Sermon Tone Analysis

Time? Probably around midnight...

Location?

The have left the interior of the House at the end of chapter 13, but Chapter 18 tells us jesus went forth, over the Kidron ravine to the garden on the other side across the valley from the temple complex in Jerusalem.

Therefore, The most likely location would be in the courtyard of the home they had eaten the passover meal, before they made the trek to Gethsemane.

Jesus in looking up to the heaven, is acknowledging the place were the Father dwells and to where He soon shall return.

The Lord Jesus requests for Himself, 17:1-5.

“The hour has come;” it is the time for the culmination of the destiny to which Jesus has been born, Daniel 7:13-14

The request of the Father to glorify the Son - This glorification is looking ahead to the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to validate the truth of His teaching and His identity as the Son of God.

Jesus’ focus in his request is not on the suffering, the successful fulfillment of God’s plan, the glory that the Father would receive, and the gift of eternal life to all of “His own.”

Eternal life is both long life and abundant life; it is both a life of quantity and quality.

it is a life in which the believer may “know” . . . to understand, with the word implying the exchange of ideas and values with complete familiarity between the parties, like the relationship between close friends or even married couples.

The true God, the Father

Jesus Christ, who was sent by the Father and revealed the Father to humankind.

Jesus, who came from glory to reflect the glory of the Father on earth is now, at the completion of His task, looked forward to His return to Glory — this time in a glorified resurrected body, the very kind we will receive at our resurrection.

Jesus had a deep longing for that which was rightfully His as God the Son, which He willingly gave up to be in this world.

But Jesus is not of this world; He left behind the glory of heaven, the glory that was His by right to be born in Bethlehem under such humbling circumstances and to die in Jerusalem, suffering humiliation in death.

But in reality, Jesus did not depart the earth in humiliation.

He completed His task, then conquered death to depart in glory.

Jesus, in verse 5, gives us another claim to His deity and equality with the Father

Jesus prays briefly and selflessly of Himself but He quickly turns to the eleven remaining disciples to make request for them.

The Lord Jesus requests for the Eleven, 17:6-19.

A. The Basis for His requests, 17:6-11a.

Jesus has revealed the Father’s character and attributes to the Eleven.

To see the Son was to see the Father.

It would be these men would lead other disciples into the teachings of Jesus.

The Eleven belong to the Father; the belong equally to the Son; therefore, the welfare of the Eleven is Jesus’ special interest.

Jesus was now going to be leaving them and returning to the Father.

Jesus is glorified through the faith of the Eleven; He receives no glory from the world.

Now that the basis for the requests is established, Jesus request for His Eleven two things:

B. The Lord requests for their protection, 17:11b-16.

“Holy Father” — the title balances the Father’s ultimate purity with intimate paternity.

Jesus’ requests help prepare the Eleven—and those who will follow them — for the need of loving practical sanctification.

The Father’s holiness is a model for the loving holiness of disciples.

“keep them in Your Name” — “in” is Gk.

en, in the locative mood, it is a request for the Father to “keep them loyal to You”; in the instrumental mood, “keep them by the power of Your name.”

our context better supports the idea of loyalty as the object of the keeping and the dominant idea her.

Jesus has revealed God’s character throughout His ministry life.

The ultimate purpose of Jesus requesting the Father: Keep the disciples loyal to the revelation that Jesus has given them so that they might experience unity, both one with another, as well as one with the Father and the Son.

The Scriptures are the basis for the unity of believers with one another and with God.

The unity being described here is the unity of life, like a family unity.

All believers are one in this sense.

Jesus has kept the disciples loyal to God and guarded them closely and safely from external attacks while He was with them.

The exception is Judas Iscariot—the predicted betrayer

Cf.

John 13:18

Judas’ defection proved Scripture trustworthy.

Jesus’ prayer is only for the Eleven here.

“Son of Destruction” — this phrase could describe Judas’ character or his destiny Psalm 35:4-8

The context leans stronger toward destiny.

Destruction in the NT usually refers to eschatological damnation.

The only other occurence of this phrase refers to the Antichrist 2 Thess 2 3

“Come to You” — Jesus was about to leave the disciples and go to the Father; His prayer for the disciples while still in the world is for His disciples’ benefit.

The teachings and prayers of Jesus are offered that the Eleven might share in the fullness of His joy after His departure.

What Jesus has given the Eleven would be the basis for their remaining loyal, safe, and joyful even though the world hated them—because they were no longer of the world just as the world hated Jesus because He was not of the world.

The disciples’ origin and character were different now because they have believed in Jesus.

The Father and the world are opposing loyalties.

Jesus then asks the Father not to remove them from the world, but to keep them loyal to Himself while they continue to live in the world — the disciples are not of the world, they are distinct from it and therefore they needed protection from the evil in the world as well as the ultimate in evil himself, the devil.

He stands condemned, yet still rules the world by his influence and deception, 1 John 5:19

The mission and identity Jesus has given us should override our desire for comfort.

What are the options for us: there are basically three options, but only one that fulfills who we are in Christ:

We withdraw, remove ourselves from the influence of the world, ex.: monks.

We blend in, until there is nothing that distinguished us from those without Christ.

We live out our loyalty to God, our faith, and are active in the world as ambassadors for God.

This involves meaningful contact with the world while trusting in God’s protection.

C. The Lord requests for their sanctification, 17:17-19.

“Sanctify” — hagiazo; to set apart for God’s service.

Jesus is the perfect example of a sanctified person.

He devoted himself completely, consistently to the Father’s will for Him.

In John’s gospel, sanctification is always for a mission.

‘

The means of sanctification = the Truth = Jesus, the Word of God.

Jesus came to reveal God’s truth to mankind, John 1:1

The Spirit would help His disciples understand it, John 16:13

The truth is both personal and propositional: It comes to us through the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the written Word of God, the Scriptures.

Jesus asks the Father to sanctify the disciples by using His Word.

Therefore, it is essential to know, understand, believe and obey the revelation God has given us.

These words are the key to our practical sanctification, which involves separation unto God from the world, the evil one who rules it, and the lies he propagates throughout the deceived world.

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Exposition)

“With the mind, we learn God’s truth through the Word.

With the heart, we love God’s truth, His Son [cf.

14:6].

With the will, we yield to the Spirit [of truth, cf.

14:17; 16:13] and live God’s truth day by day.

It takes all three for a balanced experience of sanctification.”

-Warren Wiersbe.

The purpose of practical sanctification was for the successful completion of the mission He has sent the disciples to do.

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Exposition)

“Christianity was never meant to withdraw a man from life; it was meant to equip him better for life.

Christianity does not offer us release from problems; it offers us a way to solve our problems.

Christianity does not offer us an easy peace; it offers us a triumphant warfare.

Christianity does not offer us a life in which troubles are escaped and evaded; it offers us a life in which troubles are faced and conquered.

… The Christian must never desire to abandon the world; he must always desire to win the world.”

— William Barclay