(John 17:1-26) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the 38
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scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (KJV) To understand the setting of the Lord’s Prayer, I call your attention to the chapters preceding the seventeenth chapter of John. To obtain the basis for the reasons for the prayer, we must examine chapters twelve through sixteen as well as chapter seventeen.
The first verse of chapter twelve of John informs us that Jesus was in Bethany six days before the feast of the Passover. There Jesus took part in a supper which Martha served. This event was probably in the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Lazarus had already been raised from the dead some time before and was probably one of the guests of honor. Many people had come, if not to participate in the supper, then at lease to observe it and to catch a glimpse of this Lazarus who had gained so much fame because of his resurrection at the hands of Jesus. Because of his being raised from the dead, many people had believed upon Jesus. Therefore, the chief priests took counsel together to try to formulate plans not only to kill Jesus but also Lazarus. The stage was rapidly being set for the betrayal. The seed was already implanted. All it had to have was the fertilization and watering by Satan to bring forth its evil fruit.
When verse twelve of this same chapter is read, one is informed that on the very next day after this supper at Bethany, Jesus entered Jerusalem on the young colt. This occurrence took place five days before the feast of the Passover. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it is noted that His fame had preceded Him. The Jews greeted Him as they would a royal king, for so He was. The event transpired, as many other events did, in order that Old Testament prophecy might be fulfilled.
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(Zechariah 9:9) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. (KJV) Verses thirty-seven through fifty are a narration of John concerning events and words spoken by Jesus that did not necessarily happen on the fifth day before the feast of the Passover.
Matthew and Mark record the events that transpired from the fifth day to the second day before the feast of the Passover. While those events do not apply to this writing, it is noted that Jesus left Jerusalem on the night of the fifth day before the feast of the Passover and returned the following day.
Matthew, Mark and Luke record that two days before the feast of the Passover, Jesus was again in Bethany, only this time at the house of Simon the Leper. Reference is made to Matthew 26:1, 2, which read,
(Matthew 26:1-2) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (KJV) (Mark 14:1-3) After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. (KJV) These passages of Scripture give the information that it is two days before the feast of the Passover and that Jesus is taking part in a supper given in the house of Simon the Leper. John does not refer to this incident but goes on to the night of the betrayal. During the time of the second day before the feast of the Passover and the night of the betrayal, Judas had consummated the plot to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. He had only to await the proper time. This was also in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
(Psalms 41:9) Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (KJV)
(Zechariah 11:12-13) And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD
said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them.
And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD. (KJV)
Careful observation and comparison with Matthew, Mark and Luke reveals that chapter thirteen of John brings the narrative to the night in which Jesus and some of the disciples were at the supper given by Simon the Leper. (Reference is made to Chapter Five of this writing.) There are events 40
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which still have to observed before we consider the Lord’s Prayer in chapter seventeen of John.
John 13:1 place the events of chapter thirteen before the feast of the Passover, which indeed it was.
When Jesus got up to wash the disciple’s feet, it was at the conclusion of the supper that was given by Simon the Leper. In washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus not only taught several lessons, but He also revealed that one of their number was going to betray Him. They had known for some time that He was to be betrayed but it never dawned on them that it was to be one of their chosen number.
According to John 13:29, 30, Judas left immediately after his intent was revealed.
(John 13:29-30) For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. (KJV)
The remainder of the disciples thought that he was to buy something for the Passover or the feasts that would follow, or that he was to give something to the poor. This seemed to have been a common occurrence, the giving to the poor.
The latter part of John thirteen reveals to us that Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him. Chapter fourteen gives the lessons Jesus presented to them concerning the Comforter, the way, the truth and the life. At the end of the discourse, Jesus instructed His followers to arise and leave. We are not sure where Jesus and the disciples went at this time (it could have been to the Mount of Olives because that was one of Jesus’ favorite spots), but Jesus taught the disciples the lessons found in chapters fifteen and sixteen of John.
If we observe Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17; and Luke 22:14, we can observe the following events took place in the upper room in Jerusalem where Jesus had instructed the two disciples to make arrangements for their meeting.
The Scriptures do not emphatically state that Jesus and His disciples actually ate the Passover but it is inferred that they did.
