Senior Seminar Daily Submission 7

Ben Currin
Senior Seminar: Gospel of John
Dr. Dwaine Greene
Nov. 07, 2002

Jesus Prays
(John 17:1-26)

“Information and Insights:”
Jesus’ prayer at the beginning of John 17 is the final scene of His farewell to the disciples (O’Day, 787).
Several words in Jesus’ prayer are cross referenced in other verses of scripture as The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge shows in these examples: (Example) 1. and lifted. ƒ144A12, Ge +22:13. Jn 11:41. Ps 121:1, 2. 123:1. Is 38:14. Mt +14:19. Lk *18:13. Father. ver. 5, 11, 21, 24, 25. Jn +3:35. Lk +22:42. the hour. ƒ171T6, Jn +4:23. Jn 2:4. 7:6, 30. 8:20. 12:+23, 27, 28. *13:1. 16:32. Ec 3:1. Mk 14:41. Lk 22:14, 53. Ga 4:4. glorify. T#1508. ver. 4, 5. Jn +7:39. 11:4. *12:27, 28. *13:31, 32. Is *55:5. Lk 22:43. Ac 3:13. Ph m2:9-11. 1 P 1:21. thy Son. Jn +5:17. Mt 27:51-54. Ro *1:4. glorify thee. ver. 4. (Example) 2. As. Jn 3:35. 5:21-29. Ps 2:6-12. 110:1. Da +*7:14. Mt +*11:27. +*28:18. Ac +*10:36. Ro *14:9. 1 Co +*15:25-27. Ep 1:20-23. Ph 2:10. He *1:2. *2:8, 9. 1 P 3:22. over. ƒ181E, Ge +3:24. all flesh. Je *32:27. Lk +3:6. give. ver. 6, 9, 24. Jn *4:14. 6:27, 54-57. m10:28. *11:25, 26. 18:9. Ro m6:23. Col *3:3, 4. 1 Ti 1:16. 1 J 1:2. 2:25. 5:20. Ju 21. eternal. Gr. aionios, Mt 18:8. life. Jn m3:14-16. Mt 19:16. as many. ver. 6, 9, 12, 24. Jn *6:37, 39. 10:29. He *2:13. # (Smith, John 17:1-26---see footnote for further information).

Not only those Jesus’ cross reference other verses of scripture, but echoes the theological themes throughout Jesus’ ministry as well (O’Day, 787).

Kysar states of John 17:22-24 that John’s view of eschatology shows that the community of the church is the locus of the manifestation of God (Kysar, 115).

D. Moody Smith, Jr. shows that the main component of Jesus’ farewell discourse to the disciples was to be courageous (Smith, Jr., 308).

In the Thru The Bible Commentary, it is stated that John 17:5 ends Jesus’ prayer for Himself and John 17:6 begins Jesus’ prayer for the disciples as shown here: JESUS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
#- Jerome H. Smith, editor, The new treasury of scripture knowledge [computer file], electronic edition of the revised edition of The treasury of scripture knowledge, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1992 by Jerome H. Smith.

