CHAPTER 17. _ The closing prayer of Jesus_ [“ _precatio summi saccrdotis_,” _Chytraeus_]. John 17:1-5, _with reference to Himself_; John 17:6-19, _for His disciples_; John 17:20-26, _for all who should afterwards believe on Him_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν … καὶ ἐπῆρε. The connection of ἐλάλησεν with ἐπῆρε by καί shows that the prayer followed immediately upon the discourse, and was, therefore, uttered in the hearing of the disciples. ἐπῆρε … οὐρανόν, so 1 Chronicles 21:16. ἧρα τ. ὀφθ., Psalms 121:1; Psalms 123:1. From οὐρανόν it cannot... [ Continue Reading ]
This is the object of Christ's manifestation and reign. This glorification of the Son, which is now imminent, is in accordance with the purpose of the Father in giving the Son power over men: καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν … αἰώνιον. Only by His being glorified could the Son give this eternal life, and... [ Continue Reading ]
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή ἵνα … On ἵνα in this construction, see Burton, 213, and _cf._ John 15:8; ὅτι in John 3:19 is not quite equivalent. In Isaiah 37:20 God is designated ὁ Θεὸς μόνος, and in Exodus 34:6 ἀληθινός; _cf._ 2 Thessalonians 1:10. He is the only true God in contrast to many that are... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγώ σε … ποιήσω. This is a fresh ground for the petition of John 17:1 renewed in John 17:5 : “glorify Thou me”. The ground is “I have glorified Thee on the earth; having finished perfectly accomplished, _cf._ τετέλεσται of the cross] the work which Thou gavest me to do”. But it is not the idea of re... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ νῦν δόξασον … σοί. The precise character of the glorification He looks for is here presented. It is παρὰ σεαυτῷ, and it is a restoration to the glory He had enjoyed πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι. By παρὰ σεαυτῷ it is rendered impossible to understand παρὰ σοί of an “ideal” pre-existence; because thes... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἑφανέρωσὰ σου … κόσμου. John 17:4 is resumed and explained. “I have glorified Thee and finished my work by _manifesting_,” etc. To manifest the name here means to make God known as the holy and loving Father. This had been accomplished by Christ not in the case of all, but of those whom the Father h... [ Continue Reading ]
_Prayer for the disciples_.... [ Continue Reading ]
As the result of this keeping of God's truth, νῦν ἔγνωκαν … ἐστιν, “they have now” in presence of this final revelation “known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given me are from Thee”. The object of the manifestation in Christ has been attained: the Father has been seen in and through Him. All t... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα … ἀπέστειλας. The result achieved, John 17:7, was due to the fidelity of the messenger, τὰ ῥήματα … δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, and to the receptiveness of those prepared by God, αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον, etc. _cf._ John 16:30. ἐγὼ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐρωτῶ. He desires solemnly to commit to the Father's keeping those w... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πὰντα σὰ ἐστι, καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά, the community of property and therefore of interest is unlimited, absolute; extending not only to the persons of the disciples, but to all that Christ has spoken and done on earth. καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς, “and I have been glorified in them,” _i.e._, in the... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. The circumstances necessitating the prayer are now stated. Jesus is no longer in the world, already He has bid farewell to it, but the disciples remain in it, exposed without His accustomed counsel and defence, πάτερ ἅγιε, “Holy Father”; this unique designation is sugges... [ Continue Reading ]
The protection now asked had been afforded by Christ so long as He was with the disciples. ὅτε ἤμην μετʼ αὐτῶν, ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν … “when I was with them, I kept them in Thy name which Thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might... [ Continue Reading ]
As He Himself goes to the Father, He utters this petition aloud, and while yet with the disciples ταῦτα λαλῶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ that they might recognise that the power of God was engaged for their protection, and might thus have repeated and perfected in themselves the same joy with which Christ had overc... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐγὼ δέδωκα … κὸσμου. Additional reason for soliciting in behalf of the disciples the protection of the Father consists in this, that the world hates them because they have received the revelation of God in Christ, and are thereby separated from the world as their Teacher was not of the world. _Cf._... [ Continue Reading ]
The simplest escape from the anger of the world was removal from it, but for this He would not ask: οὐκ ἐρωτῶ ἵνα ἄρῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. They had a work to do which involved that they should be in the world. It also involved the fulfilment of the petition, ἵνα τηρήσῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Luth... [ Continue Reading ]
For τηρεῖν ἐκ see Revelation 3:10. The reason of the world's hatred and persecution is given here, as in John 15:19, ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου … “They do not belong to the world, as I am out of the world.”... [ Continue Reading ]
But besides this negative qualification for representing Christ, they must possess also a positive equipment, ἁγίασον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου. “Consecrate them by thy truth.” ἁγιάζω is to render sacred, to set apart from profane uses; as in Exodus 13:1, ἁγίασόν μοι πᾶν πρωτότοκον; Exodus 20:8, ἁγ.... [ Continue Reading ]
καθὼς ἐμὲ ἀπέστειλας … “As Thou didst send me into the world, I also sent them into the world.” καθὼς seems to imply “in prosecution of the same purpose and therefore with similar equipment”. εἰς τὸν κόσμον is not otiose, but suggests that as Christ's presence in the world was necessary for the fulf... [ Continue Reading ]
The crowning plea is that it was for this end, their consecration, Jesus consecrated Himself: καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, “and in their behalf, that they may be consecrated in truth, do I consecrate myself”. “ Ἁγιάζω in the present with ὑπέρ can only be understood of Christ's self-consecration to His sacrificia... [ Continue Reading ]
Οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον … The consecration of the disciples and His sending them forth naturally suggests the enlargement of the Church and of His care.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Prayer for future believers_.... [ Continue Reading ]
For those who through their preaching believe on Him He prays that they may be one. Naturally the extension of the Church imperils its unity, the ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος, Ephesians 4:3. “This unity is infinitely more than mere unanimity, since it rests upon unity of spirit and life.” Tholuck. This unit... [ Continue Reading ]
That the unity of believers in the Father and the Son might be perfect, it was needful that even the glory which Christ possessed by the Father's gift (John 17:5) should be given to His people. The perfect tense is used, because the gift had already been determined. The nature of the glory spoken of... [ Continue Reading ]
ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν of John 17:22 becomes in John 17:23 ἵνα ὦσι τετελειωμένοι εἰς ἕν, “that they may be perfected into one”. They are perfected by being wrought to a Divine unity. The work of Christ is accomplished when men are one by Christ dwelling in them. God is in Him, He is in each believer, and thus... [ Continue Reading ]
Πάτερ, ὅ δέδωκάς μοι, “that which Thou hast given me,” _i.e._, the community of believers; θέλω, “I will,” no longer, ἐρωτῶ, “that where I am, there they may be also”; ὅ resolved into individuals. To share in the destiny of Christ has already been promised to His followers, John 10:26; _cf._ John 14... [ Continue Reading ]
Πάτερ δίκαιε, “Righteous Father”. The appeal is now to God's justice; “ut tua bonitas me miserat servandsn si qua fieri potuisset, omnibus; ita tui, justitia non patietur ob quorundam iacredulitatem frustrari vota credentium”. Erasmus. The Father's justice is appealed to, that the believing may not... [ Continue Reading ]