Bible Reading - John 17

Good morning, let's read then John chapter 17 verse 1 These words speak Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father The hour has come Glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee as thou has given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him and This is eternal life a sorry life eternal That they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I have glorified thee on the earth I have finished the work which thou gave us me to do and now o father glorify thou me With thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was I? I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gave us me out of the world Thine they were and thou gave us them me and they have kept thy word now They have known all things Whatsoever thou has given me are of thee for I have given unto them the words which thou gave us me they and they have received them and Have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou did send me I Pray for them. I pray not for the world But for them which thou has given me for they are thine in all mine are thine and thine are mine I am glorified in them and now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world I Come to thee Holy Father Keep them through thine own name Those whom thou has given me that they may be one as we are While I was with them in the world. I kept them in thy name Those that thou gave us me I have kept and none of them is lost But the son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled and now come I to thee and these things I speak In the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves I Have given them thy word and the world has hated them Because they are not of the world even as I am NOT of the world I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world But that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

They are not of the world even as I am NOT of the world Sanctify them through thy truth and thy word is truth even as thou has sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world and For their sakes I sanctify myself That they might be sanctified through the truth Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also Which shall believe on me through their word that they all may be one Even 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 has sent me and the glory which thou gave us me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one in Them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and That the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has loved me Father, I will that they also whom thou has given me and be with me where I am That they may behold my glory which thou has given me for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world O righteous father the world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou has sent me and I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it That the love were with thou has loved me may be in them and I in them This is admittedly one of the most Difficult chapters in John. It's one of the fullest chapters in John And as we look at it, you'll notice the importance of coming out of chapter 16 He is speaking to his own he is preparing them for his absence and He tells them that they are going to have tribulation that he has overcome the world and then it says these words spake Jesus and Lifted up his eyes to heaven. So what's with the backdrop of that? Preparation that he is going to encourage them.

He's going to fortify them and He is going to pray to his father in relation to all that they will go through and experience It is going to be the darkest times every prop every anchor is going to be pulled out from under them They are going to experience confusion Even from what they expected to happen and did not happen They are going to see their Lord their master that they have accompanied with for three and a half years Taken from them his departure will not be one like a departure that we have when we leave from one another and we give hugs and kisses and And we we there's a an amicable element to that and and a this is kind of a sorrowing No, they're going to watch and see the Lord Jesus's body riddled with wounds Violently murdered in their estimation and then around all of that is surrounding the Anger the animosity of the very system that they were part of so there's going to be confusion There's going to be surrounded by enemies There will no doubt be the involvement of Satan the satanic element and in light of all of this The Lord Jesus is praying for them. They're kept It's tremendous what as this happens now notice the specifics as we go through this chapter There are specific requests in his prayer. That's a great example for us There are practical things in here and we can touch on them But I want to focus mainly on the devotional aspect in preparation for the next meeting You'll notice as well here as we go through there.

There are Timestamps that we look at in this for example, and I have this on the outline There are three timestamps in this prayer There is a timestamp that takes us prior to creation before the world was there's the timestamp that takes us to the present when the Lord Jesus was actually praying and what was happening at that time and What would happen as these men now would be prepared for his absence? and then there is the timestamp of the future that will take us to the Completeness of the oneness that the Lord Jesus is praying for So you have these timestamps I Think one of the things that is so essential to understanding this and is it seems to escape our grasp Our ability to understand is the idea of glory Glory, I'd be interested in hearing what some of the other men have to think on this but in John's gospel it is particularly significant with the word is numerous times in this prayer and In in terms of biblical truth glory had its its multifaceted for example you have the glory of the inanimate so in first Corinthians 15 Paul writes about the glory of the Terrestrial the glory of the celestial and so there's a different glory there there's the glory of life and rank in terms of men and women and as he writes in 1st Corinthians chapter 11 and The personal glory for example of the long hair of the sister that's given her for a glory So you even have the aspect of praise? Let him that gloryeth glory in this so there's praise that's given that is associated with glory But John's gospel gives us a little bit different twist on that and in John's gospel He is he is emphasizing this the idea of real glory true glory is exhibited in lowly service Because he begins his gospel by one who is the eternal word one who never had a beginning one who created all things and then John brings him into time and It's interesting that John's gospel is the only gospel that gives us the feet-washing it as he stoops down and washes the feet taking the place of the servant and There is lowly service seen John's gospel is emphasizing and highlighting the significance of one who is the eternal Son of God and yet who has become a man to Stoop down and do this in fact what gospel would you think brethren that the name Jesus? his earthly name appears more than any other gospel You would think it would be in Luke the gospel of the Son of Man But it's actually in John and over and over and over again John introduces us to that and so when you come to to John chapter 1 John writes We beheld his glory when you come to chapter 2 and he turns the water into wine these things did he manifested his glory when you come to chapter 7 he speaks about the glory of doing his will the will of God and when you come to chapter 11 and and he Raises the dead Lazarus. It says that you shall see the glory of God in what he did So John is emphasizing this aspect of glory in the lowly Service of the Lord Jesus and it can never be when it comes to him. It can never be exaggerated It can be magnified but never exaggerated.

