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John Chapter
Seventeen
I. Content of the Chapter
The Prayers of the
Son of God the Savior Before His Departure
A. To Pray for Himself:
1. May the Father glorify the
Son, that the Son also may glorify the Father (v.1-3).
2. May be glorified with the Father together, with the glory which the Son had with the Father before the world was (v.4-5).
B. To Pray for His Disciples at that Time (the
First Disciples)
1. They were the Father’s, and had kept the Father’s word (v.6-10).
2. May the Father keep through His
name those whom He have given the Lord, that they may be one (v.11-13).
3. May the Father keep them from the evil one, for
they are not of the world (v.14-16).
4. May the Father sanctify them by His truth (v.17-19).
C. To Pray for His Disciples in the Future (the
Whole Assembly)
1. They believe in the Lord through the word testified by the apostles (v.20).
2. May that they all may be one, as the divine Trinity is one (v.21-23).
3. May that they may behold the Lord’s glory (v.24).
4. May the love of God and the Lord Himself
abide in them (v.25-26).
II. Verse by Verse commentary
John. 17:1 “Jesus spoke these words,
lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come.
Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,”
YLT:
“These things spake Jesus,
and lifted up his eyes to the heaven, and said -- `Father, the hour hath come,
glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee,”
Literal
Meaning: “Jesus spoke these words”, “these
words” referred to the
words of the Lord Jesus recorded
from chapter 13 to 16.
“Lifted up His eyes to heaven”, this was
a habitual gesture of prayer (see 11:41; Ps 123:1; Mark 7:34), and His prayer
came next. An evangelist in the 17th century had ever made proper commentary on
this prayer of the Lord in this chapter: “after a grandly unique sermon (chapter
14-16), the Lord presented the greatest prayer throughout history”. Many Bible
exegetes called the prayer in this chapter “the great prayer of the high priest
in the Holy of holies”.
“Father”, in this chapter, the Lord had
called God Father six times (see v.5, 11, 21, 24, 25). The word “Father”
indicates that God is the origin of everything, and life comes from Him.
“The hour has come”, “the hour” referred
to the appointed hour in the dispensation of God, so the hour of the Lord’s
suffering had come. All His life, teachings and words were prepared for this “hour”.
This verse also indicated that: (1) the Lord had never walked in disorder, but
according to the prescribed order which was counseled elaborately. (2) Everything
happened according to the time schedule of God. (3) God is the king! What He
had appointed had to be fulfilled accurately, neither too early nor too late.
“Glorify Your Son”, “glory” refers to
the manifestation of God (see Ex 40:34). When God is hidden, He is God. When He
is revealed, He is glory. “Son” is the declaration of the Father (see 1:18). The
inner divinity had been hidden in the incarnated Jesus who took the humble
bondman’s form, that many people could neither recognize Him nor know God (see
v.3). Now, He would give His divine life through His death and resurrection, so
when He was crucified on the cross, he has been glorified (see 12:23).
“That Your Son also may glorify You”,
when the Lord Jesus was glorified through the manifestation of His divinity,
God would also be glorified in the Lord.
“Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also
may glorify You.” ---- This is the first desire of the Lord Jesus in His prayer
for Himself.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Prayer is the expression of one’ heart. Just like we can know what a person
the Lord is from His prayer. Our prayers also manifest what a believer we are.
2) The aloud prayer of the Lord here is motivated by
His love to His disciples ---- He has an eager expectation that the disciples
can know the relationship of them with God.
3) The zealous desire in the Lord is not the salvation
of men, but the glory of God. Salvation is the secondary, for it is also for
the glory of God.
4) What the Lord Jesus concerns most is not the glory
of Him, but a greater thing, i.e. to glorify the Father. He seeks to be
glorified by the Father so as to glorify the Father.
5) The highest goal of prayer is to glorify God and to
exalt God. This is why we should start from worshipping God when we are praying
(see Matt 6:9).
6) There are two functions of the cross: in the
negative aspect, it has fulfilled the salvation. In the positive aspect, it has
given the life ---- to glorify God. The cross is the only way of entering
glory.
7) The purpose of the salvation is leading us to
glorify God. No matter in what condition we are, or any infirmity we have, we
also live for the purpose of glorifying God and manifesting His glory. The
focus of the glad tidings is the declaration the glory of God.
8) The Father has been glorified in the Son. He shall
never be glorified outside the Son, for the Father has given the Son all He is
and all He has.
