JOHN LESSON 46
We will begin this lesson in John 17:1.
V-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:"
This speaking directly to the Father was partially for the
benefit of Jesus' followers. This looking toward heaven tells these
disciples of the home of the Father. This glory of Jesus would appear
to be anything but glory. This victory that Jesus wins here is
victory over the flesh, as well as victory over Satan and death.
V-2, "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
We read in a previous lesson how Jesus is ruler over everything.
Jesus is creator God, as we read in chapter one of St. John. It says
all things were made by Him. The Creator had dominion over His
creation. Our flesh was made from the dust of the earth by creator
God. The life we experience is the result of the breath of life
breathed into us by God. We are a free agent. We can refuse eternal
life. Jesus purchased eternal life for all of mankind. Those who
accept it will have eternal life with Him. We are His workmanship.
V-3, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Those who refuse to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord shall
experience death, and not life. If we recognize Jesus as Saviour and
Lord, we have eternal life. Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. No
man comes to the Father except by Him.
V-4, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the
work which thou gavest me to do."
Through the miracles Jesus did and the messages He brought, He
brought glory to the Father. He said He had done the works of the
Father. He also said, if they had seen Him they had seen the Father.
Jesus brought the good news of the gospel to the earth. Jesus brought
salvation through faith, and not works. His teaching was exactly as
He and the Father wished. His miracles caused many to believe on the
Father and the Son. The cross would be the final work. Jesus hung on
the cross six hour s (6 - time of work). The work was completed and
the rest would begin. Jesus even says, "It is finished".
V-5, "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with
the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
For the Creator of the world to be housed in a body of flesh, had
to be a terrible come- down. This had all been planned from the
beginning to restore fallen man to fellowship with the Father. The
first flesh man (Adam) had failed. This is why it was necessary for
Jesus to take on the form of flesh. The second Adam (Jesus) would
restore mankind to full fellowship with God. I Corinthians 15:22,
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
I Corinthians 15:45, "And so it is written. The first man Adam was
made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." In
John 3:6 we read, "That which is born of flesh is flesh: and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The glory of the Father is in
the Son. The Son will return to His original glory in heaven, and we
will join Him there.
V-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."
To manifest is to make real. Jesus has made the Father real to
the people. He has stopped them from thinking of a bunch of laws and
has revealed the personality of God to them. We see in this, that
Jesus' followers have been given Him by the Fat her. We will see in
Revelation, that those who make it to heaven to be with Jesus (the
Christians) are sealed with Jesus' name. We really are sealed here
with that name, Christians (believers in and followers of Christ).
God giving these to Christ just means the Spirit of God wooed them and
they came and received the gift of life through Christ.
V-7, "Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast
given me are of thee."
God made all of humanity on the sixth day of creation, so really
it all belongs to Him. The Christians were given to Jesus Christ when
He bought and paid for them with His blood on Calvary.
V-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."
This prayer Jesus is praying to the Father here, is more for
those listening than Him speaking to the Father. Jesus has spoken
true words. The words Jesus had spoken to them were the words of
life. These disciples do believe, and they do believe t hat Jesus is
one with the Father in the Spirit. The spoken and the written Word
originates in heaven. Jesus is that Word.
V-9, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me; for they are thine."
The world rejected Jesus. Jesus prays for those who received Him
as their Christ (Messiah). This shows a definite separation between
the people of God and the people of the world. The Christians are in
the world, but we are not of the world.
V-10, "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am
glorified in them."
This is showing the unity of Spirit of the Father and the Son.
Human souls belong to the Father and are Christ's, if they choose to
live and not die. Jesus is overjoyed at the loyalty of the disciples
to Him. They do not uplift their own name, but the name of the Father
and the Son.
V-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."
Jesus speaks this as if the crucifixion has already taken place.
Jesus' speech lets them know that He will not be physically with them
much longer. We know that these disciples are not one in the flesh.
Jesus is speaking of the Spirit. They must be in one accord in the
work that they have been left to do. Their thoughts and intents must
be one, as the Father's and Jesus' Spirit are one. Their intents are
the same. Jesus is praying to the Father for the unity of the Spirit
in these disciples. Let them operate as a unit and not as
individuals. Jesus, perhaps, was saying not to break up in little
groups that we today call denominations. We Christians should be one
in Christ.
V-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."
The twelve who followed Jesus the closest were still with Him,
except for Judas Iscariot who was really evil from the beginning. In
one of the earlier lessons, John had said that Judas Iscariot was a
thief from the beginning. These disciples had walked closely with
Jesus and loved Him. They had seen Him perform many miracles of
healing. They had seen Him raise the dead. They had seen Him walk on
the water and feed the multitude with five loaves and two fishes.
Their love for Him was all wrapped up with their admiration for Him,
as well. He had taught them things that He had not revealed to the
multitudes. He had cared for them, as the Shepherd cares for His
sheep. He had even endured them with power themselves to minister and
heal. These eleven disciples would actually found the church. This
son of Satan (Judas Iscariot) was one of the group, so that the
Scripture could be fulfilled. Judas' lust for money made him follow
the way of the flesh. Judas had his own free will, an d chose death
over life.
V-13, "And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the
world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves."
Again I say, this prayer of Jesus for His followers to the Father
is in great part for these disciples to hear, and for all believers
for all ages to hear. Jesus explains His relationship with the Father
in this prayer. He even emphasizes their position with the Father.
In verse 13, He explains His joy is to be sufficient for them for
their stay on earth, until He takes them home to heaven with Him. One
of the most vivid messages in this prayer, to me, is that Jesus'
followers are to walk in the footsteps He left on the earth and to
look for their home not made with hands, but the one He has prepared
for them in heaven. He, also, reminds them in this prayer, that they
belong to Him. It is the will of the Father that the Christians
belong to Christ.
Notes
John 46 Questions
1. Where did Jesus look when He prayed?
2. What hour was He speaking of?
3. Who would be glorified in this?
4. Who had the Father given Jesus power over?
5. What would Jesus give to those who the Father gave Him?
6. Who made all of humanity and how?
7. What is life eternal in verse 3?
8. What did Jesus say He had finished?
9. How long had Jesus had this glory with the Father?
10. As in Adam, all die in Christ, all shall be ___________________.
11. That which is born of flesh is ______________________________.
12. Whose name had Jesus manifested?
13. What does manifest mean?
14. Jesus had shown them what?
15. What day of creation was man made?
16. What had Jesus given unto the disciples?
17. The Word Jesus had spoken to them was the Word of ______________.
18. Who is the spoken and written Word?
19. Who did Jesus not pray for?
20. What shows the unity of the Spirit of the Father and Son?
21. Jesus prays the Father will keep whom?
22. When Jesus tells the disciples to be one, what is He speaking of?
23. What was Judas Iscariot called in verse 12?
24. Why had Jesus spoken this in the world in verse 13?
Notes
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