It's not like the The fisherman who he caught a big fish in and his friend said to him you're gonna mount it and he said mount it He says I never mount my fish. He said it stops them from growing So you can't boast right? There's no we cannot exaggerate when it comes to the the Lord's glory it is Magnificent it is beyond anything we can really comprehend And so I'm hoping and praying that we'll appreciate some of that in this Bible study as well There are emphatic truths seen in this prayer You have a father the mention of the father over and over again a hundred and eleven times in John's Gospel We have it six times in 17. We have the the we have extensions added on to that father holy father righteous father emphasizing different aspects when it comes to holy father the idea is his separation unto his father the idea of sanctification Holiness when we have righteous father toward the end of the chapter That is his separation in relation to the world from the world and his distinctiveness The term world is found 14 times here the expression give gave given is Numerous times in this in this chapter and and it's it's almost a parallel with Paul's use of the word grace and so John gives us that word given in graciousness and magnanimous giving and But there's one more thing there's oneness here that is stressed the uniqueness of that relationship Between the father and the son and in fact we are going to have to grasp the truth of that in Whatever measure we can Before we will really be able to grasp the significance of the term glory There is a uniqueness of the relationship and glory between the father and the son that is shared And over and over again in John's gospel You will read of that shared glory that oneness and in fact That's why you do not read of on the cross that he is forsaken There's a oneness there whereas in the other Gospels you read of that my god.

My god. Why is thou? Forsaken me and so there's one more thing there's a little word here And I hope it doesn't escape our notice, and it's the word that and you might overlook that but in the Greek language There is a Greek word, and it's it's a clause It's a purpose clause the idea is cause and effect You could say this happens So that this will happen and over and over again in this chapter Things are prayed for things happen so that This can happen the results are predicated on what happens before and over and over again We'll read of that so with that We want to move through these sections. We'll begin with the first the first section praying For the Christ these are the personal prayers of the Lord Jesus as he is praying and he's praying for himself To his father and it's interesting he prays.

He doesn't pray like we pray we pray we bow our head We pray we close our eyes. He prayed he lifted up his head. He prayed he opened up his eyes I don't know why we do that, but I guess we say we want to free ourselves from distraction or whatever but This is how the Lord Jesus prayed and and I'd like to think that he looked right into heaven Looked right into where he came from and where he was returning to So praying for the Christ three prayers for himself to his father so the first point is that the Son is Glorified these things speak Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father the hour is come glorify thy son so that thy son also may glorify thee The knowing full well that He had an hour that he had to face Even in his earthly ministry there was always this hour So is this the last time that the word hour is mentioned in John? I know it's mentioned before chapter 4 chapter 5. Oh, it would seem like this is the last hour But he has mentioned.

You know, this is the completeness the completion of that. I like the word Isaiah used in his ministry yesterday The mission this is the mission the mission is going to be accomplished mission accomplished, right? It's not mission impossible for any other man. It was mission impossible for him It's mission accomplished and there's two aspects to that mission and we'll look at that in this section But the first aspect phase one has been Completed in actuality and that was the life that he lived that was the revelation that he was to give to the world of God of the father he hath told him forth the life that he lived So, how would the father? Glorify the son he's praying for this father the hours come glorify thy son So what is the Lord Jesus specifically praying for this is the first specific aspect of his prayer So if the purpose of the Lord Jesus until this moment has been to glorify the father To make known the excellency the dignity of the father now.

