John 17

John 17:3

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. This is said in reply to Thomas. Without him there would be no Way revealed; no divine and saving truth, no immortal life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Not only can no one enter the Father’s house without him, but no man can come to the Father on earth so as to enjoy his favor. “There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

John 17:4

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. The great truth declared is that the way to study God and know him is to know Christ. From henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. From the cross. On the next morning they would see Christ dying. From the sepulcher would burst forth upon their minds a new revelation of the character and mission of the Son.

John 17:5

Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Philip fails to comprehend that the Father was to be seen in Christ, and when the Lord declares that henceforth they have seen the Father, he at once requests such a revelation.

John 17:6

He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. Philip wanted a literal sight of God with the natural eyes, when God incarnate had been present with him for three years, manifesting the mind, the purity, the saving power, the fatherly tenderness, the unutterable love of the Father.

John 17:7

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? There was the completest union of the personalities of the Son and the Father. We may never on earth comprehend fully its nature, but we can understand it to be so complete that he was the manifestation of God in the flesh (Colossians 2:9).

John 17:9

Greater [works] than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Those who believe shall have power given to do works, in some respects greater; not greater miracles, but to effect greater moral and spiritual revolutions. At the time of his death, as far as we know, he had only about five hundred disciples (1 Corinthians 15:6), but he “went to his Father” and “shed forth the things seen and heard” on Pentecost (Acts 2:33), and the eleven apostles converted three thousand in a single day (Acts 2:41).

John 17:10

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. What man would dare to make such a promise? It will be noted, that in order to enjoy the fullness of these glorious promises we must, (1) Believe. They are limited thus in John 14:12. Without faith it is impossible to please God. (2) We must “ask in his name”, or, in dependence upon the merit and intercession of Christ. (3) As shown elsewhere, we must come with a spirit of complete submission to the Father’s will, feeling that his will is best, and saying in our hearts, “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10 Lu 11:2).

John 17:12

If ye love me, keep my commandments. Keeping the commandments will be the result if we love him. The Revised Version gives the true idea: “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments”. Obedience is the fruit of love.

John 17:13

I will pray the Father. Rather, “request”. The Greek word “eratao” is not the one used when “we” are bidden to pray; “proseuchomai” is. The creature “prays”; the Son “requests”. He shall give you another Comforter. The Holy Spirit; the Helper. The latter word more nearly expresses the idea of the Greek term “parakletos” than the word “Comforter”. Abide with you for ever. The Lord had been with them over three years, but is about to depart. Henceforth he will abide with them, not in person, but by the Holy Spirit that he shall send. Through this agency he will be with his people “always”.

John 17:14

The Spirit of truth. So called, because he leads into all truth, and speaks the truth. See John 17:19 1 Corinthians 2:4 1 Thessalonians 1:5. He also bears witness of the truth. See Acts 2:4 5:32 Heb 2:4. Whom the world cannot receive. Because he only dwells in a heart prepared for him by faith and obedience. “God gives the Holy Spirit to them who obey him” (Acts 5:32). See John 7:38.

John 17:15

I will not leave you comfortless. They shall not be left desolate by his departure, because “he will come again” (John 14:3,28) to be with them always, in the Spirit. He will be a living Savior, and they will have his life.

John 17:17

At that day ye shall know. “That day” began on Pentecost. There was no more doubting after the Holy Spirit was sent. “That day” still comes to every soul that wholly surrenders to the will of Christ (John 7:17).

John 17:18

He that hath my commandments, etc. The conditions on which Christ will be present in each soul, seen, and enjoyed, are here given: (1) One must love Christ; (2) so love him that he will obey from the heart his commandments; (3) this loving, obedient soul will be loved of the Father; (4) Christ will love him; (5) both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to him; (6) this manifestation is by their coming and abiding in him through the Helper.

John 17:23

The Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost. More correctly, Holy Spirit. He shall teach you all things. A special promise to the apostles, which fitted them to preach the Gospel authoritatively and leave behind them the records of the New Testament.

John 17:24

Peace I leave with you. A parting benediction. That night he was to be seized and taken from them.

John 17:25

If ye loved me, ye would rejoice. A gentle rebuke. Their desire that he should not go away was due, in part at least, to selfish motives.