John. 17:2 “as You have given Him
authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You
have given Him. ”
YLT: “according as
Thou didst give to him authority over all flesh, that -- all that Thou hast
given to him -- he may give to them life age-during;”
Meaning of Words: “authority”: liberty, power;
“flesh”: carnal;
Literal Meaning: “as You have given Him
authority”, the idea of “giving” is very emphatic (see v.4, 6-9, 11-12, 14, 22,
24). “Authority” here includes: (1) the authority over all flesh; (2) giving
eternal life to men; (3) “laying it down and taking it again” (see 10:18).
“The authority over all flesh”, “all
flesh” refers to all the mankind (see Gen 6:3; 2Cor 2:14). The Lord’s authority
over all flesh is particularly exercised
on those who
are of Him ---- they can see personally and
hear the manifestation of the glory of God (see 2Pet 1:16-18; 1 John 1:1-3) so
as to bear witness of Him
(see v.20).
“That He should give eternal life”, God
gives the Lord authority so that men have
got the chance of
receiving eternal life. “The eternal
life” is not only a blessing in the future, but also a divine life ---- such life not only enables men to live eternally, but also is a life of high quality with the divine disposition of God. This divine life has the special function of
knowing God and Christ (see v.3;
Matt 11:27).
“You have given Him.” ---- Here, it
emphasizes again that God takes the initiative in the salvation. God gives
eternal life to men through the Lord Jesus. However, such life is not given to
everyone, but those who are given to the Lord by the Father, namely, the chosen ones by the
Father.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Authority and eternal life are the content of the “glory” of God.
2) The Father has
given the Lord Jesus Christ all things concerning the world and the mankind into
His hands. And Christ is supervising and ruling everything in the world.
Therefore, everything that happens in us has His good will, so we can receive
it at ease.
3) The Father gives
the authority to the Son so as to let the Lord rule men and take care of men,
and thus they can keep alive on the earth.
4) The Lord has
authority over everything, even the devil. We are in the steady guidance of
Him, is there anything that makes us fear?
5) The Lord Jesus is
the beloved gift to the world given by the Father in the heaven (see 3:16), and
the believers are the beloved gift to the Lord Jesus given by the Father in the
heaven too. We believers should not despise ourselves, for each of us is the
gift to the Son given by the Father.
6) The salvation, a
gift of God, is granted by God. Men can only receive, but contribute nothing.
7) No one can make
himself be a Christian, for no one can produce the Christian life in himself.
Only Christ can give men eternal life.
8) Christians are
those who partake of the nature of God. The difference between Christians and
those who are not does not lie in the extent, but nature. Therefore, even the
lowest Christian is better the most excellent one who is not Christian.
John. 17:3 “And this is eternal life,
that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ”
YLT: “and this is the
life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou
didst send -- Jesus Christ;”
Literal Meaning: “they may know You, the
only true God”, “know” in the original is the same word as “knowing” the spouse
in the Bible (see Matt 1:25). Therefore, it
refers to not only the objective knowledge, but
also the intimate relationship like the husband and wife ---- they
know each other thoroughly and have the fellowship with the
other one (see 10:14-15; 14:17), which is an growing experience.
This verse describes God
is: (1) the “only” God ---- there is none other God except for Him (see 5:44;
Rom 16:27; 1Tim 1:17; 6:15-16; Judas 24). (2) The “true” God ---- only He is the true and living
God, all the other gods are false (see 1The 1:9; Lev 19:4; 2Chr 16:26; Ps
96:5).
“This is eternal life.” ---- It has two meanings: (1) He who knows God and Jesus Christ has eternal life. (2) To know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life. “Eternal life” on one hand
has been received by us for knowing God and
Jesus Christ, and on the other
hand enables us to know God and Jesus Christ.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We should know not just He is “the only true” God, but also He is our savior, for unless
we know the latter one, we will never obtain eternal life from Him.
2) “Jesus” refers to His incarnation. “Christ” indicates that He is the anointed one who
comes to save us. Every great truth is included in the name of “Jesus Christ”. This name enables us to know the only true
God. Yes, the way of knowing God is to know Christ. If one wants to know God,
he should know Christ first (see 1:18; 14:9; 2Cor 4:6; Matt 11:27).
3) Eternal life is not
a matter outside of Christ, but Christ Himself. We can partake of His divine
life through the union with Him.
4) To know Christ is
to know God. Then one will have the eternal life. If we want to obtain the
richer life (see 10:10), we should only seek to know more about God and Christ.
