João 17
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 17
Wiersbe - There are five special blessings that belong to those who have been given to the Son by the Father. (1) Eternal life (Jn 17:2). We will study this gift in detail in the last part of this chapter. (2) The knowledge of the Father (Jn 17:6, 7). The lost world does not know God (Jn 17:25). Only those who have been given by the Father to the Son know Him. To “know His name” means to know His person, to understand His nature. God’s children do not just know about the Father: they know the Father personally. (3) Christ’s intercession on their behalf (Jn 17:9). When He was on earth, Christ prayed for His disciples; but today, He is praying for all believers. This is part of His great ministry as our High Priest in heaven. (See Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; and Romans 8:34.) (4) Divine protection in this world (Jn 17:11, 12). This involves the physical and spiritual well-being of God’s people. It also involves their spiritual unity in Christ. God guards His own. (5) Eternal glory (Jn 17:24). This is our assurance of heaven. No one will be in heaven who has not first of all been given to Jesus Christ. (See The Intercessory Prayer of Jesus: Priorities for Dynamic Christian Living) Robert Neighbour - The Father's Gift to the Son "Thou hast given Me." Let us at once place down before us these gifts as they occur in the 17th of John in the record of our Lord's prayer. 1. "Thou hast given Him power (authority) over all flesh" (Jn 17:2). 2. "The work which Thou gavest Me" (Jn 17:4). 3. "All things whatsoever Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:7). 4. "The words which Thou gavest Me" (Jn 17:8). 5. "The glory which Thou gavest Me" (Jn 17:22). 6. "My glory which Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:24). 7. "They also, whom Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:24). The gift we have marked above as 7, also occurs seven times, as follows: 1. "To as many as Thou hast given Him" (Jn 17:2) — I have given them. 2. "The men Thou gavest Me" (Jn 17:6) — I have manifested to them. 3. "Thou gavest them Me" (Jn 17: 6). 4. "Them which Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:9) — I pray for them. 5. "Those whom Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:11) — Keep through Thy name. 6. "Those that Thou gavest Me" (Jn 17:12) — None of them are lost. 7. "They also, whom Thou hast given Me" (Jn 17:24) — That they may be with Me. There are a few things we desire to notice: 1. In the first list, the things which the Father gave Christ, whether the power or the work, or the all things, or the words, or the glory — all of them Christ in turn has given us. Let us rejoice for we are greatly enriched. 2. There is no vain repetition in the second group. Seven times we read of those whom the Father gave to Christ, but each time under a distinct setting. Six things are promised to these given ones. • "I have given them eternal life" — • "I have manifested Thy name unto them" — • "I pray for them" — • "Keep them" — • "None of them are lost" — • "That they may be with Me" — Surely with this before us we have abundant room for blessed reflection. 3. The Lord distinctly encloses the ones whom God gave Him in a fellowship and favor which the world does not and cannot enjoy. It is for us He prays, but not for the world. Christ, as He approached the Cross, spoke some words concerning the world which reveal His deep love and desire toward the lost; but He just gathered His own up in His arms and hugged them to His heart. 4. The doctrine of Divine election and fore-ordination was most precious to Christ as He neared the Cross. When were believers given to Christ? Far back before the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ did not come to die 'mid uncertainties as to the results of His sufferings. He knew just who and how many were given Him. He prayed for those who were already His, and He prayed just as tenderly for those who should yet believe on Him. No one should draw back in dread, because God gave to Christ those — all of those who have been and who are to be saved. This has nothing to do with man's own free will agency; it is in no sense against "Whosoever will may come;" but it is most preciously strengthening to the souls of those who are saved, and who are conscious that their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. It was also an abounding glory to Christ. As He faced His hour, He looked beyond it and saw the fruitage of His passion — the ones the Father had given Him. Faith in God’s Power - Puritan Daily Readings As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. John 17:2 It should be the Christian’s great care in all temptations and trials to strengthen his faith on the almighty power of God. When God holds forth Himself as an object of the soul’s trust and confidence in any great strait or undertaking, commonly this attribute of His almighty power is presented in the promise, as the surest holdfast for faith to lay hold on. As a father in rugged way gives his child his arm to lay hold by, so does God usually reach forth His almighty power for His saints to exercise their faith on, [as He did for] Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose faith God tried above most of His saints before or since, for not one of those great things which were promised to them did they live to see performed in their days. And how does God make known Himself to them for their support, but by displaying this attribute? “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty” (Exod. 6:3). This was all they had to keep house with all their days: with which they lived comfortably, and died triumphantly, bequeathing the promise to their children, not doubting, because God Almighty had promised, of the performance. Thus, Isaiah 26, where great mercies are promised to Judah, and a song penned beforehand to be sung on that gaudy day of their salvation; yet because there was a sharp winter of captivity to come between the promise and the spring-time of the promise, therefore, to keep their faith alive in this space, the prophet calls them up to act their faith on God Almighty. “Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength” (Isa. 26:4). John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent. KJV John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. BGT John 17:3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. NET John 17:3 Now this is eternal life– that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. CSB John 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent-- Jesus Christ. ESV John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. NIV John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. NLT John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life-- to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. This is eternal life: John 17:25 8:19,54,55 1Ch 28:9 Ps 9:10 Isa 53:11 Jer 9:23,24 31:33,34 Ho 6:3 1Co 15:34 2Co 4:6 2Th 1:8 Heb 8:11,12 1Jn 4:6 1Jn 5:11,20 the only true God: John 14:9,10 2Ch 15:3 Jer 10:10 1Co 8:4 1Th 1:9 1Ti 6:15,16 1Jn 5:20 and Jesus Christ : John 3:17,34 5:36,37 6:27-29,57 7:29 10:36 11:42 12:49,50 14:26 Isa 48:16 61:1 Mk 9:37 Lu 9:48 1Jn 4:14,15 5:11,12 Related Passages: 1 John 4:6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. John 14:7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” John 15:21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. John 16:3 “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. THE SECRET OF HOW TO LIVE FOREVER WITH GOD … It is no secret what God can do What he has done for others He'll do for you With arms wide open He'll pardon you It is no secret what God can do. This is eternal (aionios) life (zoe), that (hina - term of purpose) they may know (ginosko in present tense ~ "keep on knowing") You, the only true (alethinos) God - This is Jesus' definition of eternal life! In short, eternal life is to know the Father. As Jesus has repeated stated in the Upper Room discourse, there is only one way to know God and that is by knowing His Son. The corollary is all the people in the world, including sadly many professing Christians, have absolutely no true knowledge about the true God (Jn 14:7, Jn 15:21, Jn 16:3). Oh yes, they know about God (as in Ro 1:19-21+), but they have no personal relationship with Him! Knowledge possessed through the intellectual process of learning is one thing. Knowledge gained by experience, by an active relationship between the one who knows and the person known (in this case God the Father), is far superior to the former. And in the case of salvation knowing the Father is not only superior but absolutely critical and necessary for salvation and obtaining of eternal life. Ginosko speaks not of an intellectual acquaintance but of an intimate relationship and is what every Christ follower has experienced when they entered into a personal, permanent relationship with the only true God. The phrase the only true God reminds us of the Shema, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" (Dt 6:4+, cf Jn 5:44, 1Jn 5:20) Charles Swindoll adds that know (ginosko) "refers to intelligent comprehension with an emphasis on the process or act of knowing. Throughout John’s literature, “knowing” and “obeying” are inseparable (as they are in Old Testament literature). In the Upper Room, Jesus placed great emphasis on His followers knowing the mind of God, so they might become integral to His redemptive plan. The disciples struggled with lack of understanding until they received the Holy Spirit." (See Insights on John)
João 17
