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What Can Be Learned From John 17 (Part II)

Christ and His Disciples (John 17:6–19) 

   

In the second section of the prayer, Christ turns his attention to the eleven men who were there with him that night (Judas having left to betray him [John 13:21–30]). These disciples are, in context, the “men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world” (John 17:6). They had received the message of Christ as having come from the Father and had “believed that Thou has sent Me” (John 17:7–8). In other words, they had received eternal life and were, therefore, among the first fruits of Christ’s mission and its success. Furthermore, they were the ones to whom he would now pass the baton. 

So having fi rst prayed for himself, what does Jesus next pray for his disciples? Knowing that he would no longer be with them “in the world” (John 17:11a), he prays that the Father would “keep them in Thy

name . . . [so] that they may be one” (John 17:11b). As John 17:12 makes clear, Christ asks the Father to guard these men, that is, to keep them firm in faith so that not one of them would fall away. In addition, he prays that they would be one or, as Paul later expounds, “of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” ( Philippians 2:2). In other words, from now on it would be up to them to carry on the work and, as Christ’s ambassadors, to proclaim eternal life throughout the world 

(Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8). According to his prayer, remaining firm in God by faith and walking together as one would be essential for accomplishing the mission. 

Jesus also asks his Father to “keep them from the evil [one],” knowing that the world (those who reject the message) would hate them and the Word of God, which they would proclaim (John 17:14–15). Thus he 

describes the disciples as “not of this world” (John 17:16), that is, in faith and focus different from the rest. So to the Father he prays, “sanctify them in the truth” (John 17:17). 

Finally, he commissions them to the task: “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). So first (John 17:1–5), Jesus states that he was sent from God to proclaim the message of eternal life throughout the world and to offer salvation for all those who would believe. In next praying for his disciples (John 17:6–19), he commissions them to carry on this mission, and in so doing, he reveals his belief: the success of their efforts will depend on the Father “keeping them in Thy name,” and on their “be[ing] one” (John 17:11). It should go without saying that these men did, in fact, live out their commission. They remained true to the Father in faith and advanced the cause as one. With this in mind, Christ reserves his final words for those whose lives these men would affect throughout history. 

This article is reprinted in part from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.

What Can Be Learned From John 17 (Part I)

For centuries, the prayer recorded in John 17 has been widely referred to as the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus Christ. In his book,  Reflections on the Gospel of John , author Leon Morris notes, “In the early fifth century, Clement of Alexandria said that in this prayer, Jesus was a high priest acting on behalf of his people.” 

It is interesting that this is the longest of all the prayers attributed to Jesus and an appropriate conclusion to what’s known as the upper room discourse (John 14–16). With this in mind, some also believe that Jesus intended his words to be overheard by the disciples in order to provide them further hope and comfort. Be that as it may, the prayer marks the passing of the baton to those, both then and now, who are tasked with the responsibility of carrying on the work begun by Christ, namely, of proclaiming eternal life to all men (John 17:2). 

In addition, remember that Jesus had just shared a final meal with His disciples. He had just washed their feet, reinterpreted the Passover, and dismissed Judas, who would betray Him. Therefore, it is an emotional and significant moment, the night before Jesus would die. 

The entire prayer can be divided into three sections. First, Jesus prays to the Father on his own behalf (John 17:1–5). Next, He prays to the Father on behalf of His disciples, that is, the eleven men left in the room with Him in that moment (John 17:6–19). And finally, He prays for “those also who believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20–23). Over the next two weeks, I want to break this down a bit and discuss each section with a view toward readers understanding just how Christ envisioned the multi-ethnic church. and why for Him it was essential for us all to be one.

Christ and His Father (John 17:1–5) 

In the first section of the prayer, again we note that Christ prays for Himself: “The hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as you gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life” (John 17:1–2). Here then, Jesus defines His mission and its scope. He had been given “authority over all mankind” and to all those the Father has given Him, He will, in turn, give eternal life (see also Ephesians 1:3–7). As John 17:3 makes clear, eternal life is to “know You [the Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” And knowing God, in this sense, is a matter of faith. 

The term rendered “know” is a translation of the common Greek word ginosko meaning simply, “to know.”  To know, in the full sense of this term, however, means to learn or acquire knowledge through experience. In other words, Christ does not so much pray that these will come to know God intellectually (the term oida in the Greek) but rather that they will come to know God more fully in and through their own personal experience. In order to know God experientially, we must come to know His Son, by faith, that is, Jesus Christ who has been “sent” by the Father. The term sent  is a translation of the Greek word apostello, which translated means, “one who has been sent as another’s personal [and] authoritative representative.”

  

As He begins to pray, then, Jesus makes it clear that He has been sent to represent God on earth and to proclaim (in person, word, and deed) the message of eternal life to all mankind. Indeed, this was His mission, and it is the theme of this prayer. Yes, Christ desires that people everywhere will come to know the Father’s love, embrace him by faith, and receive the gift of eternal life. This remains today the passion of his heart. 

This article is reprinted in part from the book Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.

Why Is the Local Church Segregated?

According to research conducted by sociologists Curtiss Paul Deyoung, Michael O. Emerson, GeorgeYancey and Karen Chai Kim at the turn of the century, 92.5% of Catholic and Protestant churches throughout the United States can be classified as “monoracial.” This term describes a church in which 80% or more of the individuals who attend are of the same ethnicity or race. The remaining churches (7.5 percent) can be described as multiracial—churches in which there are a non-majority, collective population of at least 20%. By this definition, approximately 12% of Catholic churches, just less than 5% of Evangelical churches, and about 2.5% of mainline Protestant churches can be described as multi-ethnic. 

Surely, it must break the heart of God to see so many churches throughout this country segregated ethnically and economically from one another and that little has changed since it was first observed that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the land.

In an increasingly connected yet stubbornly sectarian world, it is time to recognize that there is no greater tool for evangelism than the witness of diverse believers walking, working, and worshipping God together as one in and through the local church. More than that, I believe the very progress of the Gospel throughout the twenty-first century will be largely dependent upon this pursuit. 

So let me ask you a question: If the kingdom of heaven is not segregated, why on earth is the Church? Post your thoughts and we'll continue the discussion.