5) Believers do not need to be instructed to know God
(see Heb 8:11; Phil 3:10), for the new life in every believer has the function
of knowing God and Christ.
John. 17:4 “I have glorified You on the
earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ”
YLT: “I did glorify
Thee on the earth, the work I did finish that Thou hast given me, that I may do
.”
Literal Meaning: “I
have glorified You on the earth”. ---- It indicated that the life of the Lord Jesus “on
the earth” had already manifested His divinity in Him.
“I have finished the work which You
have given Me to do.” ---- Although the
Lord’s greatest work of redemption would not be fulfilled until His crucifixion
on the cross, He had indeed accomplished what God had entrusted to Him as far
as His walks and ministrations of preaching on the earth concerned.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Whatever you do, do all
things to God's glory (see 1Cor 10:31).
2) The Lord Jesus had
fulfilled the great salvation that God had entrusted to Him. We may have rest
in His fulfilled works through faith.
3) The Lord’s salvation is an accomplished salvation. We
need neither do anything nor provide any good works except for receiving. In
Christ, and only in Christ, everything has fulfilled.
4) To fulfill what God will do is to glorify God. He
who has accomplished what God will do will enter glory (see v.5).
John. 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify
Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world
was.”
YLT: “`And now,
glorify me, Thou Father, with Thyself, with the glory that I had before the
world was, with Thee;”
Literal Meaning: “O
Father, glorify Me together with Yourself”, this is the second desire of the Lord Jesus in
His prayer for Him. When He prayed it, His eyes had surpassed the cross and
gazed at His glory which He had taken off.
“Before the world”: before the foundation of the world, i.e.
in the past eternity.
“With the glory which I had with You”, such “glory” was not that He had never
enjoyed, but the one which He had with the Father. The Lord meant: “when I had
accomplished the purpose of coming to the world through the cross, may the
Father give me the glory which I had before.”
Note that the Lord in this verse used “Me”
or “I” instead of the “Son (see v.1b)”, which showed us that the meanings of
the two “glories” He sought were different. The former one in verse one refers
to the glory manifested in the cross. The latter one in this verse refers to “the
glory from the past eternity”.
According to the original, there are
three times of the word “with”, which indicates the person and the deity of the
Son who has the equal status with the Father ---- in the divine glory, the
Father and the Son are one.
John. 17:6 “"I have manifested
Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours,
You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ”
YLT: “I did manifest
Thy name to the men whom Thou hast given to me out of the world; Thine they were,
and to me Thou hast given them, and Thy word they have kept;”
Meaning of Words: “manifest”: reveal, appear,
and manifestly declare; “word”: the abiding word (logos);
Literal Meaning: “I
have manifested Your name to the men”,
according to the doctrines of the Scripture, the name of God is inseparable
from His nature. The name of God is the nature and reality of God. “Manifest”
means “reveal” or “explain”, so this verse means that the Lord has revealed the
Father to His disciples. The Lord reveals God by using His own life,
disposition, life, works, doctrines and etc.
“They have kept Your word”. ---- “Your word” refers to the word of
God. It refers to the abiding word in the original, namely, the word written in
the Scripture.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Nothing is more important than knowing God for us.
It is really a pity that we may be a zealous and religious religionist but
still know neither the name of God nor God Himself.
2) Unless we have known clearly God and Christ, we can
not call ourselves “Christians”.
3) “They were Yours, You gave
them to Me”. ----Apparently,
all those who have been saved are of the Father, and the Father gives them to
the Son. It also unveils that once we have been saved, we shall be saved
forever. If one thinks that he may perish again after receiving the salvation,
it is like that the Father remove what has already given to the Son. God can
never do like this.
4) The one who really knows God must keep His word.
All those who do not keep His word must have not known God completely.
John. 17:7 “Now they have known that
all things which You have given Me are from You.”
YLT: “now they have
known that all things, as many as Thou hast given to me, are from Thee,”
Literal Meaning: “all
things which You have given Me”, what the
Father has given the Son are: (1) authority (see v.2); (2) believers (see v.2,
6, 9, 24); (3) work (see v.4); (4) word (see v.8); (5) name (see v.11-12); (6)
glory (see v.22, 24).
Enlightenment in the Word: Christians are those who clearly know all things
that God has done through Jesus Christ.
John. 17:8 “For I have given to them
the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known
surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. ”
YLT: “because the
sayings that Thou hast given to me, I have given to them, and they themselves
received, and have known truly, that from Thee I came forth, and they did
believe that Thou didst send me.”