Wiersbe - One day, each of us will have to give an account of his or her ministry. It is a solemn thought that we shall stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give our “final report.” I trust that we will be able to say, “I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). (Bible Exposition Commentary) Accomplished (5048) teleioo related to teleios from telos = an end, a purpose, an aim, a goal, consummate soundness, idea of being whole) means to accomplish, to carry to consummation, to bring to an end or to the intended goal (telos). It means to be complete, mature, fully developed, full grown, brought to its end, finished, wanting nothing necessary to completeness or in good working order. It does not mean simply to terminate something but to carry it out to the full finish which is picked up in the translation "perfected". Teleioo signifies the attainment of consummate soundness and includes the idea of being made whole. Interestingly the Gnostics used teleios of one fully initiated into their mysteries and that may have been why Paul used teleios in this epistle. Apostello repeatedly speaks of the Father sending the Son on mission. Indeed the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to "consider Jesus the Apostle (apostolos) and High Priest of our confession" (Heb 3:1+), so here are just a few of over 30 passages (see complete list below) TELEIOO - 24X/23V - accomplish(2), accomplished(1), finish(1), fulfill(1), full number(1), made perfect(4), made...perfect(1), make...perfect(1), make perfect(1), perfect(2), perfected(7), reach...goal(1), spending the full number(1). Lk. 2:43; Lk. 13:32; Jn. 4:34; Jn. 5:36; Jn. 17:4; Jn. 17:23; Jn. 19:28; Acts 20:24; Phil. 3:12; Heb. 2:10; Heb. 5:9; Heb. 7:19; Heb. 7:28; Heb. 9:9; Heb. 10:1; Heb. 10:14; Heb. 11:40; Heb. 12:23; Jas. 2:22; 1 Jn. 2:5; 1 Jn. 4:12; 1 Jn. 4:17; 1 Jn. 4:18 Charles Swindoll - Jesus mastered the art of maintaining a clear perspective while accomplishing every single ] one of His objectives. Though we never read of His hurrying anywhere, He managed to fulfill the complete agenda. Just before the agony of the cross, He told the Father that He had “finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4, NKJV). And only seconds before He drew His last breath, He made that epochal statement, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Nothing essential was left undone.(BORROW Bedside Blessings PAGE 380) Vance Havner - No Second Best "What wilt Thou have me to do?" Acts 9:6 God has a place and purpose for you, somewhere for you to be and something for you to do. You never will be happy elsewhere, nor can you please God anywhere but there. You may do lovely things, reach earthly success, but always there will be the haunting sense of having missed the main thing, of having been satisfied with life's second best which isn't best or even good. Woodrow Wilson once spoke of being "defeated by one's secondary successes." How many are defeated by their own success so that they never know God's success! Lot chose his own success and missed God's better thing. Saul did it from Gilgal to Gilboa. Demas did it. David "served his generation by the will of God" (Acts 13:36). That is success. Our Lord said, "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). That is success, though it looked like failure. If God has shown you his purpose—he will if you yield to him—don't dodge. Jonah tried to get away from God's presence and purpose and you know what happened. The only place to hide from his presence is in his presence. Don't tell God you won't do what he orders and try to compromise on something else just as good. There is nothing else just as good because there are no second bests in the will of God. J H Jowett - THE LORD’S BODY “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.” —John 17:4 THIS quiet confession is in itself a token of our Lord’s divinity. The serenity in which He makes His claims is as stupendous as the claims themselves. “Finished,” perfected in the utmost refinement, to the last, remotest detail! Nothing scamped, nothing overlooked, nothing forgotten! Everything which concerns thy redemption and my redemption has been accomplished. “It is finished!” “And now ... I come to Thee.” The visible Presence is withdrawn. There is no longer in our midst a Jesus whose body we can bruise and crucify. “But these are in the world.” Yes, and His disciples are now His body. He becomes reincarnated in them. If they refuse Him a body, He has none! He looks through their eyes, listens through their ears, speaks through their lips, ministers through their hands, goes on sacred pilgrimages with their feet! “Know ye not that ye are the body?” Does my discipleship offer my Lord a limb? Can He communicate with the world through me? Does my discipleship multiply His powers of expression? Has He more eyes, more ears, more hands because I am a member of His Church? Or——? Glory Today’s Bible Reading: John 17:1–8 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. -John 17:4 The movie Glory celebrated the first African-American units to serve in the United States Army. Set in the Civil War, the film was based on historical accounts and made for brilliant storytelling! But in the end, almost all the key characters died. Glory in death by combat? In sports we sometimes see an athlete attempt the seemingly impossible—for example, an unbelievable catch by an outfielder with his outstretched arm reaching over the wall. It’s called “going for the glory.” Glory by fame and acclaim? On His way to the garden of Gethsemane the night before the cross, Jesus prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:4–5). What was He praying for? The word Jesus would have used for glory is kabod, which essentially means “gravitas.” This gravitas describes a person who embodies “wisdom, balance, stability, patience, impartiality, nobility.” Put another way, a kabod person possesses substance in the best and most important ways. Now, ponder this: The most significant, substantial, and glorious Person in all eternity was willing to put aside all of that gravitas—that glory—to come to our rescue. And now, having completed that work, He’s had that glory fully restored. Glory by His obedience to the perfect will and plan of His Father. In your own words, how would you define the word glory? In what ways can you see how Jesus embodied a more thorough definition of glory? Robert Neighbour - The Retrospective — facing an Accomplished Task "I have" (John 17:4). How blessed that the Lord, knowing that His hour had come that He should leave the world, lingered long enough to glance back over the days of His earthly pilgrimage and to recapitulate for us, before the Father, the great accomplishments of His life. As recorded, this retrospective brings before us seven distinct statements. "I have glorified Thee" (vs. 4). "I have finished the work" (vs. 4). "I have manifested Thy name" (vs. 6). "I have given unto them the words" (vs. 8). "I have given them" the glory (vs. 22). "I have known Thee" (vs. 25). "I have declared Thy name" (vs. 26). What a wealth of vision! What room for reflection? Would that each believer might be empowered to walk in the steps of His Master, and be enabled to close up his earthly testimony and service with something of the same glorious accomplishments. What have we here? 1. The Father glorified. Surely this we too may do. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it all for His glory. Not a thing for "glorying in the flesh." Not a task done for the glory of men — all for the glory of God. Over every deed and word the echo of our soul should be: "For to me to live is Christ." 2. The work completed. We all have a work, but, too often, it is a work neglected, a work forgotten, a work spoiled. Saints need to walk in the Spirit and to redeem the time, for the days are evil. We pass this way but once. A day wasted is a day lost. We cannot crowd into to-morrow the task assigned for to-day. Let us serve diligently and faithfully until we have finished our assignment. God hath committed unto us the work of reconciliation. 3. A name manifested. The Word suggests that Christ "interpreted the Father." He lived out the meaning of all the blessed and holy names of God. He was the compliment of all those gracious Jehovah titles of the Old Testament. We too should tell out God. All of us are saved for that very purpose. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). 4. A word imparted. Jesus Christ preached the Word. He gave forth the Word. So should we. We are "separated unto the Gospel of God * * concerning His Son" (Rom. 1:1, 3). We are to preach the Word. Alas, how many pulpits are given over to vain philosophies and to the doctrines of men! How many pulpits have been turned into forums for political harangues, for social sentiments, for lectures on ethical culture! God hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation; let us preach the Word. 5. A glory given. What a bequest! While we live we can do no greater work than to give to men the knowledge of eternal life. "Silver and gold have I none," were the disappointing words which Peter spoke to the lame man who sat asking alms; but "such as I have give I unto thee * * walk" were the comforting words which quickly followed. Our best service to humanity must ever remain the imparting of the gift of Heavenly glory and eternal life. 6. A fellowship sustained. Christ said, "I have known Thee." This, too, is our privilege. If we keep His words, the Father will come in and take up abode with us, and we will know Him. Indeed, this is eternal life that we might know Him. Holy communion! Blessed union! "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another" (I John 1:7). 7. A name declared. We have had the name manifested, now we have the same name told out. Who is ashamed to declare the name of God? Shall we live with no testimony upon our lips? Shall we think that the testimony of our daily walk is enough? Nay, we must also publish abroad with our tongues the glories of the matchless Christ and the riches of the grace of God. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." God-Given Time John 17:4 - J Oswald Sanders Our Lord moved through life with a majestic and measured tread, never in a hurry and yet always thronged by demanding crowds, never giving those who sought His help a sense that He had any more important concerns than their particular interests. What was His secret? Knowing that every person’s life is in the plan of God, He realized that His life and all the conditions in which it was to be worked out were under the perfect control of His Father. Time held no power over Him. On several occasions He asserted that His hour had not yet come. There was the consciousness that His Father’s plan had been drawn with such meticulous accuracy that every hour fit into the overall purpose of His life. His calendar had been arranged, and His sole concern on earth was to fulfill the work given Him to do in the allotted hours (John 7:6; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). Nor would He allow His much-loved mother to interfere with this divinely planned timetable (John 2:4). Deep human affection could not be permitted to affect His schedules, or His Father’s plan would be marred (John 11:6, 9). Small wonder then, that at the close of life He could review it with absolute objectivity and speak the self-approving words: “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV); no part of His life was marred by undue haste or imperfectly completed through lack of time. He found sufficient time in the twenty-four hours of the day to do the whole will of God. The Lord’s corrective word to His disciples, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (John 11:9 KJV), seems to suggest a quiet, steady confidence in His Father’s purpose and a resulting courage even in face of enemies and danger. Interruptions could not disturb His peace because they had already been provided for in the Father’s planning, and the wrath of enemies would have to await His “hour.” Thus He could pursue His work undisturbed, knowing it would be “finished.” There would be time for all that God meant Him to do, though there might not always be “leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31 KJV). He Is Without Sin John 17:4 - J Oswald Sanders The Lord’s challenge to His critics still remains unanswered: “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46). His sinlessness could not be challenged, or they would have brought a charge against Him. Even hell could bring no accusation. “The prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me,” Jesus claimed (John 14:30). A study of His life reveals consistent immunity from sin. Never did He show the slightest discontent with His own behavior—which would be a grave sin of pride in any other person. Never did He shed a tear over any failure. He demanded repentance of others yet was never penitent Himself. Nor can this self-satisfaction be explained on the grounds that His standard of duty or sense of moral obligation was less exacting than that of His contemporaries. The reverse was the case. His code of ethics was immeasurably higher than theirs, yet not once does He admit that He has in any degree fallen short of His own exacting standards. At the end of His life, as Jesus communed with His Father in His moving High Priestly Prayer, He claimed to have accomplished perfectly the work entrusted to Him (John 17:4). In any other case than His, we would be justified in regarding such claims as obnoxious pride and arrogant hypocrisy. In His case the facts substantiated the claim. To quote T. C. Edwards in this context, “The fact that Jesus never confessed sin implies in His case that He never did sin. In every other good man, the saintlier he becomes the more pitiless is his self-condemnation, and the more severe he is on certain kinds of sin, such as hypocrisy. But Jesus, if He were a sinner, was guilty of the very worst of sin, which He rebuked with burning anger in the Pharisees of His day. Yet He never accuses Himself . . . He never speaks about redeeming Himself but declares Himself to be the paschal lamb ‘whose blood of the new covenant is shed for many unto the remission of sins’” (see Matthew 26:28). While describing the doom of the unrepentant in terrible images, He never mentions His own need for salvation. He prayed, “Father, forgive them,” but never, “Father, forgive Me.” ACCOMPLISH THE GOOD WORKS PREPARED FOR YOU (Eph 2:10 - Did you hear about the boy who failed all his college work? He wired his mother: “Failed everything; Prepare Papa.” His mother wired back, “Papa prepared; Prepare yourself.” This is the message a lot of us need in view of the Judgment Seat of Christ. God is prepared. We need to prepare ourselves by making each day count for the Lord! We all have a divine appointment one day with Him. May it be a pleasant time and not filled with grief because we wasted our lives away. Chris Tiegreen - Fulfilling His Mission “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” John 17:4 “The will of God is the measure of things.” —St. Ambrose IN WORD - Mission statements abound in this world. Few institutions or people that have them, however, really live up to them. They are ideals to strive for. But Jesus’ declaration is that His mission statement has become reality. He has lived up to it. All that the Father has given Him to do, He has done. Jesus did not preach to everyone in the world. He did not heal everyone, and He did not go everywhere. He didn’t try to do more than He was assigned. In fact, many times He left the scene in search of solitude, even while needy people were clamoring for His attention. He didn’t respond positively to every request that came to Him. He didn’t stay busy for the sake of busyness. When He ascended into heaven, there was still—and there remains today—much work to be done. But Jesus focused on the work that God had given Him to do, and He accomplished it. He didn’t stray from His mission. Will we also be able to say, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do”? IN DEED - One day we will approach the end of our lives. We will stand before the Father—figuratively on this side of death, literally afterward. Will we also be able to say, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do” (ED: see Eph 2:10+ for this work)? Is Jesus our model as we seek the will of God and minister in this world? (ED: See Walking Like Jesus Walked!) Blessed are the people who will be able to echo these words as their life ends. It will not mean that we were everything everyone else expected of us. It will not mean that we worked so hard that we’re sure we managed to accomplish God’s will sometime during all our activity, although we’re not sure when. It will not mean that we addressed every situation for which we felt sympathy, or gave to every organization or missionary that said they needed our financial support. It will simply mean that we discerned God’s will for our lives and devoted ourselves to accomplishing it by the power of His Spirit. May we be single-minded for that goal. (SEE At His Feet: Daily Readings to Deepen Your Walk with Jesus - Page 240) Salvation Army - Miriam Booth, daughter of the founder of the Salvation Army, was a brilliant and cultured woman who began her Christian work with great promise and unusual success. Very soon, however, disease brought her to the point of death. A friend told her it seemed a pity that a woman of her capabilities should be hindered by sickness from doing the Lord’s work. With deep insight and gently grace, Miriam replied, “It’s wonderful to do the Lord’s work, but it’s greater still to do the Lord’s will!” Commenting on John 17:4, blind minister and hymn writer George Matheson said, “Was the work of the Master indeed done? Was not His heaviest task yet to come? He had not yet met the dread hour of death. Why did He say, then, that His work was done? It was because He knew that when the will is given, the battle is ended! . The cup which our Father gives us to drink is a cup of the will. It is easy for the lips to drain it when once the heart has accepted it . The act is easy after the choice.” Oswald Chambers - After Surrender—Then What? “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will—and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again. Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will—“Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming. Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself …” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Philippians 4:19). Surrender for Death. “… another will gird you …” (John 21:18; also see verse 19). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him. And after you surrender—then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God. Oswald Chambers - “It is Finished!” “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him—something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came. Never build your case for forgiveness on the idea that God is our Father and He will forgive us because He loves us. That contradicts the revealed truth of God in Jesus Christ. It makes the Cross unnecessary, and the redemption “much ado about nothing.” God forgives sin only because of the death of Christ. God could forgive people in no other way than by the death of His Son, and Jesus is exalted as Savior because of His death. “We see Jesus … for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor …” (Hebrews 2:9). The greatest note of triumph ever sounded in the ears of a startled universe was that sounded on the Cross of Christ—“It is finished!” (John 19:30). That is the final word in the redemption of humankind. Anything that lessens or completely obliterates the holiness of God, through a false view of His love, contradicts the truth of God as revealed by Jesus Christ. Never allow yourself to believe that Jesus Christ stands with us, and against God, out of pity and compassion, or that He became a curse for us out of sympathy for us. Jesus Christ became a curse for us by divine decree. Our part in realizing the tremendous meaning of His curse is the conviction of sin. Conviction is given to us as a gift of shame and repentance; it is the great mercy of God. Jesus Christ hates the sin in people, and Calvary is the measure of His hatred. George Matheson - Was the work of the Master indeed done? Was not its heaviest task yet to come? He had not yet met the dread hour of death. Why did He say that His work was done? It was because He knew that, when the will is given, the battle is ended. He was only in the shadows of the garden; but to conquer these shadows was already to conquer all. He who has willed to die has already triumphed over death. All that remains to Him is but the outer husk, the shell. The cup which our Father giveth us to drink is a cup for the will. It is easy for the lips to drain it when once the heart has accepted it. Not on the heights of Calvary, but in the shadows of Gethsemane is the cup presented; the act is easy after the choice. The real battlefield is in the silence of the spirit. Conquer there, and thou art crowned. Jon Courson - I have finished the work… John 17:4 ‘I have finished the work.’ Not, ‘I started it’; not, ‘I thought about it’; not ‘I was going to get to it.’ The roads from Bible studies and Bible conferences are strewn with the broken commitments of men and women who began but never finished what God told them to do. I’m sure glad that after Noah finished the frame on the ark, he didn’t say, ‘Close enough. We don’t need a roof.’ No, he finished the work. He completed the task. If he hadn’t, we would all be sunk. What about you? If you knew you only had a few hours to live, could you say, ‘Father, I finished the work You gave me to do’? Or would you say, ‘I know You put this on my heart last year, and I meant to get to it, but...’? Have you finished the work? Saul didn’t... ‘Let not one Amalekite remain,’ Samuel told Saul (I Samuel 15:3). And Saul killed almost everyone—but he decided to keep Agag, king of the Amalekites, as a trophy. Twenty-five years later, wounded in battle, rather than being captured by the enemy, Saul turns to a young man on the field and says, ‘Kill me.’ And the young man—an Amalekite—did just that. Where did he come from? Somewhere along the way, Agag fathered a son. What has God called you to do? What has He spoken to your heart about? Maybe it’s some sin, or something that’s got to go, and you think, ‘Well, I’ve got it pretty much taken care of. I know the Lord’s told me not to do this, but I’ve cut way back.’ ‘Have you finished it?’ ‘No, but I’ve got it under control.’ Watch out. Agag is out to get you. ‘IT IS FINISHED,’ cried Jesus from the Cross. I’m so glad He didn’t say, ‘I almost did it, but I’m going to come down now’—because if He had come down from the Cross, we would go down to hell. He paid the price. He finished the work. (BORROW A Day's Journey: 365 Daily Meditations from the Word PAGE 92) J R Miller - John 17:4 Jesus is the only man who has ever lived—so as to be able to say this! The best lives are but fragments, leaving many things unfinished. Yet we ought to take a lesson from Christ's finishing of His work. He did it, simply by doing each day—the will of His Father for the day. He was a young man when He died—only thirty-three. We think of those who die young—as dying before their work is completed. We learn, however, that even a young man, dying, may leave a finished work. The truth is, enough years are given to each one—in which to do our 'allotted work'. Even a baby that lives only a day, merely looking into the mother's eyes and then going away, does the work that was given it to do. The young man who dies at thirty-three, with his hands full of tasks—if only he has lived faithfully, has finished the work which God gave him to do. Not years—but faithfulness, counts with God! John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. KJV 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. BGT John 17:5 καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ, πάτερ, παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί. NET John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created. CSB John 17:5 Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed. ESV John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. NIV John 17:5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. NLT John 17:5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. NRS John 17:5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. NJB John 17:5 Now, Father, glorify me with that glory I had with you before ever the world existed. NAB John 17:5 Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. YLT John 17:5 'And now, glorify me, Thou Father, with Thyself, with the glory that I had before the world was, with Thee; MIT John 17:5 Father, glorify me now in your presence by my participating in the glory I had with you before the universe existed. glorify: John 17:24 1:18 3:13 10:30 14:9 Pr 8:22-31 Php 2:6 Col 1:15-17 Heb 1:3,10 1Jn 1:2 Rev 5:9-14 before: John 1:1-3 Mt 25:34 1Pe 1:20 Rev 13:8 Related Passages: John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. JESUS' PRAYER FOR GLORY Now (literally "and now" - kai nun), Father, glorify (doxazo in aorist imperative) Me together with (para - beside) Yourself with the glory (doxa) which I had with You before the world (kosmos) was - This is Jesus' continuation of the request in Jn 17:1 for the Father to glorify Him but this request is slightly different. He is now requesting the glory He had in eternity past (before the world was - before creation of the heavens and earth). The phrase glorify Me together with can be translated "glorify Me at your side." (NET). Wiersbe - the glory of God is the sum total of all that He is, the expression of His character. It is the manifestation of all that He is in Himself, His marvelous attributes. (SEE The Intercessory Prayer of Jesus)
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Wiersbe says “I have manifested Thy name” means “I have revealed the nature of God.” One of the ministries of the Son was to declare the Father (John 1:18). The Greek word translated “declared” (phaneroo) means, “to unfold, to lead, to show the way.” Jesus did not instantly reveal the Father in a blaze of blinding glory, because His disciples could not have endured that kind of experience. Gradually, by His words and His deeds, He revealed to them the nature of God, as they were able to bear it (John 16:12). (Bible Exposition Commentary) To the men whom you gave Me reflects the Father's gift, which is almost certainly an answer to prayer for Dr Luke records "It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles" (Lk 6:12-13+) THOUGHT - Beloved, do we underestimate the importance of prayer in all the events of our life? I am sorely convicted by this thought! The phrase out (ek = out of) of the world means the men were taken not out of the physical world (cf Jesus is not praying to take them out of the [physical] world in Jn 17:15), but they were taken from among God hating humanity, the world ruled by Satan (1Jn 5:19+). The phrase out of the world would reflect a change of spiritual kingdoms. Paul described believers in Col 1:13+ as those God rescued "from (same preposition ek = out of) the domain of darkness (THE KINGDOM OF SATAN, THE WORLD SYSTEM RULED BY HIM), and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." In short, while their bodies were still here, the disciples were separated from the spiritual kingdom of this world. The practical aspect is that now they would soon be sent by Jesus back into the dying world to proclaim Christ crucified. Jesus will again refer to this same idea of separation in John 17:17 where sanctify (in that context) means to separate from the world and to God. A T Robertson on have manifested (phaneroo) - Another word for claiming successful accomplishment of his task as in Jn 17:4 with edoxasa (I glorified you) and in Jn 17:26 with egnōrisa ("have made Your name known to them") Kept Your word - Jesus claims loyalty and fidelity in these men with the one exception of Judas (Jn 17:12). He does not claim perfection for them, but they have at least held on to the message of the Father in spite of doubt and wavering (Jn 6:67–71; Matt. 16:15–20). David Guzik on manifested Your Name - Jesus did not simply teach about the name (character) of God, He manifested (displayed) that character. “God is love” or “God is holy” must be lived as well as believed. Jesus did both for His disciples, and led them into both believing and living what was right before God. Disciples are "out of the world" men & women and should live like it! They were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept (tereo) Your word (logos) - The eleven belonged to the Father and He gave them to His Son to be His disciples. They proved they were true disciples because they kept (or obeyed, "stood guard over") Your word. Earlier Jesus gave us a "definition" (so to speak) of a true or genuine disciple (a possessor not a professor) declaring to those Jews who professed to believe in Him declaring “If you continue (abide, dwell in, are at home) in My word word (logos), then (IF YOU FULFILL THE CONDITION - "IF") you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth (cf Jn 17:17 "Your word is truth"), and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32+). And here in Jn 17:6 we see that the true disciples of Jesus obeyed the word (logos). Think of all the times the 11 "fumbled the ball" and yet here in his final words Jesus' presents them favorably before the Holy Father, giving them excellent marks! Aren't we glad Jesus does not have a giant white board and places a mark for every one of our missteps (sins)? That's rhetorical of course! Kept (tereo) is in the perfect tense which conveys the idea of their obedience as continual state or condition. In view of the significance of obedience, it is not surprised that Jesus repeatedly emphasized its importance (see Jn 8:51, 55; Jn 14:23; Jn 15:10, 20). THOUGHT - There is an important principle in this passage -- if we claim to be true believers, genuine disciples of Jesus, we will obey the Father's word! Obviously, our obedience does not save us. Obedience is simply the fruit which demonstrates the authenticity of our profession of faith. In short, faith ALONE saves (Eph 2:8-9+), but faith that truly saves is NEVER ALONE! And given the fact that all genuine disciples are still in mortal bodies with sinful flesh, their (and our) obedience will not be perfect in this life. Obedience is not about perfection, but about direction! That is, the general tenor of our life should be directed toward obeying God's word. But remember that our obedience is not to be from a sense of legalism but our obedience should be motivated by love (Jn 14:15+) and enabled by the indwelling Spirit, "Who is (continually) at work in (us), both to will and to work for (THE FATHER'S) good pleasure." (Php 2:13NLT+) Bob Utley on they have kept Your word - This is used in a similar sense to OT “blameless” (cf. Noah, Gen. 6:9; Abraham, Gen. 17:1; Israel, Deut. 18:13; Job, Job 1:1). It does not imply perfect obedience or sinlessness, but a desire to hear and do all that is revealed; so far it refers to the disciples’ faith in Jesus, abiding in Jesus and loving one another as Jesus loved them.
