JOHN CHAPTER 17 "The High Priestly Prayer

INTERCESSION OF THE SON OF GOD

THE MOVIE "THE GOSPEL OF JOHN" CHAPTER 17

INTRODUCTION

Chapters 15-17 could have easily been one chapter because they deal with the comforting of Jesus’ disciples.  Jesus preparing them for the tribulation He and they will soon face.  We left off in Chapter 16 v33 with Jesus speaking plainly to His disciples of those things which were to come, so they could have joy.  In chapter 16 we will study: Jesus praying as high priest, The disciples and the world, and finally their future glory.  After this they will leave for the garden.  

The High Priestly Prayer

“In the “high priestly” prayer the Lord prays for:

1.His own glorification (VV 1-5)

2.Believers’ protection (V. 11)

3.Believers’ sanctification (V 17)

4.The unity of believers (VV 21-23)

5.The ultimate glory of believers (V24)

It is essentially an intercession for those who will form the church (VV 6-26)” [quoted from Ryrie study Bible Commentaries]

We will examine each of these claims beginning with verse one

1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour [or time] has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,

What things was Jesus referring to?

We read in JN 7 of the promises Jesus made:

1.The promise of the Holy Spirit

2.The foretelling of Jesus’ death and resurrection

3.The promise the Father would answer their prayers when asked in the name of Jesus

4.The foretelling of the disciples being scattered.

Jesus acknowledges He was to complete the task set before Him and was asking the Father to use this happening to bring glory to both the Father and Himself.  The completion of His task as the sacrificial Lamb of God; for the atonement of the Sins for all men who are willing to accept it.  This act brought glory to the Son from the Father (not man) for His love of the Father and for the love of those He was to sacrifice His life for.  This brought glory to the Father for Jesus was His only begotten Son who was obedient even unto death.  Verse 2 establishes His authority and His purpose

2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

Literally everything that You have given Him, to them He may  {note as  quoted http://www.crosswire.org/study/passagestud}

All things which were made were made through Him and for Him all things were made (X Jn 1:3 Jn 3:35 ; Col1:16; Heb 1:2 ).  
Notice how Jesus speaks in the third person.  Because this statement is true Jesus has the authority to give eternal life to those who chose to accept Him, His authority, and His gift to us. Jesus grants us eternal life with Him in paradise because of our belief and acceptance of Him

3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ (the Messiah the deliver) whom You have sent.

This is Christ’s definition of salvation, especially if we add what is clearly understood; sent to be the Savior of the world (X JN 3:16, 4:42, 6:33, 4:14, and 5:20) [Ryier study Bible]

“You have sent me” is repeated by Jesus again in verses 8, 21, 23, 25.  Jesus stressed this because He wanted His followers to know:

1.What He did was the Fathers will

2.What He taught was from the Father

4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 

When Jesus said “With Yourself” what was He saying?
Because Jesus and the Father were one, glory given to the Son was glory given to the Father
Jesus was one with the Father in the beginning (X gen 1:1).  The Gods (Elohym)  “He created the heavens and the earth” From plural to singular The Father and Son are one

The word “world” is translated from the Greek word Kosmos meaning orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):--adorning, world. see GREEK for 2865

Jesus existed before this world was formed Gen 1:1 for all that was made was made through Him.  Kosmos used in this context means the earth and it’s inhabitants

6 “I have manifested  [made known]Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

Manifested your name means to reveal the divine nature of God the Father.  This is the basis on which the church is established. [Ryrie Bible commentary]

How did Jesus manifest the name of the Father?

In Jn 17:26 we read …and I have made Your name known [manifested] to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”  God ('elohiym el-o-heem' plural form) breathed into the nostrils of Adam and he lived.  Man is the only created creature in which Elohiym breathed in the breath of life.  Making man in His image body soul and spirit.  God created in His likeness making man His 
The last part of this verse “and they have kept Your word, can be confusing.  I believe Jesus was referring to His chosen this will become evident as we read on. We know that Jesus choose His disciples and His disciples would adhere to the teachings of Jesus and carry on His ministry; except for one.

7 “Now they [the disciples] have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words [divine message] which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that you sent me.” (X JN12:49 )

It is essential for the believer that Jesus was sent by the Father with the purpose to:

1.Teach the truths of the Father and Jesus’ relationship to the Father

2.To allow Himself, in obedience and love, to be Gods (Elohym) sacrificial Lamb

9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;  (X LK 22:32 ; JN 14:16 )

Jesus at this time was interceding with the Father for His disciples who were given to Him by the Father.  Jesus was not praying for the world at this time later in this prayer He will include believers (v 20).  Clearly this prayer is a prayer of intercession.  This type of prayer was traditionally offered to God by the high priest of Israel.  Jesus was and is our high priest interceding for us daily.  This prayer was part of the disciples ordination

10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. (X Jn 16:15 )

Jesus was talking about all those who the father gave Him (X Jn 10:29 ).  This statement of joint ownership also points to Jesus’ relationship with the Father.