He is saying is it not time that I be glorified? In what way? That's a good question the hours come as he's speaking of the cross or as he's speaking of What follows the cross and his return to heaven? I? Don't I don't think you can separate them I think we often do but I think that's the whole point that He is now going he wants to have the father glorify him in not only the accomplishment and and Vindication in terms of when he says it's finished, but then in the raising of him from the dead I think they're all looked at as one you can't separate them. Would you agree with that or? I'm here to learn So is would there be a higher glory a degree of glory as the result of the cross work? And what was the follow than what he had? I Think it would be a distinctive glory right now because he mentions the glory that he had with thee before the world was Then the glorification on earth and now the glorification of an hour and obviously this had not yet been Done right it was going to be done So The Sun would be glorified and again what we see here is that we have the glory of the father and the glory of the Son so again, they're linked together even in this they're not separated That oneness is seen over and over again So now as he continues his prayer He he he is asking now the praying that he says thou has given him verse 2 that was given him authority power over all flesh so that He should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him so this authority over all flesh would be all of humanity That would encompass his coming into the world as a man He has authority over all flesh and the purpose of his becoming a man Would be so that he could die and as a result of that that he could give eternal life So this Authority then moves on into verse 4 a finished work and a work to be finished So when we come to this, this is life eternal that there's another purpose clause There's over and over again cause and effect. This is life eternal so that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent again the Connection between the two but the order is reversed of what we would normally think We normally consider that if if you know God You will have eternal life We tell sinners in a gospel.

You don't know God you might know about God, but you don't know God But the result here is it is different. It's getting life eternal so that you may know God It is really impossible to know God without having eternal life and that eternal life is in the Sun So that when we know him we know the father there is this this oneness of revelation That will result in knowing God It is is it not synonymous so eternal life having a relationship with God is it not one in the same It's life but it enables us to know him I appreciate what you said no one comes to the father but by me You cannot have relationship with the father without having relationship with the son But is not eternal life in itself a relationship with God and with his son in itself It is but okay So what will help us on that is the first mention of the word give in this passage is what's called an heiress a point Tense it means a once-and-for-all act. That's the act of salvation The giving but then beyond that it's continuous So that this giving it's a gift that keeps on giving if we can say it that way and the knowledge here is experiential knowledge, it's the experience of the believer as We now what he is praying for is is What he is going to do and give will enable his believers to do the same thing to give to teach to express God in the world in which they're in Anyone have any thoughts on that any questions on that section? It's it admittedly.

It's a it's almost a mysterious aspect of Intimacy as the Lord is praying to his father specifically for himself in his relationship That this finished work, let's just touch on that a verse for I have glorified thee on the earth Now the Lord spoken earlier in John 3 about being lifted up from the earth Here he's saying I have glorified thee on the earth. I Have finished the work Which thou gavest me and the interesting thing is the last expression there to do literally in the Greek says so that so that it's the same exact word as that and it almost leaves us hanging and I know the normal interpretation is that It was he was looking at the cross as already accomplished, but I I don't I don't think that's it I think what he is what he is saying based on the language is that phase one has been completed and That had to be completed and these signs had to be given not only to validate who I am but to glorify you and as a result of that Phase two is now on the horizon I couldn't get to phase two without doing phase one And so that is that is really in if we see that then his entire life Which is so true becomes a glorification of the father and a revelation of the father Being in human flesh Very good. Yeah, that's that's I do always those things that please him, right? But in particular these signs that were made to told tell forth So verse 5 then I and now Oh father glorify thou me with Thine own self now, this is another interesting word here It's a very small insignificant word in our vocabulary But the Greek language is so pregnant so full of meaning and when you read this word over and over again It's literally the same word in the Greek para para.

So you have Parallel bars, right? There are bars that run concurrently. They're equal. He's saying the glory that I had para Alongside of thee and then when we read that again, it's going to be the same thought there Para alongside the Lord.