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Wiersbe - Everyday Wisdom from the Gospels: Devotional Six times in this wonderful prayer, our Lord used the word one as he prayed for the unity of the church (John 17:11, 21, 22, 23). Jesus is not asking for a gigantic manmade organization that promotes uniformity but a spiritual oneness like that of the Godhead, a oneness he called “one in Us” (v. 21; see v. 23). Not only does this unity enrich the church and enable it to minister, but it is also a witness to the lost world of the reality of the Savior and of the Father’s love. Divided churches and disputing Christians are not very good witnesses to the love of God and the glory of the Son. Consider the “ties that bind” God’s people together. We have God’s life, eternal life. The world is dead in sin and falling apart (Eph. 2:1), but believers are alive in Christ, sharing the very life of God. Whether vegetable, animal, or human, the bodies of things that are alive stay together, but when they die, plants wither and crumble and the corpses of animals and people decay and turn to dust. Death divides but life unites. Even though we who are in the family of God share the life of God, there is still diversity in God’s family just as there is diversity in the members of the human body or a human family. If you and I belong to the family of God, we have the same Father and share the same spiritual life, and we ought to be able to live together and work together to the glory of God. We share God’s love. Jesus asked the Father “that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:26). The Father loves each of his children just as he loves his own Son! No love is greater. How many times do parents say to their children, “Can’t you love one another?” Uniformity comes from pressure on the outside—the command of a general, the order of a boss—but unity comes from love on the inside, God’s love implanted by the Holy Spirit. Have you read 1 Corinthians 13 lately? I hear this “love chapter” read at wedding ceremonies, but it was written to be read and obeyed at church business meetings. We share God’s glory. No matter what our physique, our clothing, or our appearance, every child of God already has God’s glory within (John 17:22). As we grow in godliness, the glory gets greater (2 Cor. 3:18) and God is glorified more and more. Christians can love other believers because Christ lives in them, and we can love the lost because Christ died for them. One day in heaven we shall behold Christ’s glory (John 17:24). Since all of God’s children will be together in heaven, can’t we learn to live and work together today? What a witness that is to a lost world! We share God’s truth (vv. 8, 14, 17). If we love God’s Word, receive it into our hearts, and obey it, we will be peacemakers and not troublemakers. According to John’s second epistle, we are expected to know the truth (2 John 1), have the truth abiding in us (v. 2), love in truth (v. 3), and walk in the truth (v. 4). Pride divides, but the Word of God humbles us and encourages unity. Lies open the door to Satan, but the truth keeps him at bay. We share God’s commission. Two phrases define our task: “that the world may believe” (John 17:21) and “that the world may know” (v. 23). A united church is an army of evangelists reaping the harvest together. The people in a divided church use the sickles on each other and lose the harvest. Shall we help answer our Lord’s prayer “that they may be one”? For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12–13 WHITE ROBES IN THE STREETS - John H Jowett John 17:11-26 THE man who has been fed with the “bread of life” must remain “in the world.” The Lord gives no countenance to the life of the ascetic. Our sanctification is not to be gained by withdrawal and retreat. At the best, that would be a holiness sickly and anæmic, a coddled virtue devoid of firm muscle and iron nerve. Our Lord purposes a holiness which shall wear white robes in the streets, and shine like virgin snow in the market, and keep itself chivalrous and stately in the common fellowships of men. “In the world,” but “not of the world.” The man who is fed on “the bread of life” is endowed with powers of resistance against “the noisome pestilence.” The germs of worldly epidemics find no nutriment in him. “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.” When an evil microbe finds no foothold it withers away. If I am not “of the world” I shall quite naturally and instinctively be able to resist “all the wiles of the devil.” And my Lord purposes me to have this positive, masculine holiness in order “that the world may believe.” He wants disciples who will arrest the world by their glorious health, and by their invincible moral defences. He wants my purity to advertise His grace; He wants my faith to increase “the household of the faith.” QUESTION - How can believers be in the world, but not of the world? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - When we read of the "world" in the New Testament, we are reading the Greek word cosmos. Cosmos most often refers to the inhabited earth and the people who live on the earth, which functions apart from God. Satan is the ruler of this "cosmos" (John 12:31; 16:11; 1 John 5:19). By the simple definition that the word world refers to a world system ruled by Satan, we can more readily appreciate Christ’s claims that believers are no longer of the world—we are no longer ruled by sin, nor are we bound by the principles of the world. In addition, we are being changed into the image of Christ, causing our interest in the things of the world to become less and less as we mature in Christ. Believers in Jesus Christ are simply in the world—physically present—but not of it, not part of its values (John 17:14-15). As believers, we should be set apart from the world. This is the meaning of being holy and living a holy, righteous life—to be set apart. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to retain the insipid, corrupt mind that the world creates. Rather, we are to conform ourselves, and our minds, to that of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). This is a daily activity and commitment. We must also understand that being in the world, but not of it, is necessary if we are to be a light to those who are in spiritual darkness. We are to live in such a way that those outside the faith see our good deeds and our manner and know that there is something “different” about us. Christians who make every effort to live, think and act like those who do not know Christ do Him a great disservice. Even the heathen knows that “by their fruits you shall know them,” and as Christians, we should exhibit the fruit of the Spirit within us. Being “in” the world also means we can enjoy the things of the world, such as the beautiful creation God has given us, but we are not to immerse ourselves in what the world values, nor are we to chase after worldly pleasures. Pleasure is no longer our calling in life, as it once was, but rather the worship of God. Related Resources: What are the dangers of having an “us vs. them” mentality as a Christian? What does it mean that we live in a fallen world? What does it mean that we are not to love the world? What does it mean to gain the whole world but lose your soul? QUESTION - What does it mean that Christians are not of this world? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - The phrase not of this world is found in John 18:36 where Jesus says that His kingdom is “not of this world.” The context of Jesus’ statement is His interrogation by Pontius Pilate during one of His trials. Pilate had summoned Jesus into the palace and, in trying to ascertain the charges against Him, basically asked Jesus to incriminate Himself. The conversation went like this: Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus responded with a question of His own: “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:33–37). When Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king, Pilate was thinking of a political position and that Jesus was possibly guilty of sedition against Caesar. In saying that His kingdom is “not of this world,” Jesus denied that He was a king in that sense—and His words were proved by the lack of any subjects fighting to release Him (John 18:36). But Jesus does not deny His kingship wholly; He has a kingdom, but it is “from another place” (John 18:36). He says He had “come into the world” (John 18:37), with the clear implication that He was from some place other than this world (cf. John 3:3). His kingdom is heavenly and extends over the hearts and minds of His subjects. It does not originate in this world: “His royal power and state are not furnished by earthly force, or fleshly ordinances, or physical energies, or material wealth, or imperial armies” (The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 17, Hendrickson Pub., 1985). As His followers, Christians are members of His kingdom, which is “not of this world.” We know that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). As a result, we “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). We wage spiritual battle, but “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world” (2 Corinthians 10:4). We “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). And we rest in the knowledge that our King gives us eternal life: “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17). We are on earth for now, but our earthly lives are nothing but a vapor in comparison to eternity (James 4:14). “This world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31). The sufferings and trials of this world are part of life. But, in remembering that we are “not of this world,” we know that such things are just for a little while (1 Peter 5:10). The knowledge that we are not of this world gives Christians hope even in the darkest times (1 Peter 1:6 –9). This broken place is not where we ultimately belong, and it is not where we will stay (Hebrews 13:14). “We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Christians, as part of Jesus’ kingdom, are not of this world. We have been adopted as heirs of heaven by God Himself, and that is where our citizenship is (Titus 3:7). Until our King returns, we wait (Titus 2:13), and we hope (Romans 5:5), and we do what we can to bring others into the “not of this world” relationship with Jesus Christ. F B