Jesus is glorified in His disciples because they were living testimonies of:

1.His teachings

2.His love for them

3.Their love for one another

4.God the Fathers love for them

11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to you.  Holy Father, keep them in your name, the name which you have given Me, (XPhil2:9 ) that they may be one even as We are.  (X JN 13:1)

Jesus was not of this world He was begotten of God’s Holy Spirit (X Mat1:18 ).  Jesus was soon to go to the cross and would no longer be in this world.  This part of the prayer was Jesus’ benediction to His disciples.

12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in (a) Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished  [apollui to fully destroy] but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Jesus is the Christ and who so ever follows Christ shall be called by His name; Christian.  

Who was the son of perdition?  Jesus was referring to Judas who was under the control of Satan Jesus allowed Satan to use Judas so they scriptures would be fulfilled

The Disciples in the World

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves

Jesus was no longer speaking in parables because His time on earth was now short

Jesus was one with the Father.  This most intimate relationship brought an unparalleled fullness of Joy.  Jesus wanted to share this same fullness with His disciples both then and now.

14 “I have given them (a)Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are (b) not [spiritually] of the world, even as I am not [spiritually] of the world.

a)The word Jesus was speaking of is all Jesus had taught them.  Because the word caused the world to search themselves.  Finding themselves not right with God, with their own sin separating themselves from God

b)Jesus was not of this world, His disciples were of this world but separated from the world by the word. (X Jn 8:23 ; 15:19;17:16)

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world,  but to keep them (a)from  [out of the power of] the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, [spiritually] even as I am not of the world.  

a)The phrase From the evil one can be neuter (from evil) or masculine (from the evil one, Satan).  It should be noted that Christ does not teach withdrawal from the world but the Christians should be in the world but spiritually separated from it.”  [Ryrie study Bible]  Jesus was asking the Father to keep His disciples living in the world and yet to be separate spiritually from the world.  
b)Satan, a constant presence in this world, would have lured the disciples away without Gods protection.

•17 “Sanctify [set apart for Gods Holy purpose] them in the truth; Your word is truth.  

Now the disciples were already clean by the word.  Jesus was asking to make His disciples special, set apart from the world by the truth of the world they would keep in their hearts

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (X Jn 3:17; 17:8; 17:23)   

Jesus was sent into the world as a Lamb among wolves.  Jesus was to:   suffer pain as a man, suffer humiliation as a man, suffer and resist temptations as a man, Suffer a demeaning and gruesome death as a man, Suffer separation from the Father when He took the sins of the world upon Himself.  Jesus was to send His disciples to suffer as He had suffered at the hands of the world

19 “For their sakes I sanctify (a) Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified  (b)in truth.

Jesus was sanctified , as the sacrificial Lamb of God.  Because Jesus was sanctified for this purpose, His disciples, cleaned by the word, were now to be sanctified by the word, and purified by the shed blood of the Lamb

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word:  

Jesus asking the Father to bless the ministry the disciples were to embark upon the ministry to spread the gospel to the Jew and the gentile through out the known world

21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 

 All believers belong to the one body of Christ (X 1 Cor 12:13) and to the same household of God (X Eph 2:19).  This spiritual unity should be visibly expressed in the exercise of spiritual gifts (X Eph 4:3-16), prayer, and exhortation ( Heb 10:19-25)” [Ryrier Study Bible ]

Their Future Glory

22 “The  (a) glory [honor]which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

a)The word glory was translated from the Greek word doxadosh which can mean either  glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective):--dignity, glory(-ious), honour, praise, worship. see GREEK for 1380.  I think in this application the meaning of honor would be applicable here.  The honor of serving God the Father would be passed through Jesus to His followers (disciples)

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.  

The initial statement made here is one which is echoed throughout the gospel of John 

24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  (X Jn 17:2 ).  

Not only was the Son before the foundation of the world but also the Father and Son had fore knowledge of whom the Father would give to the son.  It was foreknown before the foundation of the world that Jesus would be the chosen Lamb of God   (X 1Peter1:20 )

25 “(a) O righteous Father, although the (b) world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;  
a) Righteous means more than the obvious (right or correct) here.  The Father would not be God if there were a chance He would be wrong in anything.  The word righteous was translated from the Greek word dikaios dik'-ah-yos meaning; equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):--just, meet  
b)The word “world” here refers to humanity

26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The word “name” does not mean name as we know it for God has many names but rather was translated for the Greek word onoma (literally or figuratively) (authority, character):--called, (+ sur-)name(-d).  I believe Jesus was referring to the authority and character of God the Father

The phrase’s “The love” and “You loved” both come from the Greek word agapeagh meaning specially (plural) a love-feast

NEXT WE WILL STUDY JOHN CHAPTER 18 Crucifixion of the Son of God