Jesus is is is emphasizing to us who will read this the equality the connectivity the oneness of Himself with his father and then he's going to bring his own into that same truth It's it's not a superior Looking down to an inferior. It's co-equal Co-equal is expressing as well divine fellowship harmony with one another So the beginning of the book tells us that we beheld his glory Right. So is this something that is even greater than what was revealed to men on earth the glory he had before he came to earth I Yes, I think what the Lord is is praying and it's same similar as to what the writer to the Hebrews brings in chapter 1 Is that he has come from the father? he has become a man and he is revealing the father and God in his fullness to the world and in that stoop and step and sacrifice Nothing is lost Nothing is diminished and he is now praying the glory that I had with thee Bring that back give restore that nothing is lost he is able to pray that and get the answer to that because he knows that nothing is lost and I think that's the revelation of In a sense the the glory of the Lord Jesus his purpose was to glorify God Even though he is co-equal as you said But the time is coming that that is going to be put on full display that everything All the glory that he has is equal with the father Maybe it's been hidden now in his humanity for the years, even though something was displayed So now let's move to the second the next section then Because as he is going to return to glory now in verse 5 and the glory that was his the next section now He's going to be praying for his companions Now this in verses 6 through 19 the one of the key words in this section is going to be kept or guarded preserved given safety Nothing is going to happen to them and these Companions this group of men there is a slight distinction between the next group that will begin in 20 This would be predominantly the apostolic band those men and as John writes in his epistle That which we have seen that which we have handled of the word of life And so the Lord Jesus is praying for them, and he says 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 So what does the Lord mean by this in terms of of You you gave them to me and now they were yours and now they're mine, but in a way they're still yours But they're mine as well I'm glad you have this Bible reading I'm not It was given to me on Saturday, so yeah, you tell us what it means I'm waiting to hear any thoughts I see some friendly faces.

I see a lot of friendly faces nothing brother. I I need some hometown faces so any thoughts of any Is it this scene before in John's gospel, I'm just trying to look I thought it was chapter 10, but it speaks of No, man can come to me, but the father bring them to me draw them draw them I Think that's part of it definitely this so the initiation is always on the part of God, but in a sense these are Unique men that are fitted by God not only in the call of these men But the shaping of these men their personalities their lives their distinctiveness I know it was said yesterday that we all have a particular in the ministry that we all have a particular place and niche and so on but these men are uniquely given and even Judas in A sense what we're going to read of later to fulfill scripture to fulfill the Word of God and the Lord Jesus is Specifically praying now that these men are kept They are unique vessels and there is a sense of if we can use the word in a not a restricted sense, but an Election of grace a choosing as it were of these men for a particular mission It has been suggested to as well that The they were part of Judaism So as being part of Judaism the only God-given Religion that ever existed that they were the fathers because that was the religion of that God had given That's that's true, but it goes wider than that because he says they were given by him by the father out of the world Not just out of Judaism, so their sphere is Distinctive not only from Judaism, but from the world in which they lived Now they have kept thy word in verse 6 and he says now That's another time stamp now at this point now They have known that all things whatsoever thou has given me are of Thee there's the word para again. They are parallel with thee so that this Hand-off if I can use that word reverently that is coming from the father as these men were the fathers And he's giving them to the son There is an equality.

They're not losing anything. There was always a question always the question well God How did you make God your father? How did you I am my father one? So they can now don't forget they're hearing this prayer They're listening to this prayer It's not just that they're in the background and they've left they're listening Can you imagine what it would have been like? to all of a sudden see the Lord Jesus stop and Just lift up his eyes and head to heaven and start praying this and they're listening It would have caused him to think the father the son here. We are we're in safe hands We're in his hands so you can understand how much more and greater the confusion would have been later Would it be a silly question? To ask when this transaction took place Well, he says now He does say now so within the space of that time of his ministry We have to move brethren.

It's and I so we're gonna move down through this section again Quickly, he says they are thine and so we have now this the he was praying There's a place for them. They're in the world, but not of the world as verse 6 tells us He is they're going to go through great testing and yet they've been given the full revelation of himself There he's given words for them verse 8. There's a prayer for them. He says I pray not for the world I'm praying for them but we Why did the Lord Jesus say I don't pray for the world Don't we pray for sinners to get saved don't we pray for It's not it's not that he wasn't interested in the world But they weren't his own So what could he have possibly prayed for the world if he did? The only thing he could pray for the world is that they stopped being the world Okay, they would have to become his own right and that is really what's looked and longed for in this chapter.