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Wiersbe - God’s truth has been given to us in three “editions”: His Word is truth (John 17:17); His Son is the truth (John 14:6); and His Spirit is the truth (1 John 5:6). We need all three if we are to experience true sanctification, a sanctification that touches every part of our inner person. With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word. With the heart, we love God’s truth, His Son. With the will, we yield to the Spirit and live God’s truth day by day. It takes all three for a balanced experience of sanctification. It is not enough merely to study the Bible and learn a great deal of doctrinal truth. We must also love Jesus Christ more as we learn all that He is and all He has done for us. Learning and loving should lead to living, allowing the Spirit of God to enable us to obey His Word. This is how we glorify Him in this present evil world. (Bible Exposition Commentary) (Bolding added) Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; Sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part Oswald Chambers - We must never allow anything to interfere with the consecration of our spiritual power. Consecration (being dedicated to God’s service) is our part; sanctification (being set apart from sin and being made holy) is God’s part. We must make a deliberate determination to be interested only in what God is interested. The way to make that determination, when faced with a perplexing problem, is to ask yourself, “Is this the kind of thing in which Jesus Christ is interested, or is it something in which the spirit that is diametrically opposed to Jesus is interested?” (See My Utmost for His Highest) NET NOTE on sanctify - The Greek word translated set… apart (ἁγιάζω, hagiazō) is used here in its normal sense of being dedicated, consecrated, or set apart. The sphere in which the disciples are to be set apart is in the truth. In Jn 3:21 the idea of “practicing” (Grk “doing”) the truth was introduced; in Jn 8:32 Jesus told some of his hearers that if they continued in his word they would truly be his disciples, and would know the truth, and the truth would make them free. These disciples who are with Jesus now for the Farewell Discourse have continued in his word (except for Judas Iscariot, who has departed), and they do know the truth about who Jesus is and why he has come into the world (Jn 17:8). Thus Jesus can ask the Father to set them apart in this truth as he himself is set apart, so that they might carry on his mission in the world after his departure (note the following verse). Dusty bibles lead to dirty lives! Brian Bell - Sanctifying - doesn’t mean growing a halo, or glowing with spirituality. Q. It means “to set apart for a certain purpose or for an intended use”. 1. If you take food out of the refrigerator for dinner, in the biblical sense you have sanctified that food, set it apart for a specific use. 2. How are you to be sanctified? By the truth. And, Why are we to be sanctified? To become useful. R. If His Word is not working in us in a life-changing way, the World will be. If we are not becoming conformed to the image of Christ (Ro 8:29, 2Co 3:18), we will be squeezed into the mold of the world (Ro 12:2). QUESTION - Is the Bible true? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - Logic requires that there is only one objective “truth” for any specific claim. Contradictory claims cannot be equally true. For example, the statements “the hamster is in its cage” and “the hamster cage is empty” cannot both be true simultaneously. This evaluation of truth applies to spiritual matters just as well as logical or physical matters. It’s reasonable to claim that the Bible is true in a way that excludes all other statements. Examining the Bible in the same way we would any other text, we can confidently say that it is, in fact, true. The Bible not only encourages readers to examine their own beliefs (1 John 4:1), but it also commends those who check spiritual claims for truth (Acts 17:11). The Bible makes claims on the basis of history and eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4; 2 Peter 1:16), connects belief to visible evidence (John 20:30–31), and ties biblical ideas to the observable world (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1). Jesus overtly claimed to represent an exclusive truth (John 18:37; 14:6). So the Bible is clearly meant to be interpreted as true, and exclusively true (John 17:17). Where we can check biblical claims against verifiable truth, the Bible proves itself accurate. History, archaeology, science, and philosophy have shown Scripture to be factual and consistent. This correspondence between various forms of evidence is a major advantage the Bible has over the scriptures of any other faith system. In many cases, it has been the deciding factor in converting skeptics and nonbelievers to faith in Christ. Whether or not the Bible is true is a separate question from whether or not a particular passage is “literal.” It’s reasonable to say that a phrase or statement is true, even if the truth is not presented in literal terms. For example, if a person says during a heavy rain, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” the statement is true—it’s just not literal. Idiomatic phrases are meant to be interpreted. The same principle applies to John’s words about Jesus: “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Of course, a person might ask for clarification, and be told, based on Old Testament passages, that Jesus isn’t literally a wooly farm animal, but that He’s the fulfillment of the Law and the divinely chosen sacrifice to redeem the world. The figurative nature of John’s statement doesn’t make his statement untrue, simply metaphorical. It’s good to remember that the Bible is comprised of sixty-six separate books, and each of them often contains different types of literature and a mixture of literal and figurative language. More so than with any other religious text, we have assurance that the Bible is true. The combination of internal consistency, connection to evidence, and relevance to our experience makes the Bible unique among books. Like many religious works, the Bible claims to be true (2 Timothy 3:16). Unlike any other religious work, the Bible emphatically supports that assertion. WHO WANTS TO CHANGE? - Joe Stowell - (BORROW Strength for the journey : day-by-day with Jesus PAGE 232) “SANCTIFY THEM BY THE TRUTH; YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.”—John 17:17 How many church members does it take to change a light bulb? “Change . . . who said anything about change!” Well, church members may resist change, but followers of Christ welcome it as the adventure-some part of the journey. The adventure starts when we pray. In prayer, God usually changes more about us than about what we are praying for. Have you ever noticed that once you start a conversation with God, He often does a lot of the talking? So if we are going to become more like Him, we need to pray with increasing regularity and intensity. Preaching is an agent of change, depending on our response to it. If we sit under teachers saying, “Here am I, Lord. Change me,” He most likely will. The indwelling Holy Spirit is yet another force for change. His is a wonderful, penetrating, often troubling voice. Yielding to Him positions us for change. But it is the Word of God that buttresses all this power to change. Without the Bible, we would not know what prayer is, how to pray, or even that we should pray. Apart from the Scriptures, preaching—no matter how forceful or eloquent—has no life-changing authority. And the Word He has authored makes the ministry of the Holy Spirit effectual in changing our lives. In John 17 Christ asked the Father to change us. When He prayed that we be sanctified, He prayed for our lives to be set apart that we might be unique and useful. Sanctified by what? “Sanctify them by the truth,” our Lord prayed. “Your word is truth” (v. 17). Sanctification is the process of changing us from our own carelessly crafted lives to the likeness of Christ. I’ll never forget the seventy-six-year-old man who said to me, “Young man, if you come here to be our pastor, I am praying that the Lord will use your ministry to help me grow.” That old and that anxious to change! As you pray, listen to preaching, hear the voice of the Spirit, and read the Word, what do you hear about change in your life? Out Of Context Your Word is truth. — John 17:17 Today's Scripture : Luke 4:1-13 When a friend started making random despairing statements, people were concerned for him and started giving advice and offering encouragement. As it turned out, he was simply having fun by quoting song lyrics out of context to start a conversation. Friends who tried to help wasted their time by offering help he didn’t need and advice he didn’t want. The consequences of my friend’s misleading statements were not serious, but they could have been. In taking time to respond to his false need, someone could have neglected someone else’s truly serious need. Some people who take words out of context just want to gain attention or win an argument. But others are more sinister. They twist truth to gain power over others. They endanger not only lives but also souls. Your words of pure, eternal truth Shall yet unshaken stay, When all that man has thought or planned Like chaff shall pass away. —Anon. If we hold on to God’s truth, we won’t be trapped by Satan’s lies. “JUST THE FACTS . . .” - Joe Stowell - (BORROW Strength for the journey : day-by-day with Jesus PAGE 256) “YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.” —John 17:17 A student came to me one day and said that he had seen a Porsche turn the corner in front of him with the license plate “MBI-1.” His immediate conclusion was that it was my car. If he hadn’t checked with me, he would have logged the “fact” in his brain that the president of Moody Bible Institute drives a Porsche! Sadly, it wasn’t my car . . . but the process of verifying it kept his thinking straight and my reputation intact. By nature, we possess a hunger for facts. Learning to count to five provides an early thrill. Throughout our lives, the joy of discovering new facts fuels the mind’s hunger for information. But equally as important is guaranteeing that the “facts” we store are true. This is particularly critical in a world managed and manipulated by Satan, who, as Christ said, is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). If you believe that success is about the car you drive and the kingdom you have built, you will live to succeed in that way. If your information base is programmed to conclude that life is first and foremost about you, that money is your sustaining commodity, that others exist to please and satisfy you, and that God is not good, you will live in distorted and often ungodly ways. This is where the Word of God becomes an essential tool. The Bible is the final measurement for all data concerning every area of life. Second Timothy 3:16–17 states that “all Scripture is . . . profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be . . . equipped for every good work” (NASB). God’s Word provides reliable data in a world that largely runs on fiction. The Word’s data about relationships, Christ, history, people, money, the world around us, and eternity beyond the universe is reliable and true. Gathering and guaranteeing reliable data is foundational for keeping life on target, which may be why Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NASB). If you thought God’s thoughts, how would your life be