(Mark 14:12) And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover? (KJV)
This bears out that the feast of unleavened bread began with the feast of the Passover. This was the fourteenth day of Nisan, the Preparation Day for the feast of the Passover.
(Exodus 12:18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
(KJV)
So, now just in a short matter of days before His crucifixion, Jesus lifted up His eyes to the Father and began to pray.
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The first reason Jesus had for praying the Lord’s Prayer was for the glorifying of the Father. Time and again Jesus glorified the Father, not only with His words but also with His actions. He knew He had glorified the Father through His short human lifespan.
(John 17:4) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (KJV)
Every time Jesus preached, taught, or performed a miracle, His first and foremost thought was for the glorification of the Father. This should be the driving force in the life and motive of the child of God. When the child of God glorifies the Father, he is doing exactly what he is supposed to do.
When we glorify the Son, we glorify the Father. If Jesus gave the example and glorified Father, we can never go wrong when we follow the example of our Lord and Master and glorify Him.
What is glorification of the Father? What does the word “glorify” mean? How do we glorify the Father? The answer to these questions is not always simple and easy to answer. The dictionary gives the definitions of the following words:
Glory—1. Distinguished honor or praise; exalted reputation. 2. Something bringing praise. 3. Worshipful adoration: to give glory to God.
Glorification—1. The act of glorifying or exalting. 2. Invested with glory.
Glorify—1. To make glorious. 2. To honor; worship. 3. To give praise to; laud.1
Taking the above definitions, glorification of the Father is bestowing all one’s praise, adoration and honor on His Son, Jesus Christ. Many times, an individual may say he adores someone. Since the word “adore” means “to worship something or someone as divine, to render divine honor to, to love or honor with intense devotion, or to worship,” when anyone adores anything or anyone besides God, that thing or that individual becomes his god. We should only adore God. We can and should, love our spouse and family, but should adore only God. To give adoration to anything or anyone else is idolatry, and God has condemned idolatry numerous times.
How did Jesus glorify the Father? He glorified the Father by giving Him all the praise and honor.
Jesus never did glorify Himself. He asked instead that the Father glorify Him. Jesus could have rightly glorified Himself, but He did not. He always gave God the Father all the glory, honor and praise.
We can glorify the Father by giving Him all our glory, honor and praise. We cannot do this and not follow the Master’s example. To be able to please God, we must have faith. To have faith, we must follow Jesus.
(Hebrews 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (KJV)
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(Hebrews 12:1-2) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (KJV)
To do anything except follow Jesus is to go against, to disobey, and to dishonor, the Father. It behooves us not to do this.
The second reason for the Lord’s Prayer was for the glorification of the Son. Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him because He had manifested the name of the Father unto those the Father had given Him. By glorifying the Son, the Father was bestowing glory and honor upon Himself, according to verse five of the text of this chapter.
(John 17:5) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. (KJV)
Jesus had all the glory, honor and praise that the Father had before He became man in order to pay the awesome sin debt. Some may not think that Jesus ever did anything before He came into the world in human flesh. This is extremely incorrect. Jesus was very much in evidence at and before, the creation of the world.
(John 1:1-3) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV) (Colossians 1:16-17) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (KJV) When Adam and Eve were created, they were created in the image of God. They had a spirit, just as God is a Spirit.
(John 4:24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (KJV)
They had the physical image of God. When we see the likeness of someone, we see a physical manifestation of that person, whether it be a picture, or facsimile of that individual. The point is, that likeness is physical or material. It is something that can be seen.
(Genesis 1:26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and 43
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over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (KJV)
Adam and Eve were created as intellectual beings. When the Holy Spirit is thought of, not only is He thought of as being a Spirit, the Third person of the Trinity, but also as having to do with intelligence. When we think of intelligence, we have to consider knowledge. The Holy Spirit is not only Spirit but also Intelligence. All knowledge rests with God in the Personage of the Holy Spirit.
Where knowledge is concerned, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit cannot be separated, but when it comes to dealing with man, the Holy Spirit has that knowledge.
(John 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (KJV) Bible knowledge and understanding can only be obtained through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit to guide, a person must be saved.
(1 Corinthians 2:11-14) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (KJV) Jesus was the Prototype by which man was created. This is the reason man was created in the image of God.
Jesus was manifested many, many times before He was born of the virgin Mary. When God came walking in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day, it was Jesus.
