We Have Shared His Life (John ​17:1-5)

We Have Shared His Life (​17:1-5)

Our Lord began this prayer, praying for Himself. But in praying for Himself He was praying for us. A prayer for self is not by any means necessarily a selfish prayer. A study of Bible prayers proves this to be true. Our Lord’s burden was the glory of God, which would be realized in His completed work on the cross. The servant of God has a perfect right to ask his Father for the help that He needs to glorify his name. The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt. 6:9) is, “Hallowed be Thy name,” and this phrase is the first emphasis in this prayer.

“Father, the hour is come" reminds us of the many times in John’s gospel that “the hour” is mentioned, beginning at John 2:4. Jesus had lived on a “divine timetable” while on earth, and He knew He was in the will of the Father. “My times are in thy hand” (Psa 31:15).

The word "glory," so important, occurs five times in this passage, and we need to learn to discriminate carefully between the different "glories" of which Jesus speaks. He spoke in John 17:5 of His preincarnate glory with the Father, the glory He put aside when He came to earth to be born, to serve, to suffer, and to die. John 17:4 He told the Father that He had glorified Him on earth by finishing the work that the Father had given Him to do. In John 17:1 and 5, our Lord asks the Father to restore His preincarnate glory. The Son may glorify the Father by returning to heaven.

The word "glory" appears eight times in this prayer, making it an important theme. He did glorify the Father in His miracles (John 2:11; 11:40), but the greatest glory He brought to the Father was through His sufferings and death (see John 12:23–25; 13:31–32).

The cross was a revolting display of man's sin from the human point of view, but from the divine point of view the cross showed and magnified the grace and glory of God. When Jesus said, “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4), He knew He was going back to heaven. This “work” included His messages and miracles on earth (John 5:17-19), the training of the disciples for future service, and most of all, His sacrifice on the cross (Heb. 9:24-28; 10:11-18).

On the basis of this “finished work,” we as believers have the gift of eternal life (John 17:2–3). The prayer uses the word "give" in one form or another at least seventeen times. Seven times Jesus says that believers are given to His Son by the Father (John 17:2, 6, 9, 11-12, 24). We are used to thinking of Jesus as the Father’s gift of love to us (John 3:16), but the Lord declares that believers are the Father’s “gift of love” to His beloved Son!

“Eternal [everlasting] life” is an important theme in John’s gospel; it is mentioned at least seventeen times. His free gift is eternal life to those who believe in His Son (John 3:15–16, 36; 6:47; 10:28). The Father has given His Son authority to give eternal life to all those whom the Father has given to the Son. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are given the gift of eternal life from the human perspective. But eternally speaking, we have already been given to the Son in the divine election. This is a mystery the human mind cannot fully understand or explain; we must accept it by faith.

What is “everlasting life”? It is knowing God intimately. Not just knowing about Him, but knowing Him personally through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot know the Father except through the Son (John 14:6–11). It is not enough to “believe in God”; But such faith will never save a lost soul from eternal hell. “Even the devils believe, and tremble” (James 2:19). In our Lord’s dispute with the Jewish leaders (John 8:12 ff.), it is evident that people can be devoutly religious and not know God. Eternal life is not a matter of our character or conduct but a gift we receive by confessing that we are sinners, repenting, and believing in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.

The Father answered the request of His Son and glorified Him. There is a glorified Man in heaven today—the God-Man, Jesus Christ! He is glorified in heaven that sinners may be saved on earth. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ will be given the gift of eternal life.

But we are overcomers because we share His life and we share His victory! “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4). When you were born the first time, you were born “in Adam,” and you were a loser. When you are born again in Christ, born again in faith, you are born a winner!

Satan has tried to cloud the precious truth of the finished work of Jesus Christ, for he knows it is a foundation for spiritual victory. “and they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 12:11). Do not let Satan rob you of your overcoming power in the finished work of Christ.