Yeah So there's a distinctiveness again from ourselves in the world We are in the world, but not of the world and again, I'll go back to brother Isaiah's ministry yesterday The rest now what he is going to pray and and direct is that we will be an influence in This world we sometimes try to be so isolated and and that's not the case He has left us here to reveal to continue to do what he has done and to reveal God to the world And so as we move on here, he says keep them keep them in thy name What what is his name? What is the name here that that is being so emphasized They had multiple names multiple contractions of names Jehovah Noah Jehovah Nissi Jehovah Rofi Jehovah sakein you Elohim L. I don't I what is it? We would all be happy if you told us well if you don't know you're in problem with it because he Has revealed his name. I'm not putting the spot out. I'm just saying, you know, we need to know that right? What it what is what's in a name with us? We like, you know, we like a name or you know Baby's grandfather had this name and it's been in the family.

So we're gonna name him, you know, whatever it is This is different in Bible times though a name revealed the person and So the name here is yes It is father which the Jew never enjoyed as an individual God was the father of the nation on a national level But now he's speaking in relation to individuals that will be able to enjoy that revelation and reality and relationship that he has come to make known in its fullness and That was never known before Mm-hmm so then now in verse as we move down in verse these petitions for the disciples before the world and verse 11 on Keep them in thy name That they may be one Even as we are one so three things to emphasize about this number one This oneness is not local. It's universal It's not natural It's spiritual and It's not temporary It's eternal So as we move down I am no more in the world. He says Holy Father keep them through thine own name Those whom thou has given me That they may be one as we are So Obviously, this is a very important point as this repeated over here, but what does it mean to be one? Is it one in purpose in? In what sense is it one he and the father they're two distinct people obviously But they're united in purpose and everything that is done.

Is that the idea of being one? Yeah, I think there is he goes down later on He will say, you know, I envy thou and me as we are one There is a deep mystical oneness in this that will spill out to unity agreement and purpose But I think there is a oneness of security a oneness of position That will that is deeper than anything that we could create on agreement It is a unity that will be initiated at Pentecost There will be one body. There will be a one one one Homogenous group and the the condition or the the the Relationship is as we are one That was never enjoyed that was never experienced This is something unique and it's going to be completed in the future It's ongoing and as believers are added to that oneness It continues to grow throughout the dispensation and that's that will be addressed in the Lord's Prayer later on But I believe the oneness here is what we have in Ephesians 4, which is the truth of the one body But yet in Ephesians 4, what is the prayer of the Apostle or the exhortation? Endeavoring to keep there's that word to keep the unity of the Spirit So this has been created and it's interesting the Spirit of God is not mentioned here But the Father and the Son But Ephesians brings in the Spirit so you have the Godhead It is impossible to be one in us the Father and the Son without the energy of the Spirit So the Godhead is involved in this. This is a deep mystical Unity that is far beyond anything that we can imagine.

No So keep them in thy name and what would support that oneness is that we have become Family children of God and What how do we know that because the name that he came to reveal is what? father So now are we sons children? Born ones the new birth brings us into that. So this entire gospel weaves in truth together that is supplemental to one another So as we move down a little further There are three aspects of being kept number one Keep them in thy name in relation to this oneness since father is the name Family is the reality and unity is expressed in that family likeness family relation family unity Keep them from the evil one Verse 15 So The evil is it the evil one or is it the evil or is it both and why is the Lord praying for that specifically I Can't look to the women so I have to look to you men so Brent Travis anybody Bruce any thoughts the evil one So Satan himself and that would have a Lot of bearing and significance since Judas has been mentioned, right? So you have these men who are kept safely. They there is a security That is that is the foundation of their safety the security is in the family The security is in relation to the oneness Judas was never one so what you have here is that None of them is lost and the interesting thing is that that word is lost is Actually the thought of something that's already been accomplished and I wonder at this point you remember that Judas went out earlier Could it possibly be and likely might be that at this point? Judas had already hung himself And is gone.

I don't know Can't be dogmatic But the point of the matter is this that this man Judas Not only was just as much a fulfillment of Scripture as the other men Not because the scripture predetermined what he was going to do, but for new he had free choice and His very character and essence is one of lostness Judas comes to the garden while he's there. So he obviously is still around but it's okay good. It's something that's actually He is sure is a sure thing, right? Okay.

