Do You Feel Secure? Why Not?

Lesson #280

As we move ahead to the next verse, we find Jesus praying as if he had already risen from the dead. Jesus continues, saying: “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11 ESV). At this time the work on the cross is finished and Jesus has risen from the dead, but has not yet ascended into heaven. This is the time when he appears to the disciples and to others before his ascension. He is concerned over leaving them and prays for their need of assistance and support in his absence. They will be left among wicked men and will be subject to trials and persecutions and will be in need of the same protection he could give them if he were with them. Jesus is asking his Father to keep them; to preserve, defend, and sustain them in trials and to protect them from apostasy.

There is some question among commentators about the meaning of “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me.” Think of this in the context of family. We have our holy Father and his Son Jesus and us adopted children. Jesus is asking the Father to keep each one safe, that no one will be loss along the way as we are family. In a family the name of the father is given to his offspring, like possibly the name Christian.

Not only does Jesus want each one to be kept and not be lost along life’s journey, but he asks that there be unity as perfect as there is between Jesus and his Father. Later in verse 26, Jesus asks that the love with which the Father loves him be given to each believer because without this kind of love for one another, unity will be impossible. This divine love of the Father is the substance which sustains the unity of the body of believers. Today that love is nearly lacking and as a result unity is hard to come by among Christians. God’s love is willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others and that produces unity.

While Jesus was with the disciples he claims to have done his part. We will look at that in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, what a beautiful picture of love and protection is emerging. Out of love you chose us and you take each of us through the spiritual gestation period to our spiritual birth, then you work in our lives, conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ while waiting for all to be ready for the great marriage celebration. The central focus of Scripture seems to be the process of selecting and preparing the bride for Jesus Christ and in his work of preparation for receiving her. As in any large family, the older siblings have the responsibility of helping raise the younger ones. Father, because of such disunity in the church today and historically, it is very difficult to comprehend what family unity in heaven will be like. Father, we need to get our minds around your love and focus on the work of spiritual maturity of ourselves and as we grow to help out in the growth of less mature children. Father, forgive us for trying to navigate life in the ditch along the pathway we should be on.