João 17
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 17
Cole has an insightful discussion of unity - It is important to understand that there are two types of unity in the Bible. In Ephesians 4:3, Paul says that we are to be “diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The unity of the Spirit is already a fact for believers, but we must be diligent to preserve it. Then in Ephesians 4:13, after talking about the ministry of pastors and teachers who equip the saints for the work of ministry, Paul adds, “… until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” This unity of the faith is not yet a reality, but is attained to as we grow to maturity in Christ. (See, also, Eph. 2:14-22.) We might call these “positional unity,” which is a fact; and “practical unity,” which is a work in progress. We see the same thing in our text: In Jn 17:21, 22, Jesus prays that those who believe in Him would be one, even as He and the Father are one. That prayer was answered when the Holy Spirit baptized all believers into the one body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Yet Jesus also prays that believers may be “perfected in unity” (Jn 17:23), which implies a process of growth. So it’s much like sanctification: We are positionally sanctified in Christ (1Co 1:30; 6:11); yet, we must grow in sanctification (2Co 7:1; 1Th 4:3). (See Pastor Cole's excellent discussion of Christian Unity - What it is, What it isn't, How it is manifest, etc) So that (hina - term of purpose) the world (kosmos) may know (ginosko - recognize) that You sent (apostello) Me - In Jn 17:21 Jesus had said "that the world may believe that you sent Me" and now parallels believe with know, because the only one who truly knows God (not just knows about Him as the lost world "knows" Him but truly, intimately, personally knows Him) is the one who believes in the Son Whom the Father sent to save the world! In short, the unity of Christ's body is to be a witness to the lost world. In Jn 13:35+ it is our love for one another that causes "all men will know that you are My disciples." To reiterate, in the present passage we note the similarity of the effect of the unity which Jesus described in Jn 17:21, where the result of unity was that the world might believe that the Father sent His Son. Here the purpose of unity of believers is similar, the purpose being that the world would keep on knowing (present tense) that Jesus is the Son of God Who was sent by the Father to the world (not the anti-God kosmos, but the people who live in the world). His point is that when the lost souls of the world see the oneness of the body of Christ they will sense something supernatural (How else could such oneness come about?). They will be knowing then that God sent Jesus. In other words, the unity of the Body of Christ will in a sense point the world to the Head of the body, Jesus Christ. Gangel introduces an interesting metaphor - Like a set of matched mixing bowls, we are the smaller one that fits into Christ who fits into the Father. Purpose? To let the world know that you sent me. Mixing bowls may provide too mundane a metaphor here, but Jesus' teaching about the vine and the branches in chapter 15 is affirmed by this prayer of chapter 17. The unity of believers calls forth a recognition of God's hand by observers in the world even while the church is on earth. Just a few hours before this prayer, Jesus told the disciples, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (Jn 13:35). (See Holman New Testament Commentary - John - Page 319) And loved (agapao) them (believers), even as (term of comparison/simile) You have loved (agapao) Me - This is the second result of unity of believers, which is that the lost world will be knowing the love of the Father for believers. Even as is a term of comparison or simile and what an unbelievable comparison Jesus makes. He is placing the Father's love of believers on a plane with the Father's love for the Son! If this does not boggle your mind, nothing will (take a moment and sing the following Wesley hymn to Him!) Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me! -- Charles Wesley This incredible truth of the Father's incomprehensible love for us recalls Paul's great prayer (Eph 3:16-19) that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
João 17
Cole has an excellent discussion on Christian Unity (from The Unity of the Church) Christian unity is not organizational or external unity. 1) CHRISTIAN UNITY IS NOT DENOMINATIONAL UNITY. Organizations such as the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches are prominent in promoting organizational or external unity among various denominations. The idea is to set aside the areas we differ and come together on common ground. But both councils are notoriously theologically and politically liberal and inclusive of denominations that deny or compromise the gospel. Christ was not praying for a one-world church organized under one leader and church government. 