(Genesis 3:8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (KJV)
When three men appeared unto Abraham, One of them was the LORD. That was Jesus.
(Genesis 18:1-2) And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, (KJV) 44
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(Genesis 18:16-17) And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (KJV)
(Genesis 18:22-23) And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (KJV) (Genesis 18:33) And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. (KJV) When Jacob wrestled all night at the brook, the Man with Whom he wrestled was Jesus.
(Genesis 32:24) And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. (KJV)
(Genesis 32:29-30) And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name.
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (KJV)
These examples prove that Jesus was in existence before He was born in the flesh. Therefore, He could rightly ask the Father to glorify Him with the glory that He had “…before the world was.”
The third reason for the Lord’s Prayer was for the intercession of the disciples. One of the jobs Jesus had to perform was to become man’s High Priest in order to make intercession for him.
(Hebrews 5:5-10) So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (KJV)
(Hebrews 7:24-27) But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, 45
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as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (KJV) Jesus was praying not only for His disciples at that time but also for all believers who would live thereafter and for His church. They are the final two reasons for the Lord’s Prayer.
One of the most comforting thoughts we can have is that Jesus Christ is our Advocate, ever interceding on our behalf. The child of God will never know, in this life at least, all the accusations that are leveled at him before god. There are many times Satan has just cause to accuse but so often he does not.
When we go into a court of law, if we expect to accomplish anything, we must have a lawyer. A lawyer knows the right things to say and when to say them. He knows what the judge wants. He knows how to answer the accusations against his client. He looks after and protects the interests of his client. Jesus is the Lawyer for the child of God. When Satan goes against him, it is Jesus Who stands up for him.
(Job 1:6-12) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD
said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. (KJV) These passages present several things to the close observer. First, when the sons of God, or the angels, came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan came also. Be it remembered that God the Father cannot be in the presence of sin or anything tainted with sin. Since Satan was the originator and father of all sin, then it was not God the Father to which Satan addressed himself, but to God the Son. This can even be seen in the definition of the title “LORD.” Not that the word is in all caps. One of the meanings of this word is that God is the self-existing One Who reveals Himself. Each time God reveals Himself, He must take upon Himself some form in which He can be seen. The primary way in which God reveals Himself is through his Son Jesus Christ.
God the Father could not be in the presence of sin but Jesus could. This teaches that Satan has to go through Jesus in accusing a child of God. What a comfort this is! To know that Jesus intercepts all the darts thrown against us is one of the greatest blessings that can ever be had.
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Second, Satan is constantly looking for something that he can use against not only God but also against His children. It is no wonder the Scriptures contain so many warnings concerning the Adversary.
(1 Peter 5:8-9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (KJV)
Third, it is comforting to know that Satan had to have permission in order to touch Job. With Jesus as Job’s Intercessor, Satan could not touch him without the granting will of the Son of God. Not only was this so during the time of Job, but t is ever more so today. Satan knows his time is growing very short. Therefore, he is no doubt working overtime in waging his war against the Christ and His followers. With Jesus interceding, the sharp point of the fiery darts of the Wicked One are indeed blunted. Without Jesus’ intercessory work, we would not have a hedge about us. This hedge only lets through those poison arrows of Satan that are needful to try, tempt, prove, or keep humble the child of God.
The examination of the prayer necessarily starts with eternal life and its definition. We could define eternal life as having life that would never pass away. In other words, when an individual has eternal life, he will never encounter spiritual death. Jesus stated in verse two of the text chapter that eternal life was knowing God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Why would Jesus say that? It is understood that there is a difference between having a superficial knowledge of something and a thorough, deep knowledge and understanding of something. This knowledge is intimate and personal. It is the kind of knowledge that causes us to trust something or someone else. This is the kind of knowledge to which Jesus is referring in this verse. To know God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son, is impossible except through the acceptation of that Son as personal Saviour. To know the Father is to be possessed by Him.
Jesus said in verse two that He would give eternal life to as many as the Father had given Him. He again spoke of those whom God the Father had given Him. They are found in verses six, nine, eleven, twelve, and twenty-four. Some would no doubt teach that these verses support the heretical doctrines of Calvinism. They do not in any way support that doctrine because it is a false doctrine.
