John 17:11-15
Sunday Morning Bible Study
January 12, 1997
Introduction
Jesus is on His last night with His beloved disciples.
He's given them plenty of instruction and warning about the times ahead as He leaves them.
He ends by praying for them.
:11-16 Keeping them
:11 now I am no more in the world,
Jesus is going to die, raise from the dead, and then ascend into heaven.
:11 but these are in the world
The disciples aren't going anywhere, not just yet.
They're going to be left behind, in the world.
:11 and I come to thee.
Speaking of Jesus' going to the Father, into heaven, in contrast with the disciples staying behind.
:11 keep through thine own name
keep - tereo - to attend to carefully, take care of
This phrase may be Jesus' way of asking something in God's name, just as He's taught us to ask in His name.
The phrase can be translated, "Holy Father, keep them in thy name ..."
But it can also be translated in a way to say that it's God's name that will be the instrument that God will use to keep them.
"keep them by Thy name ..." or, "keep the through the means of Thy name ..."
:11 that they may be one, as we are.
This is the purpose of why the Father should "keep" us.
That we would have a unity among us, just as there is in the Trinity.
Lesson #1:
The goal is unity.
This is what Jesus is praying for, that the many disciples would start acting as one.
Sometimes I think one of the enemy's greatest methods of making the church ineffective, is causing disunity and divisions among the body.
It's unity that brings the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Psa 133:1-2 KJV) A Song of degrees of David. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! {2} It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
We're actually all on the same team.
It's not that we can't have our disagreements, it's just that we all need to be heading in the same direction, toward Jesus.
Illustration:
Pastor Chuck used to tell a story about when he was a part of the Rotary Club.
One time they decided to have a "bring your competition" meeting, as a way of increasing their membership.
So some of the guys asked Chuck, "Who are you going to bring, the pastor at the Baptist Church, or the minister at the Methodist Church?"
Chuck replied, "Those guys aren't my competition, they're on the same side I'm on. I'm going to go down to the corner bar and bring the bartender."
I think that sometimes one of the greatest things to accomplish in marriage counseling is to get the husband and wife to realize that they're really on the same side!
The disciples were quite a diverse group of guys.
Several of them were simple fishermen.
One was a tax collector for the Roman government.
One was a political activist, a zealot, dedicated to the overthrow of the Roman government.
Look at the kind of attitude the disciples had, even on that night:
Lu 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. (AV)
So what kept this group together for three and a half years?
For the last three and a half years, Jesus has been the center of attention for the disciples.
But now, with Jesus going back to the Father, Jesus prays for their unity to come through the Father's name.
Lesson #2:
Unity through the name
This was how Jesus saw the unity being accomplished, "through thine own name"
We've talked several times how God described His name, His nature to Moses as:
(Exo 34:6-7 KJV) ... merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, {7} Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty ...
Last week, we talked about how Jesus had "manifested" God's name to the disciples, by being a living example of what God was like, what His nature was.
The more we understand what God is really like, the closer we're going to get to unity.
Exceptions:
"Yeah, well this unity stuff sounds great, but how can you do it when you're surrounded by a bunch of inept, bumbling, carnal, immature, Christians."
Or, "But you don't know how hard it is to get along with my wife!"
Actually it's attitudes like that that are the real hindrance.
Compare the description in Exodus with Paul's prescription for unity, and tell me where the real immaturity lies:
(Col 3:12-15 NASB)
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; {13} bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. {14} And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. {15} And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.I really have a hard time imagining any problem that couldn't be worked out between two people, if they would just put this into practice.
Learn the name.
Live the name.
:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name
Up to now, Jesus has been protecting the disciples, but now that He's going to be gone, He's asking the Father to keep them.
Lesson:
When you can't do anything else, pray.
Don't take this wrong, I'm not saying that we should only pray when everything else fails.
But there are times when we face circumstances where we can do nothing at about it in our own ability.
Perhaps when someone is in trouble, and you can't be there to help them out.
It's at times like that, when we need to realize that we're not powerless, we can pray.
And that's NOT a cheap substitute for being there.
I think sometimes it's the greater thing that we can do, if we'll really do it.
Note: When we hear ourselves saying, "Well, I guess all we can do now is pray ..." I hope that we will really do just that, pray!
:12 those that thou gavest me I have kept, and
Jesus uses a different word here for "kept" (phulasso), a word that means "guard" or "act like a sentinal".
When you "guard" someone, then they are "kept" or "safe"
:12 none of them is lost, but the son of perdition;
lost - apollumi - to destroy; to lose
perdition - apoleia - destroying, utter destruction; from the same word that's translated "lost" in this verse.
You could translate this, "none of them is lost except the son of lostness", or, "none is destroyed except the son of destruction".
This is the same phrase that's used to describe the Antichrist:
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (AV)
It's interesting to note that in the book of Revelation, the king over the demonic horde of locust-creatures is named "Apollyon", meaning "Destroyer".
