With Dale Ratzlaff
John 17:9-10
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; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them (Jn. 17:9-10).
“I ask.” Consider the strong position from which Jesus pleads with His father. He pleads from the perspective of His relationship to the Father. “Father, the hour has come.” “Before Abraham was born, I AM.” “I and the Father are one.” “For whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”
He implores from the viewpoint of the Creator.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being (Jn. 1:3).
He pleads from the perspective of His commission.
…Even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life (Jn. 17:2).
This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day (Jn. 6:39).
Jesus pleads from the perspective of a sinless life.
Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God (Jn. 8:46-47).
I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love (Jn. 15:10).
Jesus intercedes for His men from the perspective of His finished work. He speaks as if the crucifixion was an accomplished event. (See Marcus Rainsford, Our Lord Prays For His Own—Thoughts on John 17, P. 156. (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI 49501, 1950.)
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (Jn. 17:4).
When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit (Jn. 19:30).
Paul, with the insight given Him from God, puts Christ’s authority to intercede in these words:
God…seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:20-23).
We can see that our Mediator has all the power and authority to intercede on our behalf. Now, on this side of the cross, we can know that His prayer was answered. Christ has interceded for the eleven and us as well.
We may wonder why Jesus did not pray for the world. Elsewhere in John, we see the love of both the Father and the Son for the world.
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man (Jn. 1:9).
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn. 1:29).
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Jn. 3:16)
For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world (Jn. 6:33).
I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness (Jn. 12:46).
The above references show that there is no lack of God’s love for the world. The probable reason Jesus does not pray for the world at this time is that He knows it will be through His men that the world will hear the gospel. Therefore, He prays for His agents through whom God’s love will be taken to Jerusalem, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. The gospel mission is given to these eleven men, and as one untimely born, also to Paul. From our perspective, knowing the frailties, shortcomings, and lack of faith demonstrated in these men it seems risky for God to trust the all-important gospel assignment to them. However, this is God’s plan, and we see that through the power of the Spirit after Pentecost they, along with Paul, went out and proclaimed the gospel to their world.
This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:10).
…whom You have given Me.
Here is another example of divine sovereignty and human responsibility worked out through the Trinity. The Father gives the disciples of Jesus, as quoted above. Yet, we also read:
Jesus answered them, Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil? (Jn. 6:70).
When Jesus chose the disciples, they responded to His call.
As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. (Mk. 1:15-20)
Would to God that we, too, would respond immediately to the call of the Gospel. Both the Father and the Son have chosen us “in Christ.” Our responsibility is to follow immediately.
…for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine.
Jesus understands that the disciples belong to the Father. They are gifted to Jesus. At the same time they belong to Jesus, they are personally owned by the Father. Now they are in the family of God!
It is so easy to read over a passage such as this without contemplating what is implied. For example, when Jesus says, “all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine,” He makes it clear that everything belonging to the Father belongs to Him. The Father’s nature is Christ’s nature. The Father’s name is Christ’s name. The Father’s eternity is Christ’s eternity. The Father’s perfection is Christ’s perfection. The Father’s attributes are Christ’s attributes. The Father’s fullness is Christ’s fullness. The Father’s dominion is Christ’s dominion. The Father’s kingdom is Christ’s kingdom. John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, records Christ’s words with deep insight. The last phrase in this lesson helps us see our importance as disciples of our Lord.
…and I have been glorified in them.
Here Jesus states that He has been glorified in the disciples. At first glance, this is puzzling. When we consider this statement in the framework of Christ’s mission, we can begin to see glimpses of how this can be.
If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. (Jn. 12:47)
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Lk. 19:10).
…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Eph. 3:16-21).
The mission of Christ was and still is, first, to save sinners and then transform them into saints. Jesus presents His disciples who were so full of pride and selfishness, First as saved because they believed that Jesus is the Christ. Then, seeing them as they will become, He presets them as transformed by His grace in this sense that are the fruits of His labors.
If a batter hits a grand-slam home run that wins the World Series, both the batter and the signed ball have value. Thus the disciples become evidence showing Jesus’ mission is complete.
“It is in redeeming sinners Jesus is most glorified; it cost Him but a word to create the worlds, but to redeem a sinner’s soul cost Him all that He had, including His tremendous stoop from heaven’s glory to earth’s wilderness, the cross, and the curse. It is in regenerating sinners that the Lord Jesus manifests His glory. Who but Himself could take a dead soul and regenerate it with His own eternal life? This is truly a wonderful display of the glory of His grace… It is in the conversion of sinners, Christ is glorified, turning them “from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18) (Ibid., p. 156).
Application
- Reviewing the credentials of Christ as outlined above, we can always trust the veracity of Christ’s words.
- Some of the references quoted above show God’s love for the world and His desire to save the world. We, too, should have a desire to save the world and our assignment is to proclaim the gospel to all the world. On the other hand, we are to avoid the evils of the world and combat them as we can.
- We should see ourselves as fellow labors of Christ. Not only seeking our own salvation, but once we have been saved turn our attention to sharing the love and grace of God with unbelievers.
- Our Lord still “calls” people to serve Him. If we receive His call to service, let us, as did the disciples, immediately follow.
- When we understand the gospel and know who we are “in Christ” what a joyous privilege it is to realize that we may glorify Christ by our response to the gospel.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the book of John where we can read of Jesus’ prayer to you on our behalf. May I learn to trust your word fully. May I allow your Spirit to transform my life so that I may bring glory to you and your Son, Jesus Christ.
In His name, I pray.
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