To examine this prayer, it is necessary to come to an understanding of what Jesus was saying. Would Jesus teach, or even pray, anything that was false? That is a rhetorical question. Jesus never did nor will He ever do or say anything which is untrue. Since this is the case, what is the meaning behind His words “…them which thou hast given”?
Those who support this doctrine many times use John 6:37.
(John 6:37) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (KJV)
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Is this verse untrue? Should it be ignored by those who do not purport the “doctrines of grace”?
No, of course it should never be ignored. The passage is quite true. All those that the Father has given our Lord will come to Him. The point of contention comes in ascertaining whether or not those whom the Father has given Jesus are predestinated and foreordained to be saved and all the rest predestinated and foreordained to be doomed to an eternal lake of fire.
To understand this truth, we have to begin with the foreknowledge of God.
(Isaiah 42:9) Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (KJV) (Isaiah 46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (KJV)
(Acts 15:18) Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
(KJV)
(Romans 8:29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (KJV)
(Romans 11:2) God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, (KJV)
All these passages leave no doubt concerning the foreknowledge of God. All knowledge rests in God and there is nothing that is not known to Him. Therefore, if God knows all things, then He knows who will accept His Son and who will not. What then does God do with this knowledge?
(Romans 10:9-17) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (KJV) 48
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(John 3:14-21) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (KJV) These passages point to the actual truth of the so-called “doctrine of grace.” God does know who will be saved and who will not be saved. It has already been stated that all knowledge rests with God.
To deny that fact would be utter foolishness. Those who accept His Son are given eternal life.
Those who do not are condemned. When are they condemned? They are already condemned because they have not believed upon Jesus Christ. Therefore, they do not have to wait until the Great White Throne Judgment to be sentenced by the Judge because they have already been found guilty and have been condemned to an eternal lake of fire.
Note this illustration: When a criminal has been captured and tried for his crimes and found guilty, he is sentenced by the judge to whatever punishment the judge can mete out according to the laws of the land. When that criminal leaves the courtroom, he has already been found condemned and sentenced for his crimes. He has not yet started his sentence. He will not begin his sentence until he is transported by the law enforcement officials to the proper place of confinement where he will either be locked behind bars until he dies, serves out his sentence, is pardoned, or is executed.
Anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour stands in the same shoes as the convicted criminal. They have already been found guilty and have sentenced to an eternal lake of fire. They are merely awaiting the execution of that sentence.
It is possible for the governor of the state or the president of the United States to grant clemency or even a full pardon for the criminal. When a criminal has been pardoned, his slate is wiped clean.
His crimes no longer exist and he stands as a free man just as if he had never committed a crime.
That criminal can either accept or reject that pardon. He does not have to accept it. The one granting the pardon cannot force him to accept it. If the criminal refuses to accept it, there is nothing that can be done except let the criminal pay the price for his crimes.
This is the same method used by God. The lost sinner already stands condemned and sentenced.
There is, however, a full pardon just for him if he will accept it. Unlike the criminal, Someone has already paid for his crimes in order that the pardon might be granted. That Someone is Jesus Christ Who paid for the sinner’s crimes with His blood. That sinner can either accept or reject that pardon.
God knows exactly what that condemned individual will do but that individual still has the choice to either accept or reject the full pardon purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
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God knew who would and who would not accept the Son and He knew from before the foundation of the world. Those He knew who would accept Jesus as Saviour, He gave them to His Son. Those whom He knew would not accept Jesus were not presented to His Son. That selection was based entirely upon the acceptation or rejection of Jesus Christ as Saviour, and because God already knew their choice, they were either given to Jesus or were not given to the Son.
This is what the Saviour meant by those whom God had given to Him. Those who accepted Him were given eternal life.
Not only did Jesus give eternal life to those who were given to Him, but also, He kept all those who had been given to Him. What a wonderful statement of the security of the believer. Jesus stated that not one had been lost after they had believed and accepted Him. Can Jesus lie? Of course, He can never lie. Why than would some teach that one can lose their salvation? To do so is to call Jesus a liar and a deceiver. The Scriptures teach that Satan is a liar and the father of it. He is the one who is the deceiver. To teach that we can lose our salvation is to teach that Jesus is no better than Satan. To teach this is also to teach that even God Himself is a liar and a deceiver because God the Father and God the Son are One. To teach thus is also to teach that God is the father of all sin.