Meaning of Words: “words”: the transient words
(rhema); “receive”: hold, obtain;
Literal Meaning: “for
I have given to them the words which You have given Me”, the “words” are the words of God, referring to
the transient words in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
This verse mentions three conditions of becoming
believers: (1) to receive the words of God; (2) to know truly that the heavenly
origin of the Lord Jesus; (3) to believe His commission of coming into the
world.
“Receiving” shall be first and “knowing”
and “believing” shall follow behind. When we receive and accept the word of
God, we may usually meet some word hard to understand. However, if we open our
heart and keep it, the Holy Spirit will work in us and lead us. Then that
abiding word written in the Holy Scripture will become the inspired word by the
Holy Spirit, thus enabling us to know and believe the Christ described in the
word of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) As a Christian, one should know clearly about the
savior Jesus. If one does not know Him, he can not be counted as a Christian.
2) Christians believe
not only the Nazarene Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, but also that God
has sent Him to the earth.
3) Christians “receive” the word of God first, and then “know” and “believe” the word of God. When we read the
Scripture, though we may meet difficult verses, we shall still keep the word of
the Christ in us richly instead of giving up (Col 3:16). At the season, many
questions will be readily solved.
John. 17:9 “"I pray for them. I do
not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are
Yours. ”
YLT: “`I ask in
regard to them; not in regard to the world do I ask, but in regard to those
whom Thou hast given to me, because Thine they are,”
Meaning of Words: “pray”: ask, beseech, and entreat;
Literal Meaning: “I
pray for them”. ---- The words “pray”
(see v.15, 20) and “desire” (v.24) are used to describe the expression to the
other one in the close fellowship, including the meaning of “I wish” or “I will”.
In the prayer of the Lord Jesus to God the Father, He remembered all those who
were of Him, expressing His desire and will.
“I do not pray for the world”. ---- It did not mean that the Lord did
not concern others, for even at this moment, He still prayed for the world ----
“that the world
may believe (v.21)”, “that the world may know (v.23)”. Obviously, He did not give up
the world.
The Lord’s words here meant: “although I
shall grant grace to the world, I do not pray for the world at present, but
pray for those who will have contact with the world so that they will be serviceable
to Me and bring the right knowledge and faith of God to men.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the Lord did not pray for the world, His
prayer for the disciples was still for the purpose of the world. We might say
that He prayed for the sake of the world.
2) We believers have been granted the edification and
perfection of the Lord, thus enabling us to bring the glad tidings and witness
of Christ to the world. We are not living for the desire of ourselves, but the
will of the Lord.
John. 17:10 “And all Mine are Yours, and
Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.”
YLT: “and all mine
are Thine, and Thine mine, and I have been glorified in them;”
Literal Meaning: “And
all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine”,
it means that they are one (see 10:30), and they have the same mind, thought
and purpose ---- the same nature, essence, glory, authority, power and sovereignty.
All that belongs to the Son belongs to the Holy Father. Likewise, all that
belongs to the Holy Father belongs to the Son. The Father and the Son partakes
of everything unconditionally.
“I
am glorified in them.”
---- Just like when the patients’
sickness has been healed, the doctors will be glorified. When believers’ disease of sins has been saved, they may
glorify the Lord in many aspects: (1) they are saved. (2) They may bring others
to be saved. (3) They may live in the life of God and bear good testimonies.
John. 17:11 “Now I am no longer in the
world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through
Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. ”
YLT: “and no more am
I in the world, and these are in the world, and I come unto Thee. Holy Father,
keep them in Thy name, whom Thou hast given to me, that they may be one as we;”
Meaning of Words: “keep”: hold fast, reserve;
Literal Meaning: “Holy
Father”, this appellation
appears only once in the New Testament. “Holy” indicates that the disposition
of God is holy (see 1Pet 1:15-16; Rev 4:8; 6:10). “Father” shows that God is so
merciful. The appellation of “Holy
Father” reveals the nature
of God ---- His transcendence and His kindness. He is both fearful and
merciful.
“And I come to You”, the Son will go to the Father ultimately,
for they are one.
“Keep through Your name those whom You
have given Me”, there are many
translations of this verse: (1) “keep those whom You have given Me for the sake of your name”; (2) “keep those whom You have
given Me with your name”;
(3) “keep them for the sake your name, which You have given Me”; (4) “keep them in your name which You have given Me”.
The name of God stands for His being and
His life (see the commentary of verse 6). Only those who have the divine life
can partake of the name of God. Believers have been granted the eternal life by
the Lord (see v.2), so they are kept in the name of God.
