JOHN 17:11-12 JESUS SAID HOLY FATHER, KEEP THROUGH YOUR NAME THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE AS WE ARE

John 17:11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 This is a critical section of Scripture. Our calling to be one as the Bible defines oneness. In so many churches today we are fighting over the issues that we can agree to disagree on. What I mean is that we will not all agree on all the things the Bible says, we get caught up with election, predestination, tongues, and we fight over what color carpet to have or matters that just are not essential to our salvation. These items listed below are the things we need to stand up for and make sure the truth is defended. Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Now, what does He pray for? Four specifics, and may I add that this is for all of these disciples but particularly for the eleven that has special import. He prays for their oneness in the world, their joy in the world, their protection in the world and their sanctification by the Word... four tremendous things.

The words "keep" and "remain" are themes from verse eleven through the end of verse twenty-three in this section.  He's praying that they'll be kept. He's praying that they'll be protected. He's praying that they'll be in unity. In the midst of this prayer for keeping them

11 "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. Joh 10:30; 13:1; 16:28; 17:21; 1Pe 1:5; Jude 1:1

the first thing He prays for is our oneness, the way we have oneness is living in holiness which causes unity

17:11 "I am no longer in the world" This refers to (1) the immediate future (ascension) when Jesus will return to the Father (cf. Acts 1:9-10) or (2) the public ministry of Jesus.

Luke 1:49 for ^fhe who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 

▣ "Holy Father" This term "Holy" is used of the Father only here in the NT (Also used in the title, "Holy One," I Pet. 1:15) as it is in the OT. This adjective (hagios) is also often attributed to the Spirit (cf. 1:33; 14:26; 20:22). The same Greek root is used of the disciples in v. 17 (hagiasmos) and Jesus in v. 19 (hagiazō).

The basic etymology of the root is "to separate for God's service" (cf. vv. 17,19). It is used of persons, places, and things given exclusively for God's use. It describes God's superior character (the Holy One of Israel) and a differentness from physical, earthly, fallen things. Jesus was holy; as His followers become more like Him they, too, reflect "holiness." The root of the term "saint" is from the Greek term "holy." Believers are holy because they are in Christ, but they are to become holy as they live for Him, like Him, and unto Him.

 ▣ "keep them in Your name" Jesus is praying (aorist active imperative) for the empowering protection and personal presence that YHWH has given Him (perfect active indicative) to be provided His disciples (cf. v. 12). This will enable them to minister in a fallen world as He ministered in a fallen world (cf. v. 18). This is one of the benefits of the unity (cf. v. 21) between

1. the Father
2. the Son
3. the disciples

The power of the Holy Father is being set as sufficient to off-set the influence of the world's system. He says -- Holy Father -- emphasizing His holiness. Now the word holiness, hagiŏs, holy, simply means to be set apart, or to be separated. And He is saying -- separate Father. What does He mean? Separate from what? What is it that God is separate from? From sin, Holy Father, separate from sin, guard them. Guard them from what? Guard them from sin. Separate Father, keep them separate. That's all He's saying. And the holy is the whole emphasis of this passage. God is holy and separated from all evil. He is of purer eyes than behold iniquity and canst not look upon sin. And here His holiness is emphasized because Christ wants Him to keep His disciples holy and separated from all evil. Separated Father, keep them from the same thing that You're separated from. Guard them against the unholiness of the world. The word to keep is tērēson, it means to watch over, it's kind of a divine surveillance, you know. For three years Jesus had kept them and now He commits them to the care of the Father with the prayer that the Father will fulfill His will and guard them from the unholiness of a polluted, godless, Christ-hating, persecuting world.

 God’s people are the Father’s gift to His Son. Would the Father present His Son with a gift that would not last? The disciples had belonged to the Father by creation and by covenant (they were Jews), but now they belonged to the Son. How precious we are in His sight! How He watches over us and even now prays for us!

Whenever you feel as though the Lord has forgotten you

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is ^ja strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and ^kis safe. 

Do you know why we're so valuable to Jesus? You know why? Because we are love gifts to Him from the Father. That's why. In ourselves we're not that valuable, but because we have been given to Christ as an expression of the Father's love, we are priceless.

Do you know why Jesus now loves you so much? Not because of your own intrinsic value but because you were given to Him by the Father and He loves the Father infinitely. You want to know something exciting? Consequently, He loves you to the same degree that He loves the Father. That's why you're so valuable. You see, that's why when Jesus goes to the cross, He stops to pray for you because He loves you so much, not for you own sake, but for the sake of the Father who gave you to Him. I mean, that's exciting, isn't it? That will show you the depth of the love of Christ for you... it's not limited. His love for you is as unlimited as His love for the Father. For you represent to Him, the love of the Father, for indeed you were the Father's love gift to Him. Now that's why Jesus is so concerned about praying for US. That's why the ministry of intercession is what it is. That's why He really cares .

And the kinship must be with the Father, not of human agreement.

▣ "that they may be one even as We are" This is a present subjunctive. It refers to the relational unity of the Triune God (cf. vv. 21,22,23; 10:30; 14:10). This is also an awesome request and responsibility for Christians! This call for unity is lacking in our day (cf. Eph. 4:1-6). Unity, not uniformity, is the way to reunite God's splintered church.

Unity is the cry of the New Testament, the body, the unity of the body, every member caring for the other member ... all of the unities that are prescribed in Ephesians 4, 1Corinthians chapter 12, constantly throughout the New Testament, love for each other and oneness. And Jesus says Oh, Father, You've got to keep them from unholiness in order that they may be one. Now watch this, friends, that means that there's only one thing that ever violates oneness. What is it? Unholiness, sin ... sin. When anyone believer gets sucked off into the world, oneness is destroyed because we automatically, at that point, lose the unity of our testimony.

A unity of love in holiness that separates us from the world is Jesus prayer. Jesus prayed for separated disciples.

Oneness of will and spirit (ἑν [hen], neuter singular), not one person

Jesus offers the unity in the Trinity (three persons, but one God) as the model for believers. The witness of the disciples will fail without harmony (17:21).

12 "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Ps 109:8; Joh 6:39,70; 10:28; 13:18; 18:9; Ac 1:20; Heb 2:13; 1Jo 2:19

He says: "Those that Thou gave Me," and that's seven times in this chapter, He refers to Christians as gifts from the Father ... seven times. Because, you see, that's the basis of His care for us.

The thrust of the passage is Jesus’ continuous protection (cf. I Pet. 1:3–9).

I continued to keep.

I guarded them as a means to their preservation. 1 Peter 1:4  to an inheritance that is imperishable•, undefiled, and ^lunfading, ^mkept in heaven for you,

He says the first (tēreō) meant to preserve and the second (phulassō) meant to guard.

 John6:39, "All that the Father gives to Me, who come to Me, I'll lose none of them but raise them at the last day." He never loses one love gift that the Father gives Him, never.

Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

He's saying -- The Father's will was accomplished in the case of the eleven, and it was also accomplished in the case of the one. Judas never was saved.

This is a Hebraic idiom meaning “the one who is destined to be lost.” It is a word play on the term “lost” used earlier in the verse: “no one is lost except the one destined to be lost.”

A play on words: “None of them perished, but the son of perishing”

Mark 14:21 For •the Son of Man goes ^aas it is written of him, but ^bwoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! ^cIt would have been better for •that man if he had not been born.” 

Judas is chosen by God, but he betrays Christ. So what's going on here? In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 you have the exact same phrase, "son of destruction" or "son of perdition." You compare it later on your own with Acts 1:25. 

It points to Judas' character, not his destiny. It's not pointing to the fact that Judas was, before the foundation of the world, destined to go to hell. It says that his character was of this disposition. His character was of destruction; of perdition.

 The phrase "son of destruction" has to do with Judas, we've seen it before, in his relationship with Satan; his being in league with the devil. In 6:70 he says, "One of you is a devil," referring to Judas.  In chapter 13:2, Satan puts the idea in Judas' heart to betray his master. In chapter 13:27 Satan enters Judas so he carries out his betrayal and then in chapter thirteen verse thirty, Judas is found in the realm of darkness.

Php 1:28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

 2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

 1Ti 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

 Heb 10:39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

 2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

 Re 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

 Re 17:11 "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

 There are at least two passages we could turn to, to see that potential fulfilling; Psalm 41:9, Psalm 109:4-13

Acts 2:23 this Jesus, delivered up according to ⁱthe definite plan and ^jforeknowledge of God, ^kyou crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

Now on the terrible threshold that they're about to face with the betrayal, the denial and the scattering; with this cryptic notion about the son of perdition betraying Him to fulfill Scripture, Jesus brings up the subject of joy.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.

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“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32

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