THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XXXVIII: Trusting In Christ For His Gracious Edification Of True Believers, John 14-17

J. Trusting In Christ For His High Priestly Intercession For His Believers, John 17

2. Trusting In Christ For His Prayer In Behalf Of His Apostles For The Church's Welfare

(John 17:6-19)

I. Introduction

A. John's Gospel claims that Jesus' disciples had received of His fullness "grace for grace" (KJV), the "constant reception of one evidence of God's grace replacing another," John 1:16; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 273.

B. This truth is clarified in Christ's John 17:6-19 High Priestly Prayer where He prayed for His Apostles in behalf of His whole Church's welfare, and we view it for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Trusting In Christ For His Prayer In Behalf Of His Apostles For The Church's Welfare, John 17:6-19.

A. The Church is built on the foundation of the apostles, with Christ as the chief corner stone, Ephesians 2:19-20. The apostles' writings or the writings that carry their authority form our New Testament canon of Scripture.

B. Thus, Jesus prayed in the hearing of His disciples the John 17:6-19 words He knew John would share with us of Christ's prayer for God's oversight of the apostles, and thus of the validity of their words unto us as follows:

1. Jesus began His prayer for His apostles, noting the secure spiritual foundation God had given them, v. 6-8:

a. Jesus had manifested the Father's Name, His attributes and character, to the apostles the Father gave Him out of the world, John 17:6a. They had already been believers in the Father ("were" = "were being," from esan, imperf. tense, U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 396; The Analy. Grk. Lex., 1972, p. 188), and the Father had given them to Jesus and they had kept the Father's word, John 17:6b.

b. In Christ's ministry, the apostles had permanently come to know (egnokan, perfect tense Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., The An. Grk. Lex., p. 114) that all the Father had permanently given to Christ (dedokas, perf. tense, U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., The An. Grk. Lex., p. 85) was from the Father, John 17:7.

c. This had occurred via Christ's permanently giving (dedoka, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Ibid., The Analy. Grk. Lex.) the apostles the words the Father gave to Him to give to them, and they had received them and had known that Jesus truly was from the Father, and had believed the Father had sent Him, 17:8.

2. Thus, Jesus prayed for His apostles, not for the world, claiming that it was not the world but His apostles who had permanently been given to Him by the Father (dedoken, Ibid., p. 397) as they also belonged to the Father, and that Christ was permanently glorified (dedoxamai) in the apostles, John 17:9-10.

3. Christ requested that His apostles be preserved in edifying unity in a hostile world, John 17:11-19:

a. Jesus observed that the apostles were facing His absence as he returned to the Father (John 17:11a,b), so He prayed for a Holy or "separated" Father to preserve in His deity the apostles that they might be unified for mutual edification in the hostile, evil world like the Father and Son are unified, John 17:11c.

b. Jesus noted that only Judas Iscariot had been lost while Jesus was with the apostles, and that to fulfill Scripture (John 17:12), but as Christ was returning to the Father, He was speaking this prayer audibly that His apostles might have Christ's joy fulfilled in them, John 17:13.

c. This joy was necessary though Jesus had permanently given (dedoka, Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T., p. 397; Ibid., The Analy. Grk. Lex.) the Father's word unto them, and the world hated them because they were not of the world even as Christ was not of the world system, John 17:14.

d. Christ did not pray that the Father would take them out of the world where they needed to evangelize the lost, but that the Father might keep them from the Evil One, from Satan, John 17:15 ESV, NIV.

e. Jesus also asked that since the apostles were not of the world like He was not of it that the Father might keep them spiritually separate from it in the truth, noting God's Word was that truth, John 17:16-17. As the Father had sent the Son into the world, so the Son had sent the apostles into it, so Jesus had set Himself apart from the world that His disciples might also be set apart from it in God's truth, John 17:18-19.

Lesson: God the Father and God the Son took pains in providing the disciples with an indelible impression as to what was God's character and truth revealed in Christ and Scripture for their edification and ministry, and that in turn to affect our edification and ministries who are affected by their writings. May we thus trust their writings!

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ for His great care of His apostles as the true Son of God. (2) May we also trust the writings of the apostles as the true Word of God securely sent to us through God the Father and the Son.