“They may be one”. ---- “Being one” is “becoming
one” in the original. Each of the believers has the same divine life from God
within himself, so that their outward language and behavior may become
identical with each other. It makes no distinction among them ---- they have
fellowship with one another and love one another.
“Keep through Your name those whom You
have given Me, that they may be one”, in the original, it means “keeping them
remaining in oneness” rather than “making them into oneness”. The Oneness has
been already given by God, and we need no longer strive for it (see Eph 4:3-6).
“As We are”, it indicates that the
oneness among believers is like the oneness between the Father and the Son.
Such oneness is neither in organization, nor in emotion, nor in reason, nor in
attitude, but in life
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is the “Holy Father”, who is holy. Every time we come to God,
let us serve Him acceptably with reverence and fear, for our God a consuming
fire (see Heb 12:29).
2) “Holy Father… that they may be one”, it speaks that how earnestly the Lord
desires that His church on the earth shall be one. Therefore, the situation of
divisions and religious sects in the Christianity has gone against the will of
the Lord and destroyed the purpose of the Lord, which is completely
unacceptable to the Lord
3) The outward oneness
among believers is based on the fact that they all have the nature of the
oneness ---- the name of God, namely, the divine life.
4) “Oneness” is an established spiritual fact. The
responsibility of believers is not to destroy this “oneness”.
John. 17:12 “While I was with them in
the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and
none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be
fulfilled. ”
YLT: “when I was with
them in the world, I was keeping them in Thy name; those whom Thou hast given
to me I did guard, and none of them was destroyed, except the son of the
destruction, that the Writing may be fulfilled.”
Literal Meaning: “except
the son of perdition”, “the son of perdition” referred to Judas. “Perdition” indicated
that he was doomed to perdition because of His sins.
“That the Scripture might be fulfilled”, “the Scripture” refers to the Book of Psalm (41:9).
John. 17:13 “But now I come to You, and
these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in
themselves. ”
YLT: “`And now unto
Thee I come, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy
fulfilled in themselves;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The frequent meditation of the Lord’s words may fill us with great joy.
2) The joy that we seek is not of this world, but of
the Lord.
John. 17:14 “I have given them Your
word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I
am not of the world. ”
YLT: “I have given to
them Thy word, and the world did hate them, because they are not of the world,
as I am not of the world;”
Meaning of Words: “word”: the abiding word
(logos);
Literal Meaning: “I
have given them Your word”, there are two
kinds of the word that the Lord has given us: (1) the transient word (see v.8);
(2) the abiding word (v. 14, 17).
“And the world has hated them”, the “world” is the system that against
God and the people of God. The word “world” has appeared for 18 times in this
chapter. Since believers are not of the world, and neither agree with the world
nor follow the life style of the world, they will be hated by the world.
“Because they are not of the world”, “the world” represents the lifestyle
without regarding God as the center. It is the lifestyle and belief against
God. “Be not
of the world”, it means that they
are not guided or controlled by such belief and lifestyle which are opposed to
God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) He who receives the word of the Lord is standing on
the status that is against the world.
2) Christians live in the world, but their attitudes
towards life are different from that of the world, for their life is
God-centered.
John. 17:15 “I do not pray that You
should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil
one. ”
YLT: “I do not ask
that Thou mayest take them out of the world, but that Thou mayest keep them out
of the evil.”
Literal Meaning: “I do not pray that You should take them out of
the world”. ---- For their works are just in the world. Believers “are not of the
world (see v.14, 16)”, and “do not leave the world”, which indicates that: (1)
though the status of the believers is “surpassing the world”, their life is “in
this world”. (2) Though the believers are “in this world” physically, their
spirit should keep “surpassing the world”. (3) Believers should live in the
life that “surpasses the world”, so that they will not join in the evil-doings
when they are “in the world”.
“But that You should keep them from the
evil one”. ---- “The evil
one” might be male or neutral. The former one refers to the devil, and the
latter one refers to sins. This verse suggests that the evil one and the attack
of sins are truly the potential crisis.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When we believers meet difficulties, we shall not
ask to leave the world, but seek to be protected in the world (see Rev 3:10).
2) Christians should
not be the monks who keep themselves clean and pure, but live among others to
perform the functions of “being
the salt” and “being the light” (see Matt 5:13-16).
3) The Scripture does
not encourage the passive attitudes towards life. The spiritual devotion of
Christians may receive the heavenly equipments so that they can life the
divine life before men.