2) CHRISTIAN UNITY IS NOT UNIFORMITY. Being one body in Christ does not mean that we all must look alike, talk alike, and enjoy the same kinds of activities. Back in the early 1970’s, I knew many “hippie” young people who got swept up in the “Local Church” movement under the Chinese leader, Witness Lee. Overnight, they cut off their long hair and beards and started wearing white shirts with narrow black ties, just as Witness Lee did. They even gestured and sounded like him when they talked. It was kind of eerie, but it had nothing to do with true Christian unity! The very analogy of being members of Christ’s body implies that all the members do not look the same or serve the same function. The beauty of the body is that it functions as one body although it consists of many different members. 3) CHRISTIAN UNITY IS NOT UNANIMITY ON EVERY DOCTRINE. We need to think carefully here! There are three broad levels of Bible doctrines: (1) Essential truths, necessary for salvation. To deny any of these would be heresy and a denial of the faith. All true Christians agree on these truths. These include: The inspiration and authority of Scripture; the Trinity; the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ; His substitutionary death on the cross; His bodily resurrection; His bodily second coming; and, salvation by grace through faith alone, apart from works. (2) Important, but non-saving, truth. These truths affect how we live as Christians, the way we understand God, man, salvation, the Christian life, etc. But genuine believers differ on these matters. Some examples: Biblical prophecy; Calvinism vs. Arminianism; views of baptism; charismatic gifts; roles of men and women in the church and home; church government; Christians and psychology; and, views of creation. Some of these issues are more important in that they border on essential doctrines (e.g., some issues in Calvinism vs. Arminianism deal with salvation and the gospel). So there are gray areas between each of the categories. (3) Interesting, but not essential or important matters. These issues won’t affect the way you live your Christian life. They include minor interpretive issues on difficult texts; some methods that are not mandated by Scripture; and other issues. For example: Who were the sons of God in Genesis 6? When does the battle in Ezekiel 38 take place? Did Christ descend into hell (1 Pet. 3:19-20)? So it’s important to discern the level of importance of a doctrine before you debate it with another Christian or divide from him over it. Paul instructs Timothy (1 Tim. 1:4-5) not to pay attention to myths or endless genealogies, which only give rise to speculation, but to focus on teaching that leads to love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Christian unity is not organizational or external unity. Then, what is it? Christian unity is based on shared life through faith in Christ through the apostolic witness to Him. If you have put your trust in Jesus Christ, then He is praying for you in these verses. He says (John 17:20), “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.” Note two things: 1) CHRISTIAN UNITY IS BASED ON OUR COMMON SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST. Jesus is not praying for the entire world here (John 17:9). He is not praying for inter-faith unity among all Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims, as promoted by many inter-faith prayer services this past week. Rather, He is praying specifically for those who believe in Him through the apostles’ word. That word is recorded for us in the New Testament, which the Holy Spirit inspired them to write (John 14:26; 16:13, 14). The core message of the apostolic witness centers on salvation through faith in the life, substitutionary death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we saw (John 1:12-13), “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” The new birth is the basis of our unity in Christ. Jesus compares this unity with that which exists between Him and the Father (John 17:21): “that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, …” Jesus and the Father are eternally one in their shared nature as God. When we are born again and become children of God, we share in the divine nature (John 1:12-13; 2 Pet. 1:4). So in this sense, Jesus’ prayer was answered on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came on all believers, uniting them in the one body of Christ. Since then, all who believe the apostolic witness to Christ share new life in Him (1 Cor. 12:13): “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” This is the unity of the Spirit that Paul talks about (Eph. 4:3). It is a fact, and yet we must be diligent to preserve it. 2) CHRISTIAN UNITY IS BASED ON OUR COMMON GLORY IN JESUS CHRIST. Jesus prays (John 17:22), “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one.” What does Jesus mean? Godly commentators differ, so I can’t be dogmatic. We know that Christ has an incommunicable glory, which He did not receive and He does not bestow. In that sense, God does not share His glory with anyone (Isa. 42:8). But we can piece together several verses that steer us in the right direction. John (1:14) testifies, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Then John 