Thank you for correcting that. Yeah, that's good That's a good point, that's right We're given Selfless That's I think that's it Bruce that's a good point that he is leaving He's not going to be there to protect them anymore He has done that and he will even do it to add on to Isaiah's thought in the garden in the next chapter Because the band of soldiers come whom seek ye is Jesus if if you seek me let these go their way He is protecting them He is preserving them, but he's not going to be here to do that now And so as before when he was here, he was the object of attack Now they will be the object of attack because he's gone Satan can't attack him But they can't attack them and if he attacks them and there is any level of success in that attack Not only will they be discouraged and they will be affected but the mission will be hindered And that's important So is this not linked to the verses that follow as far as the need for the truth the word that will sanctify them Keep them separate them from evil Okay, so how how is that maybe help us out on that how are they sanctified or Maybe you can give us a little hope on that to sanctification through the word is setting apart or separating from So separating from errors separating from evil is through the word Okay, it teaches in practicing it, right? So this goes back to the word that was given by the father and this goes to his word and it continues on and It will literally become the first word we didn't mention this but in reference to earlier in the chapter Where he speaks about the word from? The father he says I have kept thy word is literally this the spoken word It was the teachings that the Lord Jesus gave it was the the the instruction that he gave and it was given directly From the father he did not speak From himself he spoke the words that the father had given they were a perfect harmony But now the word here in verse 14. I have given them thy word is Different it's logos.

That's the embodiment of the truth now that they had received and he says I've I've given them that and Then he's going to go on to say sanctify them through thy word thy word is truth So there was an initial and an ongoing Being set apart. What makes us distinct? What what keeps us the ongoing? Word of God in the sense of living it out It's the idea of their life is going to reflect the Word of God the truth of God It's the only thing that we have in this world that is absolutely consistent with God himself It reminds me of Paul as he's speaking the Ephesian believers he is leaving them But he says what is enough for you is the grace of God in the Word of God good good So there's no there's no blame laid at the feet of the Lord Jesus he didn't say well I you know, I I had them But I lost I never had him Yeah, that's a good point when it comes to the security of the believer people will use Judas as an example But he was never given He was never a believer. He was never lost to the Lord Jesus or by the Lord Jesus.

Right. And it's exactly what the Lord repeats later on, for example, in Luke 13, or later on prior to this in Luke 13, when there are those that will come and say, Lord, Lord, we've done this and we've done that in your name. And he says, I never knew you.

There never was a time when I knew you. It wasn't that I knew you and now you're lost. So as we continue on with this, just in a few moments left.

Oh, good. You've got it. Go ahead.

You're already there. Go ahead. Well, it speaks to 1 Peter 1. It's guarded.

But it wasn't on this question. Is it just like in verse 6, it says, they have kept thy word. So is there a personal responsibility involved in that? I think that's the thought.

The idea now is that he had kept them. It was his responsibility. He bore the weight of doing that.

Now it's put into their hands and it's going to be done a little bit differently, but it's going to be done with the recognition of himself as they continue in his mission. But there's a responsibility that's put in their hands. Would you agree with that? Good.

Okay. Is there any practical aspect to being guarded from Christ? He says, these, in verse 12, thou gavest me, I have kept thy word. So before they were ever brought into that sphere, okay, they didn't exist, for example, right? They existed in the mind of God.

But now these people, while they're keeping his word and bearing that responsibility, the relationship still continues from before. So that there's an additional, it's like the hand of the father and John, the hand of the son, and now their hands are locked onto their hands. And so there's this added dimension of security in that responsibility.

It's not that the father and son have abdicated and moved away. They're still there. And because they belong to the son and the father, there is that added dimension of as they're keeping, it's ultimately his truth.

It's not about them. It's ultimately about the father and son. The second one there is kept is to keep watch.

This is the idea of a shepherd in John chapter 10, right? I am the good shepherd. He protects, he keeps watch over his sheep. And all of this comes from, again, their relationship, their oneness with the father and the son.