4) The devil entices
the believers to love the world by all means. The overcomers are those who live
in the world but are sanctified by Lord’s word and are delivered from the enticement
of the devil.
John. 17:16 “They are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world. ”
YLT: “`Of the world
they are not, as I of the world am not;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers are those who are of the Lord, not the
world. Such distinction is very important. Many believers are defeated by the
life in the world because of the ignorance of this distinction.
2) since we are not of the world, our attitudes
towards all things in the world should be distinct from that of the world, and
we shall be controlled by nothing.
John. 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your
truth. Your word is truth. ”
YLT: “sanctify them
in Thy truth, Thy word is truth;”
Meaning of Words: “sanctify”:
hallow, be holy; “word”: the abiding word (logos);
Literal Meaning: “Sanctify
them by Your truth”, “sanctify”: to
being holy (see v.19). It indicates that they will be sanctified and
serviceable to God, which refers to not only the sanctification in the status
(see Matt 23:17, 19), but in reality (see Rom 6:19, 22).
The disciples shall not depart from the
world (see v.15), but live in the world to fulfill their commission on the
earth (see v.18), yet surpass the lust of the world (see v.14, 16; 1John2:16).
The Lord prayed the Father to sanctify them in His life of truth (which is embodied in Him).
“Your word is truth.” ---- “Your word” refers to the word of God. All that God has
spoken is true, without any falsehood, so the word of God is the reality and
the truth.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The word of God is to sanctify men (see Acts
20:32). The more we receive the word of God, the more obviously and more
thoroughly we will be separated from the world.
2) The truth shall be the holy light and guidance for
men. The more we have read the Holy Scripture, the more we are separated from
the world.
John. 17:18 “As You sent Me into the
world, I also have sent them into the world. ”
YLT: “as Thou didst
send me to the world, I also did send them to the world;”
Literal Meaning: “as
You sent Me into the world”, this is the
greatest truth of sending and the best example of sending ---- which is also
the greatest sending.
John. 17:19 “And for their sakes I sanctify
Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. ”
YLT: “and for them do
I sanctify myself, that they also themselves may be sanctified in truth.”
Meaning of Words: “sanctify”: hallow, be holy;
Literal Meaning: “and
for their sakes I sanctify Myself”, “their”: the disciples’ (see v.6). The Lord
Himself is holy, and His nature is holy. Therefore, here “sanctify” does not
indicate that whether we have been sanctified or not, but whether we have been
separated. The Lord Jesus here sanctifies himself for the disciples’ sake. It
shows that He can do many things which have not conflict with His holiness
actually, but He gives up His right for the sake of the disciples’ infirmity.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We believers should consider others in our walking
and never put a stumbling-block or a fall-trap before our brothers (Rom
14:13-21).
2) Everyone who serves
God should learn to be sanctified in his words and deeds. For example, if you
saw others talking about some improper topics, the first thing you had to do
was to be separated from that situation and keep away from their talking (see
Eph 4:29; 5:4).
John. 17:20 “"I do not pray for
these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ”
YLT: “`And not in
regard to these alone do I ask, but also in regard to those who shall be
believing, through their word, in me;”
Literal Meaning: “I
do not pray for these alone”, “these” refers to
the Lord’s disciples.
“But also for those who will believe in
Me through their word”, “those who will believe in
Me through their word” refers to the
believers throughout the past two thousand years.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The prayer of the Lord in chapter seventeen is a
prayer for us. No matter in what condition we are, He always concerns us and
pray for us (see Heb 7:25).
2) The meaning of the Lord’s prayer for us is to put us in the hand of
God. Is there any other hand more reliable than that of God in this world? Oh!
What a great consolation for us of knowing that God is concerning for us,
remembering us and protecting us.
3) The Lord prayed for
the first disciples (who represented the church), and for those who believed
Christ later (i.e. the churches all over the world). It unveils that the
stature of the fullness of Christ surpasses the restriction of region and
man-induced factors and needs the universal church to take and manifest it.
John. 17:21 “that they all may be one,
as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that
the world may believe that You sent Me. ”
YLT: “that they all
may be one, as Thou Father in me, and I in Thee; that they also in us may be
one, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me.”
Literal Meaning: “as
You, Father, are in Me, and I in You”,
it indicates that the oneness of Christians is just like the union between the
Father and the Son in life. The Father is in the Son, so the Father is of the
Son. The Son is in the Father, so the Son is of the Father.
“That they also may be one in Us”, it shows that the true oneness can be
perfected only in the life of the divine Trinity.