1:16 adds, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” So in part, the glory that Christ has given us is the glory of our salvation, received and sustained by abundant grace. Also, for Christ, the epitome of His glory was displayed at the cross (John 12:28; 13:31-32), which supremely shows His love, justice, holiness, and grace. This leads Leon Morris (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 734) to interpret the glory that He gives to all of His disciples: “… just as His true glory was to follow the path of lowly service culminating in the cross, so for them the true glory lay in the path of lowly service wherever it might lead them.” (D. A. Carson, BORROW The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus [Baker], p. 198, concurs.) Morris (p. 735) and Carson (ibid.) cite William Barclay (The Gospel of John [Westminster], 2:219): We must never think of our cross as our penalty; we must think of it as our glory….The harder the task we give a student, or a craftsman, or a surgeon, the more we honour him…. So when it is hard to be a Christian, we must regard it as our glory, as our honour given to us by God. Also, Jesus explains what this glory entails in John 17:23: “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” There are two parts to this: First, “I in them and You in Me” points to Christ’s indwelling us through the Holy Spirit, who is given to all who believe. Through the Spirit, the triune God dwells in every believer! Even though the world may not see it very clearly, as we are perfected in unity, they will get a glimpse of the glory of God (e.g. the fruit of the Spirit) in us. Second, Jesus says that the Father has loved us, even as He has loved Jesus! What a staggering statement! The love of the Father for the Son is eternal and infinite. There is no way to measure it. It surpasses all comprehension (Eph. 3:18). The best picture we have of the Father’s love for us is when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Have you experienced the love of God for you in Christ at the cross? That love is your glory and the common glory of every true believer. It brings us together into the one worldwide family of God. Our unity is based on our common salvation in Christ and our common glory in Christ. Why is Christian unity important? Christian unity is important because it is a major factor in our witness to the world, so that they may believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus mentions this twice: In John 17:21, He prays that we all may be one … “so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” In verse 23, He prays that we may be perfected in unity “so that the world may know that You sent Me.” Note that faith is not nebulous or subjective. Rather, faith centers on the truth that the Father sent Jesus, His Son, to earth. As John repeatedly emphasizes, He sent Him to be the Savior of all who believe in Him. But, how can the world believe in Jesus? Paul explains (Rom. 10:14-15), How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” We are often the only Bible that people read. We are often the only Bible that people read. By our godly lives, by our verbal witness to the person and work of Christ, and by our visible unity with all true believers, we proclaim to the world the truth that God sent His Son to pay for the sins and give eternal life to all that believe (John 3:16). That leads to the third question: How is Christian unity expressed? Christian unity is expressed by believers’ common love, common purpose, and common mission. A. Christian unity is expressed by believers’ common love. Jesus makes the staggering statement that the Father has loved us even as He loved Jesus! While we will spend eternity trying to fathom the depths of the Father’s love for us, it should be increasingly influencing our daily lives. Perhaps it is nowhere expressed more eloquently than in Paul’s conclusion of Romans 8, where he says that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I remember holding our firstborn child in my arms and feeling my love for her well up as I gazed into her tiny face. Suddenly, it dawned on me, “My parents must love me as much as I love my baby daughter!” Then it further hit me, “The heavenly Father loves me far more than any earthly father can love his children!” John applies this wonderful truth (1 John 4:11): “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” The logic of that is so simple, and yet it is often so difficult to obey! But after loving God, the second great commandment is that we love others even as we do in fact love ourselves (Matt. 22:39). It’s relatively easy to love folks who are just like you. But the church is to show Christ’s love across racial, cultural, generational, and economic divides as we worship together and care for one another. There was no greater divide in Paul’s day than that between Jews and Gentiles. But Paul emphasized that the glory of the church is that Christ removed the barrier between those two diverse groups and made them one (Eph. 2:14-22). He insists (Col. 3:11) that in the church, “there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” When