Scripture and Comments May 24, 2020

John 17: 1-11  Scriptural Notes  May 24, 2020                      Rev. Peter Hofstra

17:1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,

This reads as an Ascension Day prayer.  From John 14, Jesus has been preparing the disciples for the next phase of God’s plan.  Now we see Jesus in direct communication with the Almighty.  These verses lay the groundwork for the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the teaching tool of the Presbyterian Church written at the Reformation.  “What is the chief end of humanity?”  The chief end of humanity is to glorify God and love God forever”.  That comes in the fulfillment of God’s plan, which is coming to pass at this moment.  The Son shall be glorified to, in turn, glorify the Father.

17:2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

Two gifts have been bestowed upon Jesus.  The first is authority over all people, believers and unbelievers.  The second is to bestow the gift of eternal life upon all the people given to Jesus.  Note how Jesus is referring to himself, the Son, in the third person.

17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

This is what turned my head.  Eternal life is not the gracious gift of God for giving our lives to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Rather, it is the way that we may know the only true God, and Jesus, sent by God.  I am still trying to unpack all the potential in that line.

17:4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

As Jesus did, so shall we as well.  It is our turn, in our time, to glorify God by finishing the work we each have been given to do.  What gives me the shudders some days is wondering if I am even aware of the work God has given me to do.

17:5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

Taking us back to John 1.  The Word was with God and the Word was God.  God before creation is what we know of as the Father and the Son.  Again, into the mysteries of the Trinity.  Before creation was the Creator.  Notice how Jesus has laid aside something to come among us, that He will be glorified again with that which He had before the world existed.

17:6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

I did not mention it earlier, because there was more to unpack in the earlier verses, but Jesus’ prayer assumes a certain timelessness. In verse 2, Jesus is given authority over all people.  Now he says he has made God’s name known to all those God gave to Jesus.  But he’s only been on the earth, in active ministry for about three year.  He said his hour had come in verse 1, but the events of Easter have not yet come to pass.  Here is a bit of insight into trying to wrap our limited human ability around God.  God does not know the boundaries of time, they were created when the world was created.  Every event in the historical record was known to God from the beginning, was planned by God from the beginning.  I know, I cannot get my head around that either.  But as Jesus talks to his Father in heaven, the proprieties of time and logical progression just don’t count as much.  

17:7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;

This is true.  It is the waterfall of faith, Father to Son to disciples and back, a theme throughout the gospel of John.

17:8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

So here is an interesting point, does God the Father really need this information?  God has seen all this unfold.  Here is the power of the Bible.  It is for us to understand.  Jesus, praying out loud, is saying these things, things that are all truthful, in thanksgiving to God as he goes through what has been happening, but also-and maybe more-for those gathered, so that they will know it too.

17:9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.

So here is a contrast, the world versus those whom God has given to Jesus, because those, the Given, are God’s.  Volumes have been written about what it means to be saved and not to be saved, because that is what is assumed is going on here.  But it gets a little fuzzy.  In verse 2, ALL the people were given to Jesus.  I am not making assumptions here about who will be saved.  What I am pointing out is that God’s agenda is bigger than we can comprehend, so it may not be made clear to us.  It may be best not to assume it is.

17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

Again, the waterfall of faith, applied now to the people, tying back into the glorification of Jesus from the start of the passage.

17:11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Wrapping things up, Jesus is headed “up”, the disciples remain, Jesus is calling down the same God who was with Jesus throughout his ministry to continue among the disciples, that the church may be one as God is one.