So that what the Lord is saying in all of this, in contrast to the world, is that our essential being, our life, that eternal life that he has given and has brought us into that sphere, does not and cannot derive anything from the world in which they are in. It is totally of God. And so that's the importance of the distinction between themselves and the world that they find them in.

So if we seek to draw from this world, it will be in contradistinction. In fact, as an enemy of the very one that we have been linked with and called by and are one with now. So now praying for the church, the last few minutes here, verses 20-26.

We have here now, neither pray I for these alone. Now there's an added dimension. But for them which shall believe on me through their word.

So there is a continuity, but there is also a distinction now. It is their word. It is going to be their lives and the truth of those lives lived in this sphere that will communicate and emphasize divine life.

It's not just a matter of preaching. It's not a matter of just telling the word or speaking. It's a matter of revealing God to the world, not in the exact same way of course which we could not do as Christ did, the Son, but revealing Christ to the world now, their word in our lives that are lived as distinct from this world.

But in it, not hiding behind a bush, not hiding in a corner, not in our homes, but in this world, communicating in community. Could it be that the disciples were going through a training period when they were with the Lord Jesus Christ, watching Him, and as they observed Him, then they themselves now were going to be committed to this time? Yeah, that's exactly it Ken, good, that's good. So this body unity is really, it's a wonder.

It's actually a wonder of that the Lord is praying and every prayer that the Lord Jesus prayed is answered because He always prayed according to the mind of God. If this oneness is merely an aspect of agreement and you know, no, there's so many denominations and there's so many sects, that prayer is never going to be answered. It will never be answered.

But this prayer is for a oneness that is made by God. This is a oneness and it will reflect that unity, our agreement with one another, but it is based on something else. It is an absolute unity.

One in us, not one of us, that's very different. One in us. And so He's praying here for the unity and it is a wonder and it was initiated at Pentecost.

It is a witness to the world. Verse 23 would tell us that too. I in them, thou in me, that they may be made complete.

That's the word there, complete. Same word as in the cross, finished. So this is an ongoing growth, development, work of unity as believers are added.

Those that will believe hereafter. And He says that they may, verse 23, I in them, thou in me, that they may be made perfect or complete in one. And that, there's a purpose clause, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

So there's a witness to the world. And then there's a willingness of Christ in verse 24, His own will. Father, I will, that they also, whom thou hast given me.

So He ends this prayer where He begins. You gave them to me. And there's a reminder, you gave them to me.

And He says, as thou hast given them to me, He says, to be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. There's a completeness in this unity that takes us beyond today. And it's retained forever.

It's never diminished. It's never dissolved. It's never divorced.

It's never destroyed. It's forever. And it will culminate in what we see of Him here now in His Word and living through Him what the world will see one day.

The Thessalonian epistle brings that, right? Not only are we going to see Him, but in a greater, fuller way, the world is going to see His glory through us and that oneness. It's a beautiful picture, a beautiful prayer. It should give us, brother, and why doesn't it give us more, but it should give us tremendous joy to know that we have been, as He was sent into the world, we have been sent to reveal this man.

It should give us great joy to be able to, in their darkness and their lost condition, that we have won something that they need. It should give us great joy to do so. That's a wonderful truth, Al.

I'm so glad you brought that up because verse 13, just we skipped over that, but the end of that verse says this, or the whole verse, and now come I to thee, I'm returning, going back to the Father, and these things I speak in the world, speaking them now, and I've spoken them. And He says, that, there's that purpose clause again, so that they might have My joy fulfilled in them. All the sorrows, all the confusion, all the suffering, these men are going to experience, yet there will be an indelible, irreplaceable joy that will be in them because of Him, and it will continue.

That's the wonderful thing. To think of the Lord speaking about joy, and He's going to suffer in such a way. You know, it's tremendous what we have here.

So brethren, are there any final thoughts, because it's 10.01. There's a couple other references, and I think it's only in John, but the statement, thou hast loved me. Isn't that an awesome thing, to consider that God the Father loves the Son? Something that was forever true. It's almost beyond our minds, but how it's expressed.

Not just simply that He is obedient to the Father, but that He is loved by the Father. And He has given all things into His hand, and shares in His glory, and He reveals Himself, and yet He says, the love that thou hast loved Me, is now this love given to them. Tremendous.

Awesome. Thanks brother. Thank you.