different? QUESTION - How does archaeology support the Bible? ANSWER - Archaeology has been called “the Bible’s best friend,” a statement that reflects the long history of discoveries supportive of the biblical record. From the discovery of the Cyrus Cylinder in 1879, to the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, to the Pool of Siloam in 2004, archaeology has worked hand in hand with Bible scholars to provide an independent witness to the truth of God’s Word. Of course, there are some archaeological discoveries that seem to contradict the Bible. What then? Is it archaeology or the Bible that is in error? In such cases we remember that archaeologists are people, too, with their own limitations, biases, and proneness to error. Once an artifact is found, its existence and its location must be interpreted, and it is the process of interpretation that is liable to mistakes. Many secular archaeologists used to say that David was a legendary figure, on par with King Arthur, rather than a historical king. Rather, that was their position until they found the Tel Dan Stela, a basalt stone dating from the 9th century BC bearing David’s name and identifying him as king of Israel. So, up until the stela was found, archaeology did not overtly support the Bible’s references to David. But, eventually, an archaeological find showed that the Bible was true all along. David was a real person who was king of Israel, and archaeological naysayers turned out to be wrong. Many more archaeological discoveries have substantiated events and people in the Bible. In fact, archaeology has on many occasions provided tangible evidence for exactly what the Bible records. Egypt’s invasion of Israel (1 Kings 14:25); the Assyrian siege of Lachish (2 Kings 18-19); the trade relations between Israel and Sheba (1 Kings 10); the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem; and the reigns of Kings Omri, Ahab, Uzziah, Hezekiah, Ahaz, Jeroboam II, and Jehoiachin (1 and 2 Kings)—all are recorded in the Bible and all have been confirmed by archaeology. And the previously mentioned discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most significant finds of the 20th century, was decisive proof of the reliability of the Bible’s manuscripts. Christians should understand that we cannot prove that the Bible is true scientifically. No amount of archaeology will ever “prove” the Bible to skeptics. But that should not cause us to doubt God’s absolute truth. God is the author of history, and we are assured that His record of history is an accurate account of what happened. Of course, not everything that happened in history was written in His record. Only those things were recorded that further God’s revelation of Himself and are profitable to us “as examples and . . . warnings” (1 Corinthians 10:11). In case after case, archaeology eventually catches up with the biblical account, and archaeology and the Bible come into agreement. As Christians, we must be patient and not let our faith in God’s Word be troubled by the theories of men. Archaeology has never proved the biblical account to be wrong, although, in some cases, it lacks the evidence to prove the biblical account right. As archaeologists continue to dig, we will have more and more external evidence to substantiate the historicity and truthfulness of the Bible’s record. Related Resources: For more information, see article on Christian archaeology What are some exciting discoveries in biblical archaeology? NIV Archaeological Study Bible - BORROW Archaeology and the Bible - OT and NT - BORROW The archaeology of the New Testament, rev. ed by BLAIKLOCK, E. M - BORROW Out of the earth : the witness of archaeology to the New Testament by Blaiklock, E. M - BORROW Archaeology of the New Testament by Harrison, R. K - BORROW Archaeology and the Old Testament by Merrill F. Unger - BORROW Genesis and archaeology by Vos, Howard Frederic - BORROW An introduction to Bible archaeology by Vos, Howard Frederic - BORROW Beginnings in Bible archaeology by Vos, Howard Frederic - BORROW Archaeology in Bible lands by Vos, Howard Frederic - BORROW QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “Your word is truth” in John 17:17? ANSWER - In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself. In the same prayer, Jesus prays for His disciples and all who will believe in Him through the gospel (John 17:20). Believers accept God’s words (John 17:6) and accept Jesus as God’s Word (John 17:8). God is truth, and His truth brings salvation to all who accept it (Titus 2:11). Further, God’s written and living Word will sustain believers as they are in the world (John 17:14). In the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus confirms that He brought the message of salvation to the world: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Jesus’ mission of bringing the truth has been accomplished (John 17:4), and He turns the focus of His prayer to God working through the disciples and other believers. He confirms that believers will be rejected by the world for believing “Your word is truth,” but believers are also assured joy, God’s protection from the evil one, and sanctification by God’s Word (John 17:13–19). The Old and New Testaments both affirm that the words recorded in the Bible are God’s words and that they are true. Since God cannot lie, His Word is truth: “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless” (Psalm 18:30). Since God is eternal and unchanging, His Word is always the same: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35; cf. Isaiah 40:8). Jesus uses the Word as He rebukes the devil who was tempting Him: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3). If we want to know truth, we will look in God’s written Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) and look to Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 1:3). John refers to Jesus Christ in John 1:1–2, saying, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” The Word is God’s total message, and Jesus embodied that full message, which is why He is called the “Logos,” or “Word,” of God (Colossians 1:19; 2:9). God is truth. His Word is truth. Salvation comes by accepting Jesus and agreeing that “Your word is truth.” Jesus said, “Your word is truth.” When we look at the Bible, we see truth. The Bible does not merely contain the truth; it is the truth. Every word is truth, in every part of the Bible. “The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times” (Psalm 12:6). This is the doctrine of the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture. How we respond to God’s written Word and the Word made flesh has an eternal impact on us. Since God’s Word is truth, rejecting the Bible and rejecting Jesus is rejecting God Himself. Believing, cherishing, studying, and obeying God’s Word is the key to salvation, understanding God, and living abundantly (John 10:10). No matter what we may face in this world, we are sustained by the truth prayed over us in Jesus’ prayer: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). John Broadus - Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. —John 17:17 (from sermon “The Saviour Praying for Us,”) The second petition. You observe Jesus does not merely pray that they may be kept from evil, but that they may be made holy. Piety is not a mere negative thing. The Ten Commandments, I know, are all in negative form, “thou shalt not.” Even so, Christianity reveals that this is but one side and that the nobler and more glorious side of piety is that we must not merely try to keep from doing wrong but try to do right. Jesus prays not simply that they may be kept from evil but that they may be made holy. Do you want to be holy? You should desire to be holy! Anyhow, Jesus wishes that for you, and he prays, “Make them holy—make them holy through your truth; your word is truth.” It is truth that makes people holy. Earth’s unholiness began with a lie that people believed and so went headlong to ruin. Truth is the lifeblood of piety. Truth is the medicine for the soul’s disease. Nobody is ever made holy except through truth. Blessed be God, it often works its healing work though sadly mingled with error. The truth may still work its healing, saving, sanctifying work. “Your word is truth.” We know that word, and we may use it as the means of becoming holy. Regard the Bible as that which we are to use as the means of becoming holy. Regard the Bible as the means of making you better, of making you good. Use the Bible for that purpose. I know how it is, many times you do not love to read your Bible. The truth is, you take up your newspaper a second time and go on looking for something else in it when the Bible is lying neglected by your side. Then when you do take the Bible, you feel that it is rather dull reading. Learn to regard the Bible more as the means of making you holy. When you read it in private or hear it read in public, regard it as the great means of making you better, of strengthening you, of correcting your faults, of helping you to know your duty and helping you to do your duty. Fill your heart and mind full of the teachings of God’s Word, hoping it will make you better. You will take more interest in hearing the preacher read it from the pulpit and explain and impress on you its teachings, if you listen with the idea, “How I hope this will help me!” So in private read the Bible with the thought, “How I pray that this may do me good.” Please remember this suggestion and act on it! What's The Truth? Your word is truth. — John 17:17 Today's Scripture : John 17:12-19 Grand juries. Investigations. Accusations and denials. Special prosecutors. News leaks. Criminal trials. Civil suits. Too often the guilty are acquitted and justice takes a back seat. It seems that getting to the truth is just about impossible. Many people have given up on truth. They say things like, “Nothing is true for everyone all the time.” Is that true? No! It’s like saying, “All statements are false.” But if all statements are false, so is that one. It’s self-contradictory. We call this modern form of thinking relativism. Relativism is the belief that there is no absolute truth, but that all truth is relative to each situation. As followers of Christ, we believe in absolute truth and base our convictions on the Bible, which says that Jesus is the truth (Jn. 1:14,17; 14:6). When He prayed for His friends, He asked His heavenly Father to “sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). Whatever God says is always true. Why? Because He created everything (Jn. 1:1-3), He knows everything (Heb. 4:13), and He cannot lie (Heb. 6:18). Though sin seems to triumph and wrong conquers right, Though lies can put justice to flight, God's truth is eternal, His Word shows His might, And He will bring justice to light. —Gustafson God's truth has no relatives. J C