“That the world may believe that You
sent Me”, the oneness of
believers should have a great impact upon others so as to enable them to
believe the commission of Christ.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The division among Christians is diametrically
opposed to the life of the divine Trinity, which shows that we have not lived
in the divine life.
2) The Christianity
has been divided into many sects, though it has historic origin, it is still
for short of the glory of God. It is difficult to persuade the world of Christ.
3) Christians shall only live in the oneness of life
according to the will of the Lord, thus persuading the world into believing the
Lord.
4) “That they all may be one…that the world may believe
that You sent Me.” ---- Obviously, the
oneness of Christians should be fulfilled in the world today. Therefore, we
should not always suppose that we would not be one until we came to the heaven
in future.
John. 17:22 “And the glory which You
gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ”
YLT: “`And I, the
glory that thou hast given to me, have given to them, that they may be one as
we are one;”
Literal Meaning: this verse refers to the oneness in the divine
glory. When believers deny completely themselves and refuse to live in the
natural life but live in the divine life through the divine disposition, what
they have manifested will be not only the glory of God, but also the oneness of
them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The purpose of God’ works is to head up all things (see
Eph1:10), and the result of that is to manifest the glory of God (see Eph1:12).
If the children of God do not enter the oneness first, all things will not be
gathered together in one, so the oneness of the children of God is the key to
manifest the glory of God.
2) The theme of this
prayer is glory and oneness. Yes, only when the Father has manifested His
fullness of glory in the Son can there be the true oneness in the church. Only
when the church is one in the only name of Christ (see v.11), can the divine
Trinity be fully glorified unto all generations of the age of ages (see Eph
3:21).
3) The Son of God
prayed to the Father for the oneness of the church, just like the oneness of
the divine Trinity. It speaks that only the oneness of Christ is the oneness of
the church. The church should regard the full Christ as the only center (any
additional organization, name, opinion or so-called “truth” should not be included) so that the church
will be one truly. Just like the Apostle Paul said: “…to head up all things in the Christ (Eph
1:10)”.
John. 17:23 “I in them, and You in Me;
that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have
sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. ”
YLT: “I in them, and
Thou in me, that they may be perfected into one, and that the world may know
that Thou didst send me, and didst love them as Thou didst love me.”
Literal Meaning: “that
they may be made perfect in one”, “be made perfect”, it confesses the fact that though
Christians have the one life, they still lack the performance of oneness, so
they need to be perfected. The perfect performance of oneness comes from the
entire obedience to the Lord who abides in us.
“And that the world may know that You
have sent Me”, the oneness of
believers is on the purpose of “making the world know”, which is deeper than “making
the world believe (see v.21)”. When believers are perfected in one, Christ has
also been glorified in all the believers. Then, the world will not only believe
but also know that Christ has been sent by God.
“And have loved them as You have loved
Me”, the oneness of believers has a purpose
concerning the glad tidings, which has something to do with the commission of the
Lord Jesus as well as the Love of God to men and to Christ. In other words, the
love of God plays an important role in the oneness of believers.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Only when Christ rules in every believer of us can
we be perfected in one truly.
2) The oneness of Christ is a glorious witness, which
shall have a great impact upon the world.
3) The love of God is the motive force for the oneness
of believers. The true oneness will also manifest the love of God.
John. 17:24 “"Father, I desire that
they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My
glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the
world. ”
YLT: “`Father, those
whom Thou hast given to me, I will that where I am they also may be with me,
that they may behold my glory that Thou didst give to me, because Thou didst
love me before the foundation of the world.”
Literal Meaning: “where
I am”, “where” ---- the place where the Lord
Jesus had manifested His glory. He went to the glory through the cross, so it
referred to the experience of the cross.
“Desire that they also whom You gave Me”, “desire” ---- this is the last will of the
Lord Jesus for His disciples.
“May be with Me”, the Lord desires that we who are of Him may have
fellowship with Him in the glory of the cross, through which we can partake of
His cross and obtain glory ---- this is the excellent blessing for Christians.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord asked the Father to make us with
Him forever. Yes, the most important thing for we believers is to be with the
Lord. If we lost the presence of the Lord, we will lose everything. May the
Father grant this prayer and make us live in the presence of the Lord no matter
in any place or at any time.
2) The Son of God will
ultimately be in the fullness of the glory of the Father. Therefore, He prayed
for the church, expecting that the church would enter the full glory of the
Father with Him together in the end. This what Christ, the church as well as
the creature are expecting ---- the manifestation of the sons of God and the
firstborn in glory (Rom 8:19).