Re 9:11 And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon. (AV)
Lesson:
Am I a Judas?
I think that's a question that many of us ask ourselves from time to time, especially after we've blown it big time in our walk.
We feel as if we've betrayed Jesus.
Keep in mind these traits about Judas:
1. Judas was not a believer
(John 6:64 KJV) But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
2. Judas had never been cleansed
(John 13:11 KJV) For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
3. Judas was not one of the chosen
(John 13:18 KJV) I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.
4. In this sense, Judas had never been "given" to Christ.
(John 18:8-9 KJV) Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: {9} That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.
Judas is an example of an unbeliever who pretended to have salvation but was finally exposed as a fraud.
On the other hand, if I am a person who has truly believed in Jesus, and asked Him to pay for my sins, then I find myself as being one of those that Jesus says,
John 10:28-30 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. {29} My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. {30} I and my Father are one.
When we've been disobedient, it doesn't necessarily mean we've become a Judas, we're probably just more like Peter.
After all, it was Peter who publicly denied knowing the Lord three times!
But afterwards, Jesus came to him and re-established a love relationship with Peter.
Three times Peter had denied Jesus.
Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him.
:12 that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Fulfilling Psalm 41:9
13 And now come I to thee
"I'm not going to be around here any longer to keep protecting them"
:13 and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
that they might have - speaking of the disciples, not the world. It's the disciples that are to have Jesus' joy.
fulfilled - pleroo - to make full, to fill to the top; fill to the brim
Lesson #1:
True joy comes from Jesus' Word.
There's lots of ways to be happy.
Illustration:
If you wish to be happy for one hour, get intoxicated. If you wish to be happy for three days, get married. If you wish to be happy for eight days, kill your pig and eat it. If you wish to be happy forever, learn to fish.
Chinese proverb
Jesus is saying that if we put God's Word to work in our lives, we'll have real joy.
Jeremiah is known as "the weeping prophet". During one of his more depressed times, he wrote:
(Jer 15:15-16 KJV)
O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. {16} Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.I think God wants us to know that in the hardest, most troubling times, His Word should be like an oasis, a drink of fresh water in a desert.
Lesson #2:
Grow in joy.
I have to admit that sometimes I'm not always a very joyful person.
In fact, sometimes I get downright depressed.
And then I read verses like this about Jesus' joy being fulfilled in us, and I think to myself, "How can I preach about that?"
The language Jesus uses (perfect participle) kind of gives me a picture of a person pulling into a gas station with their car running on empty, and then filling up the tank, even spilling some over the edge, and then continuing to run over.
All I can say is, I think I've got a long way to go.
I've got a long way to grow.
As David said,
(Psa 51:12 KJV) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Fill 'er up, Lord!
14 I have given them thy word
Jesus has been teaching them.
He has been giving them the things necessary to obtain joy.
:14 the world hath hated them,
hateth - miseo - to hate, pursue with hatred, detest
What is "the world"?
1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (AV)
It's the system that's built into our secular society around us that promotes the "I need more ..." philosophy (that's what lust is all about)
It's the system that provides you with temptations to sin.
The implication is that the things that Jesus had been speaking to them would indeed give them His joy, but it would also cause the world, and those in the world, to hate them.
:14 because they are not of the world
We have had a new birth, with a new nature, and we no longer can claim citizenship in this world.
Though they are still "in the world", they are not to be "of the world"
Lesson:
We have to choose - the world, or Jesus
If we choose the world, we're heading for trouble:
(Mat 13:22 KJV) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
A worldly Christian is unfruitful.
You can't be aiming your life toward the world, and then say:
"How come God doesn't answer my prayers?"
"How come I never have victory over sin?"
"How come I don't see God working in my life like other people I know?"
The "worldly" Christian is a person who's most miserable.
He's got too much of Jesus to enjoy the world.
He's got too much of the world to enjoy the Lord.
We need to make a choice.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world
take - airo - to raise up, elevate, lift up; to move from its place
Lesson:
Your problems may not disappear.
Jesus isn't into escapism.
Some of us seem to be praying for that certain Prince Charming to come along, sweep us off our feet, and fix all our problems for us.
Some of us are just waiting to win the Lottery, or for Ed McMahon to show up on our front doorstep.
I don't think Jesus is praying that for you.
If you've been led to believe that if you trusted in Jesus, that all your problems would go away, then you've been misinformed.
He doesn't promise to take your problems away, He promises to get you through them.
With Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, they faced a horrible time when their boss commanded them to worship his idol or die! (Dan.3)
They said:
(Dan 3:17-18 KJV) If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. {18} But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
God did not make Nebuchadnezzar disappear.
God did not make the fiery furnace disappear.
God did not "beam them up".
God protected them through the fire.
:15 but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
We'll get into this next week ...