John 17 Commentary (3)
The next prayer of the Lord is, “they may be one.” (John 17:6-12)
“They have kept your word” (verse 6) and it says that they revealed the word of the Father.
That is, they exposed the word of the Father.
This prayer also has the same content as the prayer, “Hallowed be your name .”
Originally, the word was the Father’s, but the those who were given to Jesus Christ in the world, and those who are still belong to the Father, have keep the word of God through God and continue to keep so.
Keeping the word means that from God’s perspective, it has already been completed, or succeeded.
From God’s perspective, the Bible is a completed event.
However, for us, it is still in progress.
In this way, we need to have a perspective that sees both God’s perspective and human perspective to properly view the Bible.
Next, in John 17:7, everything the Father has given me (plural) is the words.
These are the words of God.
And they, the Lord’s disciples, knew them.
Therefore, understanding and knowing the words of God is a great blessing within God’s plan of creation.
This means that they have become heirs of heaven.
God’s words were first given to Jesus Christ, and since we know that God sent Christ, we come to believe in Him.
After receiving the words of God, we come to know this fact.
Next, in John 17:8, it says, “They received the words (rhemata), and they truly knew and believed them.”
The process of receiving the words, knowing, and believing is very important.
It reminds us of how serious the ministry of the servants who speak the word of God is.
The Lord and God's system must be exactly like the Lord's servant and the Lord's system.
Therefore, we must be especially determined to become one with Christ in the Spirit of truth and become the Lord's true servants.
And the Lord prays for those who are God's possessions, those entrusted to Jesus Christ. (John 17:9)
The Lord does not pray for the world.
Therefore, God deals with all things in the universe, but Christ deals only with the chosen people.
That is why our prayer, as taught by the Lord, rather than the prayer of the Gentiles, is an essential choice.
Jesus says that all Jesus have is Father's, and all Father have is his. (John 17:10)
‘Glory has come to me through them.’ Our Lord’s desire is to born again us and establish His throne in us and sit in us, and this is His glory.
He prays that we who are in the world will be preserved in the name of the Father. (John 17:11)
When we hold the word of God in Christ, the word of God holds us.
This is what is meant by preservation.
The reason preservation is necessary is because we are in the world.
The world cannot enter Christ, but we still remain in the world, so we must pray that God preserves us in His name.
This prayer of the Lord is valid forever.
And the way for Christians to be preserved in the world is to become one with the Lord and the Father through the Word.
"they may be one as we are one."
That is the Rock of ages.
Becoming one with Christ in his Word is the only secret to defeating the devil, the ruler of the world.
When we keep the word of God in our heart, He protects us.
Becoming one will and one purpose within the Word is becoming one.
This is the wish of the Lord who prays for us.
When the Lord was with the disciples, He preserved them in the name of the Father (John 17:12).
He protected them.
God only left Judas, the son of perdition, Iscariot, to fulfill the Bible.
Even now, He gives eternal life to those who hear the Word of God and are in Him, and He preserves them in the world, saying, ‘No one can snatch them out of My Father's hand’ (John 10:28).
Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.
Translated by Nancy Chung
COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION
To God be the glory.