John 17:10

All Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine

I.

THE SAME NAMES AND TITLES: Jehovah (Hebrews 1:10); God Romans 9:11; 1 Timothy 3:16).

II. THE SAME NATURE AND ESSENCE: “I and My Father are one.”

III. THE SAME PROPERTIES: Eternity (John 1:1); omnipotence, as seen in Christ’s miracles; omniscience: “He knew what was in man”; omnipresence: “Lo, I am with you alway.”

IV. THE SAME WORKS (John 5:17; John 5:19).

V. THE SAME WILL AND PURPOSE (Matthew 26:39).

VI. THE SAME PROPRIETY IN ALL THE GODLY (John 8:16; John 20:17).

VII. THE SAME POWER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CHRISTIANS (John 10:28). (D. Burgess.)

I am glorified in them.--

Christ glorified in His disciples

I. BY THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM CONDEMNATION AND THEIR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD THROUGH HIS MERIT.

II. BY THE CHANGE WHICH HE HAS EFFECTED IN THEIR CHARACTER.

III. BY THEIR CONFIDENCE WHICH HE HAS GAINED.

IV. BY THEIR CONTENTMENT AND RESIGNATION TO HIS WILL.

V. BY THEIR OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAWS AND THEIR GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IN PRACTICAL PIETY.

VI. BY THEIR PUBLIC PROFESSION OF HIS GOSPEL AND THEIR ZEAL IN DIFFUSING IT. (Congregational Remembrancer.)

Christ glorified in His people

I. BY THE DERIVATION OF ALL THEIR EXCELLENCIES FROM HIM.

II. IN THEIR HOLY WALK.

III. BY THE CHEERFULNESS OF THEIR LIVES.

IV. BY THEIR READINESS TO SUFFER FOR HIS SAKE.

V. IN THEIR PROFESSION OF HIS NAME.

VI. BY THEIR EXERTIONS TO PROMOTE HIS CAUSE. (W. Jay.)

Christ glorified in His saints

I. AS THE PURCHASE OF HIS BLOOD. As the fruit of His soul-travail they indicate the success of His redeeming work.

II. AS THE TROPHIES OF HIS POWER. Having been rescued from the thraldom of sin and brought into His kingdom, they attest the all-conquering might of His love.

III. AS THE CREATIONS OF HIS GRACE. Being renewed in the spirit of their minds and recreated after His image, they reveal in their moral likeness to Him the beauty of holiness that is in Him.

IV. AS THE SUBJECTS OF HIS EMPIRE. In their willing subjection to His throne they proclaim the gentle character of His rule.

V. AS THE PREACHERS OF HIS GOSPEL. In the testimonies they afford by their lips and lives that Christ is exalted they show forth His glory before men. (T. Whitelaw, D. D.)

Christ glorified in His disciples

I. We glorify Christ BY FAITH. Now, faith hath a double office, which

1. Accepts Christ. When men slight the offers of Christ which God makes to them, they dishonour Him exceedingly (Acts 4:11; Mt 1 Peter 2:7).

2. Presents Christ. In all our endeavours to God we must build our acceptance on the merits of Christ (John 14:1).

II. BY HOLINESS. Every Christian should walk so as remembering that Christ’s honour lieth at stake.

1. For the manner; your practice should be elevated according to the height of your privileges in Christ. A Christian should do more than a man (1 Corinthians 3:3). We expect that he should go faster that rides on horseback than he that goes on foot. There should be a singularity of holy life.

2. For the principle; Christ must be honoured. You must make Him the principle of your obedience to God (Philippians 4:13; Galatians 2:20.)

3. For the end; you must make His interest the great end of your lives Philippians 1:21; Romans 14:7).

4. For the motive; gratitude to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14).

III. IN OUR ENJOYMENTS. When we think of our title to anything, think, This I have by gift, be it justification, sanctification, glorification, comfort of the creatures. Whatever privilege we look upon as ours, we must see Christ in it (1 Corinthians 1:22).

IV. BY DOING AND SUFFERING FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIS INTEREST AND KINGDOM (2 Corinthians 5:13). Let glory to Christ be written, though it be with our blood; only with these cautions:

1. We must think ourselves to be honoured by this service, how grievous, disgraceful, and troublesome soever it be (2 Corinthians 5:9).

2. There must be a sense of your unworthiness (Luke 17:10).

3. You must ascribe all to Christ’s glory; as Joab, when he had conquered Rabbah, sent for David to take the honour: so must we do for Christ (1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 Chronicles 29:29.1 Chronicles 29:29):

V. BY BEING ZEALOUS FOR HIS INSTITUTIONS; then you honour Christ, by giving the wisdom and power of a lawgiver to Him (Matthew 15:6).

VI. BY TAKING SOME SOLEMN TIME TO MEDITATE ON AND ADMIRE THE EXCELLENCY OF HIS PERSON AND THE FULNESS OF HIS REDEMPTION. In heaven this will be our great work (Revelation 4:10). (T. Manton, D. D.)

Christ glorified in the disciples

It is not difficult to see how the Son was glorified in them. They had been His faithful and devoted followers in all His wanderings; they had forsaken all that they might be His disciples; they had seen His miracles, heard and received His words, and believed that He came forth from the Father. They had suffered the loss of all earthly things for His name’s sake; they were the depositaries of His truth; they had stood forth alone with Him against nearly all the world; after His ascension they were to manifest forth His glory to all the world, and under Him to go forth to subjugate that world which He, in His death, had actually conquered. And what they did and how they glorified Him after His departure we know well from the inspired record of their labours. (T. Alexander, M. A.)

The apologetic Christ

1. “He was glorified in them”; made known by them, by their words and lives, as Jesus the Saviour, as the anointed King, and in the beauty of His character and in the grandeur of His Person.

2. Wonderful praise coming from such a source. Yet it was not uncommon for Christ to speak words of commendation. He praised the centurion, the woman of Canaan, the woman who anointed Him in Bethany. And here He praises all His apostles.

3. But who were the men of whom Christ said this? Men of influence, of wealth, of learning? If not these, surely they were great saints. On the contrary, Christ rebuked them again and again for their little faith, for their ambition, for their mistakes and wrong purposes. Wonderful words of praise to say of men who in a few hours would forsake Christ, and deny Him.

4. Yet the Christ who praised these men was Truth itself, and could not flatter nor be deceived. It is manifest, therefore

(1) That Christ sees in His people more than others see in them. The most unpopular man in Jericho was Zaccheus, but Christ associated with him, and declared, “Salvation has come to this house,” and that he was a “son of Abraham.” The Christ, so pitiful and kind, sees more in His people than do others. They see their faults; Christ sees their virtues.

(2) And He sees far more in them than they see in themselves. Abraham, standing before God, said of Himself, “I am but dust and ashes.” But God said, He is My friend. “I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof,” said the centurion; but Christ said of him, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” These apostles had their faults. One of them, so oppressed with feelings of unworthiness, bade Christ “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man”; but Christ said to him, “Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas.” Christ is not only the pitiful and tender and loving Christ; He makes every allowance for His people; He remembers they are dust, and speaks to them and of them apologetically. (D. F. Sprigg, D. D.)