people who are divided in the world display their love for one another in the local church, the world takes notice. In the early 1970’s, I had the privilege of visiting the “Body Life” service at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, California, where the late Ray Stedman was the pastor. There were little white-haired ladies sitting next to long-haired hippies. Through the stories shared, it was evident that although they were from very different segments of American life, both sides loved each other. That display of Christ’s love resulted in many unbelievers coming to see what was going on and eventually coming to faith in Christ. B. Christian unity is expressed by believers’ common purpose. Although we have different gifts and different callings, our common purpose is to glorify God in all that we do (1 Cor. 10:31). We glorify Him by living in obedience to His commands and by bearing much fruit (John 15:8, 10). We glorify Him as we are more and more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). C. Christian unity is expressed by believers’ common mission. In urging the Philippian church toward unity, Paul put it like this (Phil. 1:27): “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Our common mission is to fulfill the Great Commission, to make disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:19). Again, while we may differ with other believers over secondary matters, as long as they proclaim the truth of the gospel, we should rejoice that Christ is being proclaimed (Phil. 1:15-18). John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. I will: John 12:26 14:3 Mt 25:21,23 26:29 Lu 12:37 22:28-30 23:43 2Co 5:8 Php 1:23 1Th 4:17 Rev 3:21 7:14-17 may: Ge 45:13 1Co 13:12 2Co 3:18 4:6 1Jn 3:2 Rev 21:22 for: John 17:5 Pr 8:21-31 Related Passages: Luke 23:43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” John 12:26 “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 13:36 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” John 14:3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Romans 8:17; and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Philippians 1:23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 2 Corinthians 5:8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 2 Timothy 2:11-12 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Revelation 22:3-4+ There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. HEAVEN IS OUR SURE HOPE AND THE DESIRE OF OUR LORD Father, I (present tense - continually) desire (thelo - will) that (hina - term of purpose) they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am - I desire (expressing the action of His will and is not simply a wish) speaks of Jesus longing for the consummation of redemption, which will come to be when all His disciples are forever with Him in Heaven. As an aside as He prays for His disciples, He uses "I will" but as He prays for Himself, He says "not what I will, but what You will.” (Mk 14:36+) Notice Jesus uses the present tense in the phrase where I am (eimi ego reverse of usual "ego eimi"), even though He was not yet there (cf Jn 12:26; Jn 13:36; Jn 14:3; Ro 8:17; 2Ti 2:11-12). His point is that the realization of that day was so sure He could speak of it in the present tense. This passage echoes Jesus' promises to the eleven disciples in John 13:36+ and John 14:3+. However, this prayer would not just be for the eleven but for all disciples throughout the ages. Jesus is praying for believers to be with Him in heaven, which will be the time when the unity of the Body attains perfection (eternally). He again acknowledges we as believers in Jesus are the Father's gift to Him. THOUGHT - Have you ever thought of yourself as a "gift" from Your Heavenly Father to His Son? It certainly gives one a different perspective on our present lives. If we have been given to the Son, the clear implication is that we are His and we are not our own to do as we please but to do as He pleases. O, Holy Spirit enable us to be fully His in heart and soul and mind and strength each day of our fleeting life. Amen. Paul echoes this thought asking rhetorically "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For (EXPLANATION - OF WHY YOU ARE NO LONGER YOUR OWN OR "ON YOUR OWN") you have been bought with a price: therefore (CONCLUSION OF FACT YOU BELONG TO JESUS IS WE SHOULD GLORIFY HIS FATHER) glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:19-20+) Spurgeon on be with Me where I am - “Was he not carried away by the fervor of his devotion? Where was he when he uttered the words of our text? If I follow the language I might conclude that our Lord was already in heaven. He says, ‘rather, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.’ Does he not mean that they should be in heaven with him? Of course he does; yet he was not in heaven; he was still in the midst of his apostles, in the body upon earth; and he had yet Gethsemane and Golgotha before him ere he could enter his glory. He had prayed himself into such an exaltation of feeling that his prayer was in heaven, and he himself was there in spirit.”