Therefore, the teaching of not only Calvinism but also the falling from grace is alienating oneself from the truths of God and His inspired Word.
To continue in the examination of the Lord’s Prayer, we must consider the Deity of Christ. Just like the doctrine concerning the Trinity, many people find it difficult to accept and believe the teaching concerning the Deity of Christ. Some see the Humanity of Jesus and do not see His Divinity while still others see his Divinity and do not see His Humanity. We must view the human side of Jesus along with His divine side. Both are essential to the plan of salvation. Some teach that Jesus was a great Teacher and Preacher as well as a great Man, but not Divine. Those that hold to such are either not aware or do not want to aware of the fact that Jesus Christ was God-Man, God in the flesh.
As there is no question among professing Christians about the Deity of either the Father or the Spirit, it is reasonable to suppose that there would have been no question raised about the Deity of the Son had He not become incarnate in human form. The Deity of the Son is asserted in the Bible as fully as clearly in every particular as is the Deity of the Father or the Spirit. On the other hand, the humanity of the Savior is as dogmatically set forth…The Second Person has ever been the manifestation of Deity and never more so than in and through the incarnation. So vital is this truth that He could say, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father”
(John 14:9), and “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). The manifestation of the Godhead is not dependent alone upon the humanity of the Son secured through the incarnation, He was the perfect Revealer for all eternity…he who fails to see God in Christ does not see God at all.2
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To come to an understanding concerning the Deity of Christ, let us follow this course: The knowledge of the attributes of God are widely known, but the question is, “Can the attributes of God be applied also to the Son of God?” The answer is in the affirmative. If such is the case, then the Deity of Jesus can be ascertained.
The Scriptures present Jesus as being eternal.
(Isaiah 9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (KJV) The Old Testament prophecy refers to Jesus the Christ. One of His titles is “The everlasting Father.” This passage alone would prove that Jesus is eternal just as God is eternal, but let another be considered.
(Micah 5:2) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (KJV) This again refers to Jesus and the place of His birth. This passage reveals that He is eternal, “…from everlasting.”
(John 1:1-2) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. (KJV) (John 8:58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (KJV)
Jesus himself testifies to the fact that He is eternal. Since the time of Abraham was over two thousand years, Jesus would have had to have been eternal to be before Abraham.
The Scriptures present Jesus as being Immutable.
(Malachi 3:6) For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (KJV)
An explanation has already been given earlier in this chapter concerning the word “LORD”, so nothing further will be said here.
(Hebrews 1:10-12) And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (KJV)
The most magnificent reference to the immutability of Christ is Hebrews 13:8.
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(Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (KJV) The Scriptures present Jesus as being Omnipotent.
(Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (KJV) The word “Almighty” has reference to power.
(Philippians 3:21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)
For Jesus to “…subdue all things unto himself,” He must be All Powerful.
The Scriptures present Jesus as being Omniscient.
(John 6:64) 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. (KJV) (John 2:24-25) But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (KJV)
(John 21:17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (KJV)
I confess that it is difficult to understand how Jesus could limit Himself within the confines of a human body, and yet at the same time be All Knowing.
The Scriptures present Jesus as being Omnipresent.
(Matthew 18:20) For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (KJV)
(Matthew 28:20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen. (KJV)
The Scriptures present Jesus as being Life.
(John 1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (KJV) (John 5:26) For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; (KJV)
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(John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (KJV)
The Scriptures present Jesus as being Truth. John 14:6 has already been quoted above which reveals Jesus as being Truth. Consider also the following verse.
(Revelation 3:7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; (KJV) The Scriptures present Jesus as being Holy.
(Luke 1:35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (KJV) (Hebrews 7:26) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (KJV) The Scriptures present Jesus as being Love.
(John 13:1) Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (KJV) (John 13:34) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (KJV) All these passages off Scripture prove the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He possessed all of these attributes which are possessed by God the Father as well. Along with these attributes which are possessed by God, the Scriptures present Jesus as being in several different positions.
There is the position of Jesus as Creator.
(John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV)
(John 1:10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (KJV)
(Colossians 1:16-17) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (KJV) There is the position of Jesus as the Forgiver of sins.
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(Colossians 3:13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (KJV) (Luke 5:24) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (KJV)
There is the position of Jesus as the Raiser of the dead.