John. 17:25 “O righteous Father! The
world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You
sent Me. ”
YLT: “`Righteous
Father, also the world did not know Thee, and I knew Thee, and these have known
that Thou didst send me,”
Literal Meaning: “O righteous
Father”, such appellation
only appears here in the New Testament. “Righteousness” is the principle of the
works of God. God cannot be unrighteous in anything.
John. 17:26 “And I have declared to them
Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in
them, and I in them." ”
YLT: “and I made
known to them Thy name, and will make known, that the love with which Thou
lovedst me in them may be, and I in them.'”
Literal Meaning: “and
I have declared to them Your name”,
the Lord will reveal the being of God to the believers (see v.11-12).
“And will declare it”, it shows that our knowledge about God
should be abundant yet more and more.
“That the love with which You loved Me
may be in them, and I in them”, the more we have
the personal experience of the love of God and the indwelling Lord, the more we
will reach the Lord’s expectation on us.
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
I. The Various Glories
A. Glorify Your Son, that Your
Son also may glorify You (v.1)
---- the glory of the cross.
B. I have glorified You on the earth ---- the incarnation
manifests the glory of God (v.4).
C.
O Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself (v.5) ---- the glory of the eternity.
D.
I
am glorified in them (v.10) ---- the
manifestation of the glory of the risen life.
E.
The glory which You gave Me (v.22, 24).
II.What the Father Has Granted to the Son
A.
Give Him the
authority (v.2)
B.
Give Him the
believers (v.2, 6, 9, 24)
C.
Give Him the works
(v.4)
D.
Give Him the word
(v.8)
E.
Give Him the name
(v.11-12)
F.
Give Him the glory
(v.22, 24)
III. The Relation of the
Lord Jesus with His Disciples
A.
The Lord used the
authority given by God to give eternal life to them (v.2).
B.
The Lord made them
know God and Jesus Christ
(v.3).
C.
The Lord manifested the
name of God to them (v.6).
D.
The Lord gave them
the word of God, and they have kept the word (v.6-8).
E.
The Lord prayed for
them (v.9).
F.
The Lord kept them
(v.12).
IV. What the Son Has
Granted to the Disciples
A. Give them the eternal life (v.2).
B. Give them the transient word (v.8).
C. Give them the abiding word (v.14).
D. Give them glory (v.22).
V. The Status of the
Believers
A. Whom the Father has
given to Christ (v.2, 5,
9).
B. Who receive and keep the
word of the Lord (v.6-8)
C. Who surely know Christ
(v.8).
D. Who glorify Christ (v.10).
E. Who are filled with the
Lord’s joy (v.13).
F. Who are not of the
world (v.14, 16).
G. Whom God loves (v.23).
H. Who have the love of
God and Christ Himself within (v.26).
VI. How Will the Lord
Jesus Be Glorified by the Believers (v.10)?
A. He shall be glorified by the oneness of
believers (v. 11, 21-23).
B. He shall be glorified by the sanctification
of believers (v.14-19).
C. He shall be glorified by the believers who “may
be with Him” (v.24).
D. He shall be glorified by the believers who
have “the Lord’s love” and “the Lord Himself” (v.25-26).
VII. The Oneness of the
Believers
A. The origin of the oneness ---- the Holy
Father (v.11a)
B. The sphere of the oneness ---- them (v.11b)
---- those who believe the Lord (v.21)
C. The nature of the oneness ---- just as the Father and the Son are one (v.11c, 22b)
D. The way of the oneness
1. Through the Lord’s name (v.11-12)
2. Through being sanctified by the truth
(v.14-21a)
3. Through being in God and Christ (v.21b)
4. Through the glory of the Lord (v.22a)
5. Through God and Christ who are in believers
(v.23a)
E. The effect of the oneness
1. That the world may believe Christ (v.21c)
2. That the world may know the love of Christ and God (v.23b)
VIII. The Relation of the
Believers with the World
A. Being sent to the world by the Lord (v.18)
B. Being not of the world (v.14, 16)
C. Being not taken out of the world (v.15a)
D. Being kept from the evil one (v.15b)
E. Being sanctified (v.19) ---- to be
sanctified from the world unto God
IX. The Mystery of Sanctification
A. To look upon the protection of God (v.15)
B. To be sanctified by the truth (the word of
God) (v.17, 19b)
C. To imitate the example of the Lord’s
sanctification (v.19a)
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou