Bible Commentary Forever คำอธิบายความเข้าใจในพระคัมภีร์ไทยสำหรับชีวิต

John 17

For Greek interlinear links click the [verse numbers] below
Summary. In this chapter, the Lord Jesus, the Most High Priest, prays to the Father. The Lord Jesus, the Most High Priest of all the souls, “lifting up His eyes to heaven,” prays to the Father for Himself and all the true believers in the past, present, and future. His prayer to the Father evolves around five main requests. 1) John 17:1-8. The Lord Jesus prays to the Father for Himself to receive His glory and give eternal life to those that the Father has given Him. 2) John 17:9-15. The Lord Jesus prays to the Father concerning those that the Father has given Him, which are still in the world, that the Father would keep them from evil. 3) John 17:16-23. The Lord Jesus prays to the Father for the sanctification of those who are His and are not of the world so that they would be one just as He, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are One. 4) John 17:24. The Lord Jesus prays to the Father for those who are His that they would be with Him where He is, so they may behold His glory, which the Father has bestowed on Him even before the foundation of the world. 5) John 17:25-26. The Lord Jesus ends up His Priestly payer by requesting the Father to reveal the love He has for His Son to all true believers. The beloved Son of God Himself has declared the love of the Father for all humans by accepting to be born as a human and by accepting the death on the cross; He has given His blood to wash all the sins away from the true believers.
[1] These things spoke Jesus; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee:
Comments John 17:1 “These things spoke Jesus; and lifting up His eyes to heaven.” Every time when the beloved Son of God is praying, He will always look up to His home. At all times, He can see His home, but He still has a duty to fulfill in His human life. Even though His time is close to returning home, as a human, He misses the Father. The human form has also created the distance between the flesh of sinful nature that has kept Him down on earth. Still, everything the Father has ordered will be accomplished soon, and at this time, the beloved Son of God has told all His disciples that the time for Him to depart is coming soon.
“He said, Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son.” Give attention as well to this part of the verse; when the beloved Son of God has said, glorify thy Son, this has also told all true believers that the beloved Son of God has been lifted up on high to be glorified in His death, but it is by the Father's will because this human death will make the beloved Son of God to be glorified throughout the world. The death on the cross is for criminals, but in this place, the beloved Son of God was judged by human thought; therefore, the beloved Son of God will receive glory because His death on the cross has brought all victory above heaven, over the earth, and under the earth; the name of the beloved Son of God will be glorified by all.
“that the Son may glorify Thee.” The suffering of death on the cross for the beloved Son of God, the purpose is to bring glory to the Father by the death of one human, which is the beloved Son of God Himself, has taken everyone that glorifies the beloved Son of God, that glory the beloved Son has offered to the Father. The Father will receive all the glory, the glory which the true believers are doing, and the glory of the beloved Son of God receiving also always links back to the Father.
[2] according as Thou gave Him authority over all flesh, so that all that Thou has given Him, He may give to them eternal life.
Comments John 17:2 “according as Thou gave Him authority over all flesh …”; The Father has given everything to the beloved Son; everything is under His foot now; whoever the beloved Son wants to save the soul and take that soul to be in heaven with Him, the beloved Son of God has the authority to do that because the Father has put all trust in the beloved Son of God. Therefore, the Son can make all life eternal, giving decisions as the Most High God gives decisions because, between the Father and the beloved Son, there is nothing because both have become One as well; the beloved Son has received full authority.
“He may give to them eternal life.” The beloved Son also has the power to give eternal life because the Father has given Him that authority. Whatever decision the Most High God gives, the Son can also give that decision. However, between give and make, we must make a difference. Give authority to rule over, only the Father to the Son can give that authority. One gives, one receives, but if one has made the decision, another receives the order; here, we can determine the difference between these parts (See further comments in verse 3).
[3] Now this is life eternal, that they may come to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou have sent.
Comments John 17:3 “… they may come to know Thee the only true God”; The beloved Son of God has confirmed here that the true God is the Father; the beloved Son has all the respect towards the Father, and He always lifts the Father to be above Himself. As the verse has told here, the Father is the only true God, and between the Father and the Son only the duty that is different; but as for the authority, always the beloved Son, will let the Father be the One who makes the final decision; always the beloved Son will propose to the Father first and whatever the Father has made the decision that it will be the end of it. Always must remember that the beloved Son will never put Himself equal to the Father; in all decisions, the beloved Son of God has made, He also has received the approval already from the Father, and that is why the beloved Son can make decisions as the Most High God makes because both will make the same decisions at the same time.
“… and Jesus Christ whom Thou have sent.” the beloved Son has told all true believers here that the Father has sent the Son, and He has given the same authority to the Son on earth as the Most High God has.
[4] I glorified Thee on the earth, having completed the work that Thou have given Me to do.
Comments John 17:4 “I glorified Thee on the earth”; The beloved Son of God has become human on earth to do the work the Father has given Him, and now the time has come for His departure. He has given the blood of His human body to be shed on earth in order to take human souls to heaven and for those souls to glorify the Father Most High at the same time. Therefore, all the souls that have been given to Him by the Father, He will have them all in heaven with Him, even the souls that will come after He departs from the earth. But, regarding the blood of the beloved Son of God, those souls will also have a chance to be with Him if they believe in His Deity and His sacrifice for them, and they will be with Him for eternity.
“having completed the work …”; All that work has been completed by accepting the death on the cross by God in human form to die and be marked as a criminal; the blood that has been poured down from the Son’s body is as on offering on the altar for the Holy Father. The old law of the covenant has been completed with that blood; from that point on, all the souls will be saved by the grace and mercy of the beloved Son of God. And that is why the work has been accomplished; there is no better sacrifice anymore; nothing else can replace the blood of the beloved Son of God that was shed for our sins; this is the perfect sacrifice that was given to the Father, and the Father will not accept any other sacrifice!
[5] And now, Father, glorify Thou Me beside Thyself, with the glory that I had beside Thee before the world existed.
Comments John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify Thou Me beside Thyself.” The Father Himself has glorified the beloved Son and lifted Him above all heavenly hosts. The beloved Son of God has become God for all heavenly hosts when the Father has glorified the Son, so everything and everyone must glorify the beloved Son of God as well. This verse also tells that the Father and the Son cannot be separated; both have glorified each other, the Father has lifted the Son, and the Son has glorified the Father in His own blood; when He has been crucified and has shed His blood, God the Father has tasted the death in the beloved Son at that time.
“with the glory that I had beside Thee before the world existed.” The beloved Son existed before the earth was created. His glory existed before all things were created; the beloved Son of God has been begotten from the Father before anything has been created, and the heavenly hosts have glorified the Son before the devil has fallen. This verse has confirmed the Deity of the beloved Son of God above all heavenly hosts.
[6] I manifested Thy name to the ones whom Thou have given Me out of the world; Thine they were, and to Me Thou gave them; and they have kept Thy word.
Comments John 17:6 “I manifested Thy name.” The beloved Son of God has come down and told all humans about the Father because all things are from the Father.
“to the ones whom Thou have given Me out of the world.” The Father will be glorified by all those souls that the Father has opened their hearts to accept the word of the beloved Son of God. All the souls that were born at that time will already hear the name of the beloved Son of God, and also, in their hearing, they will hear the teaching of the beloved Son. Those who have not been born did not hear yet, but when they come to be born, they will hear, and their hearts will be opened because the holy teaching has light in itself, and the hearts of those souls will seek for that light. So, after the Lord Jesus has departed from the earth, the Holy Bible is on the earth, and until the last Bible on the earth is still there, every soul will hear His teaching.
“Thine they were, and to Me Thou gave them.” The Father has created all souls, and every soul belongs to the Father, but the Father has given them all under Son’s authority, but even if they are under Son’s authority, they still belong to the Father. The Father did not divide the souls; He gave them all to the Son; when the Father has given them to the Son, He also provided a way for them to hear about God Most High, and also, they have witnessed His work already. Every nation has a story about God, and those stories have been passed on; every soul has heard about God; there are many ways of hearing, they all have heard but also have twisted the story, but the Father also makes sure they have heard.
“and they have kept Thy word.” Therefore, for those that have heard of the teaching of the Word and have truly believed and meditated on the Word, the Word will make root in their soul, and as long as they keep meditating, no one can uproot the Word from their soul.
[7] Now they know that all things as many as Thou have given Me are from Thee,
Comments John 17:7 Whatever the beloved Son of God has taught and done will not end in that time; everything must be passed on to future generations, either by mouth or by writing, because the word the beloved Son of God has spoken is living. That is why the knowledge regarding the beloved Son and His teaching will not stop because all humans belong to Him. The Father has given all humans to the Son; all humans must meditate on His teaching, it is the only way to be saved for all humans.
Everything belongs to the Father, everything the beloved Son has done is from the Father, His teaching, His actions, all link back to the Father, the Father is above all, and all belong to the Father. Therefore, by the teaching of the beloved Son of God, all souls can also see that the teaching is from the Father because the beloved Son's purpose of teaching is to link every soul back to the Father.
[8] for the words that Thou have given Me, I have given to them; and they received, and knew truly that I came out from Thee, and they believed that Thou sent Me.
Comments John 17:8 “for the words that Thou have given Me, I have given to them.” Whatever the beloved Son of God has received from the Father, all teachings He has given them out to all humans; because He did not keep it for Himself, everything is given for humans to know the truth about the Father’s love for all humans.
“and they received, and knew truly that I came out from Thee.” Whatever the beloved Son of God has taught, it is for all humans, and the ones whose hearts are open will acknowledge it as the true word of God; whatever it is worth and useful for them, the beloved Son did not withhold it but has told it all for the humans to know.
“and they believed that Thou sent Me.” When humans have heard the teaching, the teaching will work in their hearts, and for those that will receive it, that teaching will lead them to have true faith in the beloved Son of God and trust that He is truly coming from the Father.
[9] I am praying concerning them; I am not praying concerning the world, but concerning those whom Thou have given Me, because they are Thine,
Comments John 17:9 “I am praying concerning them; … Thou have given Me.” Take notice of what the Lord has said in this place, the Father has given all the souls to the beloved Son, and now, all those that the Father has given Him, and in their hearts have taken the teaching of the beloved Son of God as truly from God the Father Himself, and have given their trust to the beloved Son of God, those souls have become completely belonging to the beloved Son of God, and for those souls, the begotten Son of God is praying now. When He is praying to the Father, He asks for protection for these souls, but not for those souls that have ignored the teachings of the beloved Son of God and have turned themselves to love the world; as the verse has said to all readers, the beloved Son now is praying for those that belong to Him.
[10] and all Mine are Thine, and Thine Mine, and I am glorified in them.
Comments John 17:10 “because they are Thine, and all Mine are Thine.” Whatever the Father has given to the beloved Son, those belong to the Son from that point on, but even though they belong to the Son, they still belong to the Father as well because the Father and the Son are One, so what belongs to the Son it belongs to the Father. All souls belong to the Son, but if they do not believe in the Son, they will be judged by the Father without the help of mercy from the Son at the judgment time; because the Father is the Most Holy, the sinful soul has no chance to make any petition, but by the mercy of the beloved Son of God, He asks petition for them; the Father, in the mercy of the Son, will deal with their case. The ones that do not believe in the Son have their own waiting place, the place of darkness, but the ones that have accepted the beloved Son have a different waiting place, and the light from the Son will shine upon them. The Father has given all souls to the Son, so all souls belong to the Son, not only the ones that believe in His teaching.
“and Thine Mine, and I am glorified in them.” As the verse has told as well, the ones that belong to the Son bring all worship and glory to the Son, but when they have done that, that glory also goes to the Father because nothing is between the Father and the Son; when you have glorified the Son, at the same time you glorify the Father. Father and Son are not side by side, but one in each other; if side by side, you have space, but when inside each other, nothing is in between. The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father because they are One together.
[11] And I am no longer in the world, and these are in the world, even so, I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, which Thou have given Me, that they may be one, as We.
Comments John 17:11 “And I am no longer in the world, and these are in the world.” The beloved Son of God has told everyone the truth now. He is leaving the world soon, but the beloved Son of God wants the Father to help those that the Father has given to Him to be able to keep the faith and stay firm in the faith.
“even so, I come to Thee.” Therefore, let all readers take notice of where the beloved Son will go; He is going to the Father, and He wants to let all of them know now He is going back to where He belongs, with the Father.
“Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, which Thou have given Me.” The beloved Son asks the Father about those that the Father has given to Him, that they also have faith not only in the beloved Son but also in the Father Himself.
“that they may be one.” All those that have faith in the beloved Son of God, because they have the same faith and same belief, to be one in this place is to be in unity, joining in worshiping together as one unit, even if they are not from the same family, but because they have faith in the beloved Son of God, they become one family together.
“as We.” Here the beloved Son of God has said to all humans that He is One with the Father; you cannot worship the Father without worshiping the Son; also, you cannot worship the Son without worshiping the Father; the Father and the Son are One.
[12] While I was with them, I was watching them in Thy name, those whom Thou have given Me, and I watched, and not one of them perished, but the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
Comments John 17:12 “While I was with them, … those whom Thou have given Me.” These apostles, the Father has given to the beloved Son, and He always taught them and told them about the Father. They cannot believe only in the Father; they must also listen and believe in the beloved Son’s teaching because He has received the Word from the Father, and always, the beloved Son will tell the apostles that what He has taught them is from the Father; so, they must listen and obey His teaching.
“and I watched, and not one of them perished.” When the beloved Son of God has said watched them, this has told all readers as well that His teaching is with them and that teaching that the beloved Son of God has told them would protect them; if their hearts meditate on the teaching and keep themselves in prayer and think of the teaching, these will strengthen their faith and keep them safe.
“but the son of destruction.” When the beloved Son chose the disciples, He knew from the beginning the heart of each person, but He still wanted to give a chance and help; even He knew the one that would betray Him, but His mercy made Him unable to reject that person. The son of destruction has given his soul to the greed of this world. His greed is not only money but also greed to make the teaching of the beloved Son of God not be fulfilled in the human soul (greed to be important, because he wanted his own teaching to be fulfilled not the Lord’s teaching). As he spent time with the beloved Son of God, it made him believe that he would be able to control the people and benefit himself, and as the power of greed itself controlled him, he brought himself to destruction. He spent time of his life with the true light of God but did not want to absorb the true light to guide his soul, and he would end up doing the evil deed. Son of destruction means he let his own greed destroy him; no one did anything to him, he has been with the One that loved him, but the greed of his soul has covered his eyes and made his heart seek for more. While being with the beloved Son, he has received the teaching, he helped the poor, and he gave to the needy, but his own greed has also told him that he has a need and must fulfill that need, which is why the destruction came upon him.
“that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” The Scripture has talked about the betrayer, but the Scripture did not choose the betrayer; the betrayer made his own decision to fulfill his own need, and that decision also made the Scripture be fulfilled. It is true that the beloved Son of God knows who will betray Him, but with His mercy and love, the beloved Son of God also has given a chance to the betrayer; however, the choice of doing bad comes from the betrayer’s own greed. When you give yourself to be a slave to greed, your heart will not choose something else against that greed. The Trinity of God is the God that gives a free choice to all humans, and even for this betrayer, he has received the free choice, and he has chosen his own path to walk.
[13] And now I come to Thee; and these I speak in the world, so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
Comments John 17:13 When the beloved Son of God is speaking to the people, He wants them to have the knowledge about the Father. By the will of the Father, the beloved Son has talked to all humans, and by the Holy Word, He will bring to the living God all those with their hearts and minds seeking; that is why the beloved Son of God has talked in the world to people.
“And now I come to Thee.” The beloved Son is telling all disciples He is departing soon from earth to return to the Father; when the beloved Son has said, “now I come to Thee,” He has told all disciples that His departure time is at hand.
“and these I speak in the world.” The beloved Son has been talking about the Father to every listener and has told them the truth; it is up to their hearts whether they will accept the truth or not.
“so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” The ones that listen to the word of the beloved Son of God and have believed that the word is from the Father, in their hearts, they will have joy, the joy that will go deep until the soul itself, because they have come to believe in the living word of the beloved Son of God.
[14] I have given them Thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Comments John 17:14 “I have given them Thy word; and the world hated them.” The beloved Son of God had given to the disciples and all true believers the Word from the Father, the Word which will not take a side on any man but will tell what the man should behave to gain the favor from the Father. When the world hates them, they do not hate the person, but the world hates what the person tells about the Holy Word of God.
“because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” The disciples and the true believers, because they have taken the Word of the Father as truly the teaching of God, make the world feel condemned, and the world hates them on account of hating the word they are speaking. When you abide by the word of God, your behavior will not be as the world is doing, and the eyes of the outsiders will consider you as if you are not like them and do not belong with them; in that way, you become out of the world for them; because of what you believe and practice, you have become different than the world. The light and the darkness are separated; because the believers are the children of light, while the unbelievers are not; the true believers still live in the world, but you shouldn’t be as the world is.
[15] I pray not that Thou should take them out of the world, but that Thou should keep them from evil.
Comments John 17:15 As the verse tells, the Father will not take the true believers out of the world, but if the true believers meditate and abide by the Holy Word, their souls will not be tainted by the sins of the world itself, the evil will be around, but not in their hearts themselves. Because the verse has already told who is praying, the beloved Son of God is praying for humans because He has come into the world and given the Holy Word to humans; next is the human’s responsibility to use what He has given to save their souls.
[16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Comments John 17:16 The beloved Son of God has come from heaven to earth; the earth belongs to Him, but He does not belong to the earth, but He is keeping the earth to go on. Therefore, all true believers should be like Him as well, keep in your heart that you are not of this earth, and do not let this earth control you, but be faithful and guide those around you, and lead them whosoever the Lord brings in your path, lead them to come and glorify the God of Three. Be like your master of life, do not let the world influence your thoughts, but let the Holy Bible influence your heart; when you let the Holy Word influence your heart, this world will not control you.
[17] Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.
Comments John 17:17 When the Lord Jesus speaks, He is speaking with the disciples, but He is sending them out to the whole world, so the verse also shows meaning for all humans.
Being cleansed by the Word of God, in that way, you are truly clean because the Holy Word will cleanse you from the inside out; when your inside is clean, the word you speak will be clean. When you meditate on the Holy Word, the Holy Word will cleanse you from the inside out; as the verse has told, “sanctify them in the truth”; only one thing that is true and holy, and that is the living Word of God.
[18] As Thou sent Me into the world, even so I sent them into the world.
Comments John 17:18 The Father has sent the beloved Son into the world to lead all humans to glorify the Father; by that way, the beloved Son of God will send His disciples to tell the world to come and glorify the Father, come and worship the Most High God, with all your heart and mind and soul. As the verse has told, the beloved Son has come for all; because of that, the world needs to know, and you must go out and tell them all.
[19] And on behalf of them, I sanctify Myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.
Comments John 17:19 “And on behalf of them, I sanctify Myself.” The beloved Son of God is the clean and Holy God; when He has said, He sanctifies Himself, He talks about the human flesh He dwells in. The human flesh has sin on its own because the way humans have been born is through sexual activity; however, the beloved Son of God was not born through that, but He is in human form and lives on earth, and there are many ways that the sin can surround the body and make the body unclean. Hence, to go back to heaven in the human body, the beloved Son needs to be clean within the body itself as well. The verse does not tell how He sanctifies Himself, but the reader of the Bible can notice that the beloved Son has performed many fasts, which are part of sanctifying Himself, and also, the beloved Son of God stays in prayer at all times. He has offered this sanctification to the Father for Himself and the disciples, and through His sanctification, the disciples are also clean so they can receive the Holy Word. The beloved Son of God has prepared for them many things to make them clean; the Holy Word of the Father needs clean vessels to receive it, and the cleanest of vessels would be through the Holy Son's sanctification by sanctifying Himself. [It is believed that the Lord has also given them certain orders and preparations for themselves; the teaching He has given them has told all the requirements to be clean; in general, they have to perform a whole body bath, abstain from sexual activity for a period of time, and also stay in prayer and meditation; the activity of life has to follow according to the teaching as well, and a long period of time of preparation has been done in order to be clean vessels for the Father.]
When we say, “human flesh has sin on its own because the way humans have been born is through sexual activity,” we mean that the sexual feeling is a sin of uncleanness (desire of the flesh) because it is unclean for God. Even though the Lord has created humans to multiply further on, humans have used sexual activity, not with the intention of multiplying, but for pleasure; sexual lust is a sin. That is why humans need the Savior; humans have been born in sin, and the Savior will help.
“that they also may be consecrated in truth.” When humans consecrate themselves in truth, it also refers to what humans are talking about, eating, and watching. Whatever you are looking at, do not let it enter into your heart as a joyful time; but when you read the Holy Word, let that be the most joyful time for your heart and the way to be ready within the heart of humans. The heart cannot have jealousy or anger but must have fear; but the fear here is fear of doing things against the will of the Father, not fear about the safety of the body itself; and for that always a person must meditate in the teaching and use the teaching of God as the shield to protect the heart and mind. For them to receive the sanctification of the Holy Son, they must always remain in His teaching and follow the directions that He has told them. In many ways, humans can keep clean and be sanctified, but the important way is to meditate and abide in all the teachings of the beloved Son of God; in that way, the sanctification of the Son can flow through your soul as well.
Q: The Lord Jesus has explicitly taught some things about how His disciples could be sanctified, but we don’t have all those sanctification teaching. A: Also, the Bible has told you what you can and cannot do. The beloved Son of God has completed the Old Law, but in some things, there is still a need to abide in the Old Law, but not in everything; mainly, you can still keep the parts that apply to keeping the body and mind clean. For example, we could omit some type of food to keep the body to be less tainted; even though the Bible has told us that all food is good if the person takes it with thanks to the Creator, but for some special requirements it will be asked for abstaining from some foods; the Lord will reveal, those specifics, to the persons themselves. The general humans can eat everything if inside their heart have given thanks to the Creator; however, eat just for the body, do not eat with the greed to fill up beyond what your human body needs to have, and make the body fattened more than normal. Also, the sexual activity the Lord created for a man and a woman, as God created them, that have committed themselves in marriage; all sexual outside the marriage are considered an abomination to God, so a couple must have a union only with their own partner.
[20] Not for these only do I pray, but also for those believing in Me because of their word,
Comments John 17:20 After the disciples’ generation, humans will also receive the Holy Word as a guide and food for their souls. Therefore, everyone must believe in the Holy Word in order to have a chance to enter heaven. As the verse has told, the beloved Son of God has prayed for all those who come to believe in the holy teaching later on as well, not only for the disciples that have been with Him alone but also including all the disciples of the Holy Bible itself. Every true believer in the world, coming after, if in their hearts are completely trusting and believing in the Holy Bible and keep themselves meditating in the Holy Word, they also become the disciples of the Lord.
[21] that all may be one; just as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou sent Me.
Comments John 17:21 “… that all may be one.” Every soul that believes in the beloved Son of God and that the Holy Bible is the Word of the Father given to all humans, you come and meditate in the Holy Word and worship the Father. When you meditate in the Holy Word and worship the Father, all those will be in one heart together, different but the same heart in worshiping.
“just as Thou, Father, in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us.” This part of the verse also tells the Trinity of God; the Father and the Son are within each other. Therefore, every soul that glorifies the Trinity of God will have the part to be a true child of God. When the verse has told “in Us,” it does not mean that we are one with God but that we are one under the Trinity of God as worshipers. Worship as children of God, and the soul will benefit; when the soul has come close to God, it will receive strength beyond anything it can give; that strength will keep the soul last for eternity.
“that the world may believe that Thou sent Me.” Anyone that glorifies the Trinity of God and has changed their behavior and follows according to the teaching of the Holy Bible, whoever has seen them will notice that they are different and special because in their soul have received the peace of God that will spread out as a radiance; the people around will not only see but can feel within their hearts as well.
[22] And the glory which Thou have given Me, I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We [are] One;
Comments John 17:22 “And the glory which Thou have given Me, I have given to them.” The Father has glorified the Son, the beloved Son is above all heavenly hosts, and in that way, when the apostles receive the Holy Word and go out in teaching, they also have received the authority, but authority in teaching all humans but not to rule over anyone. To be an apostle also means to be a messenger and servant for the Lord; the duty is specific to give out the Holy Word that they have received; one important duty for them was to pass on the Holy Word, and all the gospels in the Holy Bible have reflected their duty regarding of being a witness of the magnificent work of the beloved Son of God. This verse also applies to the ones that are doing the duty of spreading the Word but have to be truly spreading the Word, not seeking the praises from humans; they must tell out what the Holy Bible says, not what they themselves think the Holy Bible says, therefore they must pray for the Holy Spirit guidance. You need the Holy Spirit in order to receive the glory of the beloved Son of God, and when you have received the glory of the beloved Son of God, then you will acknowledge the Father the God Most High. When we say, “to receive the glory of the beloved Son of God,” we mean to understand inside of you about the true glory of the beloved Son of God who seats at the right hand of the Father in judgment time and to accept inside of you His glory, then you also will receive that glory with the beloved Son of God (you will receive through Him).
“that they may be one.” In this part also, the verse reminds all those that speak the true Holy Word to remember as well that it is not you alone that does the work; everyone that is truly speaking out the Holy Word also has the same duty as you have, and you all should make unity together and help each other in spreading out the Holy Word of God; have the duty and do duty together as one.
“just as We [are] One.” Note that [are] is not part of the original verse; so, really, the verse says: “just as We One,” meaning “just as We exist as One.” When the Holy Son has said “We One,” He has emphasized to all the Trinity of God that all Three also do the same work; the purpose of the Trinity of God is to bring glory to the God Most High, and this duty never has an ending, until the judgment time. Every human should remember as well that the Trinity of God is always at work together; if you want to work with God, all the workers must have the same goal to be one in bringing glory to the God Most High, do not fight each other but support and help each other in glorifying the Lord.
[23] I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that Thou sent Me, and loved them, just as Thou loved Me.
Comments John 17:23 “I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected into one.” As the verse has told to all true believers, everyone should notice here as well, between the beloved Son of God and the Father, there is nothing at all because they are One; the Father and the beloved Son, One in Another, no other relationship can be closer than this. When the verse has told “I in them,” it is because they have believed in the beloved Son of God, so the soul of their hearts has opened and received Him into them; that is why the verse has told here He is in them. When the verse says, “and Thou in Me,” the beloved Son of God has told all believers that the Father Himself is also in the beloved Son; therefore, if you have the beloved Son of God in you, you also will have the Father in you.
“that they may be perfected into one.” When they have the Father and the beloved Son of God in them, that also has made their souls be one in the will of the beloved Son of God, truly they are one with His will; but not one with the Father in this place, just one in the will of the beloved Son of God. One in the will of the beloved Son of God, for humans that are one with the will of the beloved Son of God, it makes them have higher positions than other humans.
“that the world may know that Thou sent Me, and loved them, just as Thou loved Me.” For the whole world to know that the Father and the beloved Son are One, and the Father has sent the Son to do the work. For those that have taken the Word of the beloved Son of God as truly as God speaking, those souls will be loved by the Father Himself as well; the hearts that believe that the Father has sent the beloved Son of God to accomplish the work, those souls will be loved by the Father Himself, as the Father has loved the beloved Son.
[24] Father, I desire that they also whom Thou have given Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory, which Thou gave Me, because Thou loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Comments John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom Thou have given Me may be with Me where I am.” At first, all true believers should think about where the beloved Son of God is right now. Because all that the beloved Son of God has taught in the Holy Bible is from the Holy Father, and it has all that is needed for every soul to be saved and be with the Father, the beloved Son of God wishes all true believers to be with Him and receive the glory as true believers and also live forever with Him. The rules and regulations have been given, so read and meditate in the Holy Bible. If your heart truly wants to be with the beloved Son of God, never put another day in waiting; every moment can be the time you have been received up, so, meditate at all times; also, do not let your mouth say useless things. Another belief is for those that reject the good news from God, but where will they go at the end? Someone who has blasphemed the Trinity of God has no chance to be with the beloved Son of God. As a true believer, you do not need to mingle with them.
“that they may behold My glory, which Thou gave Me.” Every true believer that will be with the beloved Son of God will also see the true glory of the beloved Son of God, the light so bright and the power radiating out from the beloved Son of God. All true believers in that time will see His magnificent glory with their own eyes, and in their hearts, they will know that the only thing they need to do is truly, truly glorify the Trinity of God. The rest of their memory will be erased from their mind, and the only knowledge left is how to glorify the Trinity of God; in their souls, they will never feel enough to worship the Most High God. Because when we go there, we receive the new heavenly body, the heavenly body doesn’t have the memory of earth; and also you have a new name, you have become a new person in heaven, so, the memory of this earth is not needed anymore because you will be changed to a new person, the person which is you, but different than what you are on earth. The new body will have new memory, and the new memory will be only about how to worship the God Most High, which is what all the heavenly hosts need to be. This glory of the beloved Son of God that this verse talks about refers to His glory at the end time.
“because Thou loved Me before the foundation of the world.” This is the verse to confirm in all true believers’ minds that the beloved Son of God exists before all things were created. He was with the Father before anything existed; the Trinity of God has created all things, and everything comes out from the Father. Therefore, you cannot worship only the Father nor only the Son; in order to worship the God Most High, every soul needs the Holy Spirit in guidance to be with the beloved Son of God, and then, in that place, you will glorify the Trinity of God.
[25] Righteous Father, even the world did not know Thee, but I knew Thee; and these knew that Thou sent Me;
Comments John 17:25 “Righteous Father, even the world did not know Thee, but I knew Thee.” Humans have known about the Father, but no mind of a human can understand the power of the Most High God; how can the human mind compare with when no mind can imagine that great magnificent power of the Most High God? By His Word, life appeared, the Father created all things through His Word, and no human will be able to understand that power. The beloved Son always knows the Father because He Himself is in the Father, and also, the Father Himself is in the beloved Son. When the beloved Son said, "I knew Thee," it also means the deepest of the Father the beloved Son knows as well, no secret from the Father that the beloved Son does not know. Also, the righteous applies to not wavering (unshaken) and not taking any side; but when the Father has made the decision, in Him, all righteousness will apply, and all His decisions have no mistake or misplace.
“and these knew that Thou sent Me.” In this part, it does not mean only the disciples in that time; the disciples in the future that have come and truly have faith and trust in the beloved Son of God will also acknowledge that the Father is the One who sent the beloved Son to come down on earth to bring the worship to the Father. The beloved Son of God will tell humans about the love of the Father, which He has for humans, and that proof of love is in the beloved Son of God Himself when the humans have crucified Him among the criminals.
[26] and I declared to them Thy name, and will declare, so that the love that Thou loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
Comments John 17:26 “and I declared to them Thy name, and will declare.” So, the verse tells all true believers clearly that the Holy Father has been made known to all humans through the beloved Son of God. The beloved Son of God Himself has declared the love of the Father for all humans by accepting to be born as a human. God has become a man and dwelled among humans to let them see that He Himself has tasted the difficult life of humans; come to Him and glorify the Holy Father, the God Most High, and do not delay.
“so that the love that Thou loved Me may be in them.” The proof of the Father’s love is in the beloved Son of God Himself. When the Father has sent the beloved Son to come down on earth as a human, the love of the Father has been shown to all humans by the teaching of the beloved Son of God, which will lead all true believers to come to the Father. The Savior has come down to be with them, the love of the Father that is in the beloved Son of God has been poured down on earth through His teaching, and by accepting the death on the cross, the beloved Son has given His blood for washing all the sins away from the true believers, come and be cleaned by the blood of the beloved Son of God. If you do not come and confess your sins, how can the shed blood of the beloved Son of God carry your sins? To confess your sins is the only way to give away all your sins and be cleaned and take the work of the beloved Son of God in cleaning your sins. When you confess your sins, you also have proved your trust in the beloved Son of God and accepted the love of the Father in sending His Own Son for you.
“and I in them.” When anyone has accepted the Deity of the beloved Son of God and has taken His crucifixion as the way to relieve their sins and trust what the beloved Son of God has done for them by accepting the death on the cross for all sins of earth, when you truly believe that, you must invite the beloved Son of God to come into your heart, meditate on all of His teachings, that way you have prepared the place for the beloved Son to be in your heart and in your life.
Q: How can someone genuinely confess their sins? A: A good way to confess our sins is following this template: “Dear beloved Son of God, please take away all my sins, knowing and unknowing and clean me from head to toe with your blood and take me to be with You; when the time on earth is done for me, take me to Your kingdom to worship the Father with You and be with You for eternity!” Q: Should we confess our sins to some other believers? A: When to confess your sins to humans, your heart will tell you. However, not many can hear the sins of someone else without having an impact on their own soul. So, listen to your heart, and the Lord will guide you to whom you can tell your sins, but at the same time, in every moment, you can tell your sins to the beloved Son of God Himself because the beloved Son of God Himself is also the Most High Priest of all souls to the Father; but to confess to one another also has shown to all believers that you have obeyed the teaching of the Holy Bible in confessing the sins to one another.
Life and Faith Application. 1) Every believer should cherish the Lord Jesus’ Priestly prayer in their hears and always remember the Father’s love for us who sent His beloved Son into the world to teach us how to come to Him. 2) As long as we are in the world, whenever temptation comes upon us, we should remember that the Lord Jesus Himself prayed to the Father for us to keep us from evil; this prayer should make us think hard before we engage in any sinful activity and make us think how much we would hurt the Lord Jesus by sinning. 3) As believers, it is essential to confess our sins to the Lord Jesus and ask forgiveness and ask to be cleaned by the power of His shed blood on the cross; when anyone has accepted the Deity of the beloved Son of God and has taken His crucifixion as the way to relieve their sins and trust what the beloved Son of God has done for them by accepting the death on the cross for all sins of earth, when you truly believe that, you must invite the beloved Son of God to come into your heart, meditate on all of His teachings, that way you have prepared the place for the beloved Son to be in your heart and in your life.