that not all of Jesus’ prayers were answered immediately. Some, like this one, are yet to be fully realized.

Some might say that this prayer was answered in the era of the early church. It is true that if ever a time during the history of the Church that Jesus’ followers worked and lived as one that that would have been it. In Acts 1:14 it tells us that all that met together at that time met and prayed in one accord. And in Acts 2:1 some translations say that when they met at that time they all met in one place and were of one accord. However, can we say that Jesus’ prayer was fully answered at that time?

If we were to look at the Church at large today how would we currently describe it, as unified or un-unified? In taking an objective look at the true Church of Jesus Christ, which would only include true believers or followers of Christ and not categorized by the denominations that claim to be labeled as Christian, it could in no way during most of the Church age be categorized as being one in spirit. However, this is what is prayed here in John 17. He did not pray that His followers would be kind of sort of one. His prayer was specific that they would be one as He and the Father were one.

Jesus thought this act of fellowship and communion was so important that He brings it up again in this prayer in v. 21. It is important to note that the fellowship that He is referring to is not the type of ecumenical oneness that is sought for in our world today through governmental or social organization implementation. The Oneness referred to here will be Spirit generated affording true fellowship and not just a connection through compromised agreement for the purpose of just getting along. The type of Oneness that Jesus was talking about would be supernatural and could only occur by the power that they had just been promised in the coming of God’s Spirit. It would take a change of heart, seeing things Jesus' way, not living from the perspective of the world or of self.

In this verse, v. 11, Jesus also asks the Father to keep those that are His by the highest power possible. He asks for them to be kept in the Father's Name. Jesus knew how important the Father’s reputation was to Him. In the Father’s name is represented everything that He is. The Father would never go back on His word. And, if the Father agreed to a request it would be so. Jesus asks for His loved ones the highest degree of security available in heaven or on earth relying on the Father’s power to keep them.

He tells us in v. 12 that while He was in the world that Jesus Himself personally was their Shepard and protector. While with them He watched His followers like a hawk, protecting them personally with the same power that He requested of the Father in v. 11. It says in v. 12 that He kept them in the power of the Father's Name. To the Father His Name is everything. The Father has sworn to our protection, putting the stamp of His Name upon it. Again, there is no other authority or power greater.

Jesus continues in v. 12 saying that none were lost, but the son of perdition. This is not to say that Jesus had been given Judas originally and had lost Him to forces of evil. However, in saying this He says that Judas having been associated with Jesus and the 12 had opportunity to see and know the truth and still chose evil. The fate and choice of Judas is a testimony to God's Sovereignty. One out of the twelve would betray Jesus. It was prophesied to be so. Judas had chosen to be that one. By his choice, Judas was lost.

Jesus knew that the only hope of true redemption for His followers was truth. They too had been blinded by the lies and deceptions that were the basis of the function of this world. In v. 17 Jesus prays to the Father to sanctify them, correcting their perspective and misconceptions about life which they had been indoctrinated with. V 13 tells us that this, the words that He spoke while He was in the world, were their only hope in experiencing the joy that Jesus knew and had experienced in communion with the Father. Jesus knew that they would not get these truths from the world that they grew up in. But, Jesus had called them out of that world and had better things for them, one of them being joy. However, the reality was, to be different you have to be different. In v. 13 it says that Jesus had given them a different perspective...a new life, one that was out of this world.

But, all was not completely rosy in adopting this new perspective and new way of life. In doing so, they now shared Jesus' perspective which those of this world did not agree with and did not tolerate. The views of this world are set in stone. They do not tolerate outsiders. By their actions, His followers were rejected just as Jesus was rejected.

However, in v. 15 Jesus prays an interesting prayer. He prays not that His followers would be insulated and completely sheltered from their source of oppression and opposition as any parent would. He does not request that they be removed from difficulty, including pain, but instead He prays that they be kept free from the world and its perspectives by the Father and His words and ways. They had been called out of this world and now they were of another world, Heb. 11:13-6. It was the words of Jesus that had saved them.