PRAYS FOR DISCIPLES---I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word [John 17:6]. ---Notice this: “to as many as thou hast given him” (v. 2): “unto the men which thou gavest me … and thou gavest them me” (v. 6); “for them which thou hast given me” (v. 9); “whom thou hast given me” (v. 11); and “those that thou gavest me” (v. 12). We are back to the great doctrine of election. Jesus talked to the Father about it. It was a private conversation, but He wanted the disciples to hear it and to know about it. I don’t know as much about election as maybe I should know. I’ve read Hodge, Calvin, Thornwall, Shedd, and Strong on the subject, and they don’t seem to know much more about it. The reason we know so little about election is because it is God’s side, and there are a lot of things that God knows that we don’t know. It is a wonderful thing to be able to listen to this prayer and to know that Jesus is at God’s right hand talking to the Father about us. The Lord Jesus has talked to the Father about you today, if you are one of His. There is a mystical relationship between the Lord Jesus and His own. They belong to the Father and were given to Jesus Christ. I can’t fathom its meaning. What a wonderful relationship!# (McGee, John 17:6---see footnote for further details).
On page 312, D. Moody Smith, Jr. states that Jesus prays specifically for His disciples, whom belong to God and that Jesus prays explicitly not for the world though the world was created by God and understandably belongs to God just as well, but Jesus’ disciples are special, in the fact that they are the chosen ones whom Jesus chose to be His followers (Smith, Jr., 312).
The most important feature of chapter 17 of John is Jesus’ prayer. The entry on prayer in New Stong’s Guide To Bible Words is as follows: PRAYER 2470 chaÆlaÆh (1), to be weak, sick, afflicted 3908 lachash (1), incantation; amulet 6279 >aÆthar (1), intercede in prayer 6419 paÆlal (2), to intercede, pray 7878 séÆyach (1), to ponder, muse aloud 7879 séÆyach (1), uttered contemplation 8605 tƒphillaÆh (75), intercession1162 deáeµsis (7), petition, request1783 eánteáuxis (1), intercession2171 eáucheµ (1), wish, petition4335 proáseáucheµ (21), prayer; prayer chapel4336 proáseáuchoámai (1), to supplicate, pray# (Strong, Prayer---see footnote for more information).

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible says of the following of the last few verses of John 17: Verses 24-26 Here is, I. A petition for the glorifying of all those that were given to Christ (v. 24), not only these apostles, but all believers: Father, I will that they may be with me. Observe, 1. The connection of this request with those
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon McGee.
#- James Strong, New Strong’s guide to Bible words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1996.

foregoing. He had prayed that God would preserve, sanctify, and unite them; and now he prays that he would crown all his gifts with their glorification. In this method we must pray, first for grace, and then for glory (Ps. 84:11); for in this method God gives. Far be it from the only wise God to come under the imputation either of that foolish builder who without a foundation built upon the sand, as he would if he should glorify any whom he has not first sanctified; or of that foolish builder who began to build and was not able to finish, as he would if he should sanctify any, and not glorify them. 2. The manner of the request: Father, I will. Here, as before, he addresses himself to God as a Father, and therein we must do likewise; but when he says, theloµ—I will, he speaks a language peculiar to himself, and such as does not become ordinary petitioners, but very well became him who paid for what he prayed for. (1.) This intimates the authority of his intercession in general; his word was with power in heaven, as well as on earth. He entering with his own blood into the holy place, his intercession there has an uncontrollable efficacy. He intercedes as a king, for he is a priest upon his throne (like Melchizedek), a king-priest. (2.) It intimates his particular authority in this matter; he had a power to give eternal life (v. 2), and, pursuant to that power, he says, Father, I will. Though now he took upon him the form of a servant, yet that power being to be most illustriously exerted when he shall come the second time in the glory of a judge, to say, Come ye blessed, having that in his eye, he might well say, Father, I will. 3. The request itself—that all the elect might come to be with him in heaven at last, to see his glory, and to share in it.# (Henry, John 17: 24-26---see footnote for more details).
“Explorations and Implications:”
The 17th chapter of John is a very emotional and climactic finish to Jesus’ ministry. It is Jesus’ final prayer in the Gospel of John and His final scene in preparing the disciples for their own ministry. Jesus’ simple message to them is one of have the courage to do as I say and say what I do to spread my message to the world. This is just what they did, in the end, eventually. Essentially this chapter is the last reference of the discipleship of the disciples and the beginning of the gradual move towards the evangelism of the disciples. A lot of time, I believe people forget that discipleship comes first before evangelism. A lot of these contemporary churches skip the discipleship aspect of ministry and jump right into the evangelism part of ministry. You’ve got to learn what you’re suppose to do before you can do it. Of course, you learn everyday and learn, while doing in some cases, but still you’ve got to know the basics first by learning them before you ever can attempt beginning doing something. This is the message that I believe one should take away from John---learning before doing and doing by example of what you see, of what you observe, of what you learn. This is what Jesus showed the disciples in the beginning of His ministry and in this final scene in John 17, He hands off His duty to them, symbolically in His final prayer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#- Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.