Were You Given as a Gift to Jesus?

Lesson #276

With this lesson we begin the next subsection of this chapter with a verse that many might not have thought carefully about: “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word” (John 17:6 ESV). Jesus identifies a group of people that were the possession of the Father; those people were his. These people came out of the world and were given as a gift to Jesus. To these people Jesus has manifested the Fathers name and they have kept his word. With this summary in mind we need to look at some details.

Looking at John 17:4, Jesus is praying as though he has already died on the cross and completed the work assigned to him to do: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” This is important because as Jesus glorified the Father through work that was yet to be accomplished, he likewise will manifest the Fathers name to those yet to be born again. The manifestation that Jesus did while on earth, he continues to do through the work of the Holy Spirit. As we study the Scriptures or are engaged is some way with true Bible teaching and preaching, we are learning more about the Father. Jesus is the truth and by him through the Spirit the Father is manifested.

To these people Jesus manifested the Father and continues to do so, but these people did something in response; they kept the Fathers word; the word of God. There is one God, so there is one Word, but that word is from the Father in the person of Jesus. By Jesus saying they kept the Fathers word, Jesus is pointing to the Father as the head of authority. For us, the people, we should be keeping the word of God if we truly are his people.

The real question before us is who are these people that are in the possession of the Father and given as a gift to Jesus? Do these people choose salvation or does the Father choose them and cause then to be born again? I grow weary over the debate on this that divides us as believers. From many years of Bible study, I am convinced that the Father makes the choice, but no one is excluded that desires salvation. Without God’s intervention in our lives, no one would choose salvation, because Romans 3:10 – 11 tells us that: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Like selecting a child from an orphanage, the Father chooses from the human population, those who will make up this group of people and records them in the book of life. These are his children and are known as lost sheep, until born again, who we have the responsibility of finding through sharing the gospel.

Every person physically conceived is born is spiritually dead, under the bondage of sin. Justice demands that each one suffer eternally in hell, but God in his sovereignty can choose those he will adopt as his children. We may call that unfair, but ask any orphan who was chosen by a loving family and see how thankful they are. I don’t know of any orphan who ever chose the family who would adopt them and I know of no children who chose who would be their parents. I am eternally thankful that my Father chose me because he loved me and gave me as a gift to Jesus to keep and love forever.

 

Prayer

Lord, it is a mystery concerning who is offered the gift of salvation. Today, under severe persecution, many are started along the journey of salvation through a dream or vision about Jesus. Paul was an example where you reached down and converted a murderer and used him to write a large portion of the New Testament. I think of all the people you chose to walk with you in the Old Testament. People in their pride want to think they chose salvation, thus earning the gift. Your word is clear that no one left spiritually dead is interested in salvation. Father, thank you for your gift of me to Jesus and the gift of eternal life to me from Jesus.