João 17
Cole summarizes John 17:24 with 3 points - (1) Heaven is a certainty for all whom the Father has given to His Son. (2) The best thing about heaven will be to be with Jesus and to see His glory. (3) Another joy of heaven is that it will be a place where we see and experience fully the Father’s infinite love. (See Jonathan Edwards' sermon Heaven, a World of Love) O Jesus, Thou hast promised To all who follow Thee, That where Thou art in glory There shall Thy servant be; And, Jesus, I have promised To serve Thee to the end O give me grace to follow, My Master and my Friend. ---John Ernest Bode, 1816–74 Desire (Want, Will, Wish) (2309) thelo see study of derivative thelema; see synonyms boule and boulomai) is a very common NT verb (208x) which primarily refers to exercising of one's will with the underlying sense of to be willing, to desire, to want or to wish (in Jn 15:7 in context of prayer). To apply oneself to something (or to will). Thelo "expresses not simply a desire, but a determined and constant exercise of the will." (W E Vine) Thelo expresses not only desire, but executive will, active volition and purpose (1Cor 10:20). Thelo is translated "to want or wish", this positive sense indicating a desire to see something done. It is an active decision of the will, thus implying volition and purpose. It is a conscious willing and denotes a more active resolution urging on to action and expresses a purpose or determination or decree, the execution of which is, or is believed to be, in the power of him who wills. THELO IN JOHN'S GOSPEL - Jn. 1:43; Jn. 3:8; Jn. 5:6; Jn. 5:21; Jn. 5:35; Jn. 5:40; Jn. 6:11; Jn. 6:21; Jn. 6:67; Jn. 7:1; Jn. 7:17; Jn. 7:44; Jn. 8:44; Jn. 9:27; Jn. 12:21; Jn. 15:7; Jn. 16:19; Jn. 17:24; Jn. 21:18; Jn. 21:22; Jn. 21:23 To observe with sustained attention, which includes the idea of entering into and experiencing something. See (behold, look, observe, watch) (2334) theoreo from theaomai = to look at closely or attentively or contemplatively - even with a sense of wonder; cp theoros = a spectator) (Gives us English = theater, theorize) usually refers to physical sight but can also refer to perception and understanding. To observe with sustained attention, which includes the idea of entering into and experiencing something. YouTo observe something with sustained attention, be a spectator. It means to gaze, to look with interest and purpose, to carefully examine with emphasis on or attention to details. To behold intensely or attentively. Our English word scrutinize conveys this sense, for it means to examine closely and minutely. To be a spectator and thus to understand or perceive. To contemplate (Heb 13:7). Theoreo in some contexts can include the idea of to behold with amazement. For example, in Mark 5:15 theoreo is not translated merely "see" but "observe" for as
João 17
Cole - It is important to understand that we cannot know God through philosophy. Philosophers may speculate, “I think God is like this,” but they don’t know anything about God. The natural man, who has not been born of the Spirit, cannot know God, whether by studying philosophy or even theology. His natural mind is darkened so that he cannot understand spiritual truth (Rom. 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:18). We can know God only through revelation, not speculation. In Luke 10:22, Jesus claimed, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” In the same vein, earlier in this prayer Jesus said (John 17:6), “I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; …” Here He repeats (John 17:26), “I have made Your name known to them ….” The only way that we can know God is through Jesus Christ, who was sent to this earth to manifest God’s name. Through faith in Christ we receive the Holy Spirit, who gives us understanding into the things of God. We know something of God’s name. (Blessings Now Plus Heaven Ahead!) So that (hina - term of purpose) the love (agape) with which You loved (agapao) Me may be in them, and I in them - The purpose of knowing the Father's Name is that they might know the Father's love, the same love He had from all eternity for His beloved Son. The "in" prepositions speak of intimate union of the Son with His disciples, a union based on the unbreakable New Covenant in His blood. I in them speaks of Jesus not just "with" them as during His time with the eleven, but actually indwelling them which clearly relates to the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ. In 1Jn 3:24 John links Christ and the Spirit writing that "The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit Whom He has given us."