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Wiersbe - NT Words In the Christian vocabulary, “to sanctify” means “to set apart for God’s exclusive service.” Jesus has set himself apart to serve us as intercessor and high priest (John 17:19), and we should set ourselves apart to serve him. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). That transformation takes place in our inner person as the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). In the Greek text, the word world is used eighteen times in John 17, and it means the “world system” or “society without God,” all that pressures us to be like sinners and not like Christ. Three fundamental facts stand out. God’s people do not belong to the world. We are in the world but not of the world. Anything that causes us to stop enjoying the Father’s love or doing the Father’s will is of the world and is wrong for us (1 John 2:15–17). But neither is separation from the world isolation from the world, for we are here to witness and to serve. Jesus was the friend of publicans and sinners and yet was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). Separation is not insulation, having no compassion for the lost and keeping them at arm’s length. When we start imitating the world and seeking to please the world, then we are in trouble. “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world,” wrote Paul (2 Tim. 4:10). God’s people are different from the world. Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and we seek to please our Father in heaven (Matt. 6:9). Practical godliness sets us apart from the rest of the world and what it has to offer. Note that I said different, not odd or weird. When we are different we attract people, but when we are odd we repel them; our calling is to attract people to Jesus. We follow his example of love and service and seek to do good to others. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). The world thrives on lies, but believers are sanctified by the truth—not just truth but the truth, the very essence of what is true. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), the Spirit is the truth (1 John 5:6), the Word of God is the truth (John 17:17), and the church is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). It is God’s truth that makes us different from the world and is one reason why the world hates us (John 17:14). God’s people are in the world to win the lost to Jesus Christ. Jesus prayed, “As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (v. 18). If Christians would just remember that they are representing Jesus Christ before a watching world, it would help them do what is right. We are salt (Matt. 5:13), and salt makes people thirsty. God will one day take us out of this world! Jesus wants his church to be in heaven with him forever (John 17:24), and he has promised, “I will come again” (14:1–3). Meanwhile, he is our great high priest in heaven, interceding for us, hearing our prayers, and providing all we need as we seek to serve him. The world is our enemy (James 4:4), but in his death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and we are “more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 Sanctified and Then Sent - (BORROW Experiencing God day-by-day page 20) Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.—John 17:17–18 God will always sanctify you before He sends you. The Father set aside the twelve disciples and made them holy by the Truth, His Son. As they related to Jesus, the Truth (John 14:6), the disciples were refined by that Truth and were prepared to be sent out to preach the gospel. Jesus challenged their ambitions (Luke 9:46–48), chastised their lack of faith (Matt. 17:19–20), refuted Satan's influence (Matt. 16:23), and denounced their pride (Matt. 26:33–35). When Jesus had finished preparing them, the disciples were sent out in such power that their world was never the same again. Satan will try to convince you that your sin renders you useless to God. That is a lie from the author and father of lies. As soon as you sin, the Deceiver will whisper, “You failure! You are now of no use to God.” This can bring a deep sense of defeat and hopelessness to a Christian. Yet, there is no freedom that compares to a soul set free by God's grace. When God's people allow God's truth to realign them to God's will and God's standard, then the power of God will be released through them the same way it was through the first disciples. The Truth will set you free. The Truth is: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), and we are restored to usefulness to God. Allen Ross - John 17:17 “The Word is Truth” In His “High Priestly Prayer” Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too my be truly sanctified” (John 17:17-19). The words “true” or “truth” have fallen on hard times these days. I was looking in one book recently about the Old Testament written by someone I knew was a good deal more liberal than myself. In his index he had the entry “truth, absolute” and then several pages listed after it. So I turned to those pages to see what he said—and they were blank pages. I suppose he thought that was clever. But his point was clear enough: there is no absolute truth. However, the historic Christian faith says just the opposite, that there is absolute truth—and it is therefore binding on the way we live. Today we also hear about “my truth” and “your truth,” meaning, whatever you believe is truth to you. And these truths can be rather different and conflicting. However, the Christian tradition does not allow for our ideas to set aside God’s ideas as perhaps “true” but not our truth, as interesting bits of historical thoughts but irrelevant today. God revealed Himself to us in His word, and Jesus declared that that word is truth, not just true, but truth. There are a lot of things that are true; books are filled with true statements in every field from history to science. But the Bible does not simply contain true statements; it is truth. As divine revelation that was recorded, the holy Scripture set the standard for truth; and because it is truth it is binding. For people to disagree with or reject the word of God means that they are disagreeing with or rejecting God Himself in a way that is very dangerous. For on the standard of God’s revelation will people be judged. People may think in their modern progressive thinking that some things the Bible prohibits are acceptable as long as they don’t hurt anyone, but if God says they are sins, then people will be accountable for them. Now the Bible applies this affirmation of its truthfulness in many ways, but here in Jesus’ prayer it is connected to the prayer for “sanctification.” The word “sanctify” means “to set apart for spiritual service.” It refers to the work of God in our lives to make us conform to the nature of God so that we can serve God in this life and the next. Jesus sanctified Himself, meaning He set Himself apart for the spiritual task of sanctifying us by His blood, so that we might be sanctified, i.e., made holy and therefore useful to God. For us the means be which we are made holy and useful to God is through the truth, which Jesus says is the word. Everyone will instantly realize that the Bible is very full and complex, so this will not be an instant sanctification. The Bible has to be studied carefully and correctly, and applied prayerfully and effectually in a process of spiritual growth. And in that growth we will develop holiness, righteousness, and faithfulness to the will of God, so that we too in our world can be of use to God. The process of sanctification is our spiritual task; and the word of God is the means by which God will perfect us. John 17:18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. John 20:21 Isa 61:1-3 Mt 23:34 2Co 5:20 Eph 3:7 Related Passages: John 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” JESUS COMMISSIONS THE DISCIPLES We could subtitle this verse as "The Savior Sends Sanctified Saints to Speak of Salvation." John 17:17 precedes John 17:18! First the disciples were to be equipped and then sent. As (term of comparison/simile) You sent (apostello) Me into the world (kosmos) - Note the comparison is just AS the Father had sanctified (set apart) Jesus and sent Him into the world (Jn 10:36+), Jesus had just asked the Father to sanctify the disciples who would be sent into the world. So just as the Father had sent Jesus into the hostile world, Jesus sends His disciples into the Christ hating, hostile world (and beloved, it is still hostile to Jesus and His message!). And just as Jesus was sent to die, so too the apostles all experienced martyrdom with the exception of John who was exiled to Patmos. Why did the Father send Jesus into the world? Earlier John gave us the answer writing "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." (Jn 3:17+). We are in the world but not of the world, and we must not live like the world. -- Warren Wiersbe I also have sent (apostello) them into the (kosmos - hostile) world - Notice the important spiritual dynamic - it is disciples who are sanctified (Jn 17:17) who are sent into the hostile world. Have sent (apostello) describes Jesus' future commissioning of the disciples (Mt 28:19-20+). Because their sending into the world is so certain it is spoken of in the past tense, have sent (proleptic aorist). Just as Jesus was sent to save (providing the once for all time sacrifice securing eternal redemption), so too the disciples/apostles were sent to speak forth the message of salvation to the lost world who would hate them, persecute them and even kill them (Jn 16:2+). True believers have practiced separation by infiltration.
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Wiersbe - The lost world cannot see God, but they can see Christians; and what they see in us is what they will believe about God (cf Mt 5:16, 1Pe 3:15). If they see love and unity, they will believe that God is love. If they see hatred and division, they will reject the message of the Gospel. Jesus has assured us that some will believe because of our witness (John 17:20), but we must make sure that our witness is true and loving. Some Christians are prosecuting attorneys and judges instead of faithful witnesses, and this only turns lost sinners away from the Saviour. (Bible Exposition Commentary)
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Wiersbe - I have often used John 17:24 as a text for funeral meditations. How do we know that Christians go to heaven? Because of the price that Jesus paid (1 Thes. 5:9–10), and the promise that Jesus made (John 14:1–6), and the prayer that Jesus prayed (John 17:24). The Father always answers His Son’s prayers, so we know that believers who die do go to heaven to behold the glory of God. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Loved (verb) (25) agapao see related study of noun agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35, 15:9, 17:23, 24). Note that agapao is a verb and by its verbal nature calls for action. This quality of love is not an emotion but is an action initiated by a volitional choice. SEE 9 page article on AGAPAO in the NIDNTT, PAGE 538