(2 Corinthians 1:9-10) But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (KJV)
(John 5:21) For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. (KJV)
(John 5:25-29) Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (KJV)
(John 11:25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (KJV) There is the position of Jesus as the Rewarder of the saints.
(2 Corinthians 5:10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (KJV)
There is the position of Jesus as Judge.
(John 5:22) For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (KJV)
(Revelation 20:12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (KJV)
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John 5:22 sets forth the fact that all judgement was placed in the hands of the Son by the Father.
Therefore, when the lost stand before the One Who sits on the Great White Throne at the Great White Throne Judgement, they will be standing before the Son Whom they have eternally rejected.
They will then have to bow and confess that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
With all the evidence concerning the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, there should be no misunderstanding that even though Jesus was a Human Being, He was also God. He had to claim His Oneness with the Father. He truly was Divine. His Deity is not ever to be refuted. In light of all this, Jesus had every ground to pray as He did.
The last item to be considered in the examination of the Lord’s Prayer is that of the sanctification of the saints.
In the New Testament, there are two sides presented concerning sanctification: the divine, with not only Jesus but also God the Father and the Holy Spirit doing sanctifying work, and the human side of sanctification.
Concerning sanctification, Dr. Albert Garner states that the doctrine of sanctification relates,
…to the life of a child of God, one who has been regenerated, justified, and made secure in Christ. Sanctification is used to mean, “personal separation from things that are unclean to things that are holy, clean, and sacred.” After one is saved he is to consider himself “set apart” from sin to holiness of character and conduct for service to God…Both the Old and New Testaments use the terms “sanctify” and
“sanctification” to mean to be “set apart” to sacred things for sacred purposes.
Sanctification, therefore, does not mean to be without sin, impurity, or carnality, else there would be no sanctification in this life. For instance, members of the church at Corinth were declared to be holy, saints, sanctified, and behind in no spiritual gift, but they were not so sanctified that they did not have carnality in them, fornication, contentions, and going to law one with another.3
With these thoughts in mind, we can understand what Jesus was saying when He prayed, “Sanctify them through they truth…” John 17:17a. He had already prayed in verse fifteen for the Father not to take the saints out of the world but to keep them from the evil one.
Sanctification in the life of the Christian is used to mean separation from unclean thoughts, desires, motives and deeds. Sanctification is also a personal progressive process or means by which a child of God grows in grace, knowledge, and usefulness to God after he is saved.4
Jesus was praying that the Father would set apart those children of His unto holy and consecrated service for Him. Without holy and consecrated living by His children, Jesus could not expect any results of His sending them out into the world as He had been sent out into the world.
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Jesus prayed that the saints be sanctified through God’s truth. He went on to say that God’s Word is truth. The “word” in this passage of Scripture carries with it the idea of God’s spoken word which is recorded. The Greek word “logos” is used here. Although it refers to Jesus in only two places in the New Testament, the Greek word refers to “the spoken word that is recorded” in this verse. Of course, God’s Word is contained in the volume of books that is known today as the Bible. The Bible contains everything the child of God will ever need to conduct himself in the proper manner on this earth. Nowhere else can be found the pattern for the successful life that can be lived. The Bible provides the child of God with instructions on everything from money to sex, from God’s service to home-life, from business dealings to giving. The answers and instructions may not always lie on the surface where they can be easily seen, but they are there.
How else could the child of God be set aside from the world except through the Word of God? There is no other way. This is the reason why the study and love of His Word is so essential for good spiritual health.
Jesus knew that God’s Word would be vital to His church and its well-being. The Bible is its only rule of faith and practice. The only way to sanctification in and through this church age—the age which will close life as it is now known on this earth—is by the Word of God.
The Lord’s Prayer is so rich in detail, teachings and doctrines that many books could be written on it alone. Suffice it to say, Jesus prayed the ultimate prayer that could ever be prayed by anyone at any time in any age. What an example for us to have!
1
Funk & Wagnalls, Standard Encyclopedic Dictionary (Chicago: J. G. Ferguson Publishing Co., 1972), P. 273.
2
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1 (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1964), pp. 339, 340.
3
Albert Garner, Defense of the Faith (Texarkana: Bogard Press, 1962), pp. 86, 87.
4
Ibid, p. 87.
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