Kept in the Father's Name • John 17:6-12

Teaching begins at 26:16

Notes

On the last night of His life Jesus is concerned that His disciples be able to live after His departure.

This is eternal life, on earth.

The problem with this, is this world is a toxic environment. It doesn’t give life, it takes life. So Jesus prays that the Father keeps His disciples in His name.

We say, really? That’s what I need to live eternal life? What’s important about His name?

It’s to know God as He really is, and to live in His environment, while living in this world. To truly know the name of God is eternal life, here and now.

I’m reading in the great prayer of Jesus in John 15 beginning with verse six.

1. God has given the disciples to Jesus.

A. Back in John 6 Jesus talked about the Father giving Him people so that they might be saved.

1. John 6:37-40 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

2. Jesus also mentions this in His prayer, in verse 2: even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

3. Remember what eternal life is, verse 3: and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

B. Now, Jesus is saying that He did that with the disciples: He manifested to them the name of God.

2. This is the sequence of events.

A. These men used to be in the world. They were of the world. The world was their source of life.

1. Later on in his life John described what being in the world and of the world is like. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

2. These men loved the world and the things in the world. The love of the Father was not in them. They looked for satisfaction in the things of this world. They lusted, they desired, they were proud.

3. These men were dead in their sins and transgressions.

B. Then the Father gave these men to Jesus.

1. How could the Father do that if these men were dead in their transgressions? All things are the Father’s. He is the Creator. All things are His. He is also the Redeemer. He said, I’m sending My Son to redeem men out of their sins and spiritual death. I will give these men to My Son.

2. So He said, I’m giving Simon Peter to Jesus. I’ll give Andrew to Jesus. And Bartholomew. And Matthew that tax-collector.

C. They were no longer of the world. They were given a new source of life. God gave them to Jesus to be in Jesus. There’s a new environment that they live in and relate in.

3. That new environment and source of life is God and His love. When the Father gave these men to Jesus out of the world, Jesus says, I manifested Your name to them.

A. Do you remember the name of the Father? It’s found in Exodus 34:6-7

1. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

2. Name is everything you should think of when you think of someone. It’s their reputation, their character, all that they mean. If you condense this name of God you get this: God is love. This is the revelation of God, that He is supremely good, that He is love.

B. Everything Jesus did He pointed to the Father. The works that I do He gave Me to do. The things I say are His words.

1. Jesus healed multitudes. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. He freed people from sin.

2. He said Take courage, son, your sins are forgiven you. Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. He said do not be afraid, only believe.

C. The disciples truly understood this. They received those words that Jesus gave them and kept those words, and they said You are the Messiah, the Son of God.

D. This is significant because this is eternal life. The Father sent the Son to give eternal life. He gives people out of the world to the Son. The Son reveals the name of the Father. These people receive those words and truly understand that the Son came from the Father. This is the true God, this is eternal life. There is no other God, there is no other eternal life. There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. If you reject this there is no other hope, no other god, no other way to go.

E. So these men really got it! They still have a long way to go. Their understanding isn’t complete. They aren’t perfect. But they have this right: Jesus is from the Father, He alone has words of eternal life.

4. So Jesus prays, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me.

A. That name above all names, which means God is good, the Father has given to Jesus.

B. That is the new environment that these men live in.

1. They no longer live in the old environment of the world. They are no longer cut off from God, hating Him without a cause, hating one another, living in darkness, always at conflict, never at rest. They don’t live according to the lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. The devil is no longer running their lives.

2. Now they live in that love of God. Their sins are forgiven. They forgive one another. They get to live in the constant love of God which is not like broadband, here one minute, gone the next, sometimes a good signal, sometimes useless.

C. Jesus kept the disciples in the name of the Father. He kept them in goodness and love.

1. Did they lack for anything when Jesus was with them? Food was not a problem. They didn’t lack for any material need. He protected them from wild storms, from demons, from religious leaders who were criticising their every move. Jesus kept them in the name of the Father.

2. When they had conflicts with one another Jesus took the power and the fury away. The conflicts turned into non-issues. Who’s the greatest? Grant that these two sons of mine sit on Your right hand and Your left hand in Your kingdom. Jesus always humbled these men and away went the conflict because the conflict develops through pride.

C. The result is that these men may be one, even as the Father and the Son are one.

1. The Father and the Son have a fabulous unity of love. The Father shows the Son everything He is doing so the Son may do the same. The Father gives all authority to the Son that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father. Worship, glory, love, they share everything. They don’t fight for who is the greatest, they glorify each other.

2. Keep them through Your name. Keep them aware of Your goodness and Your love. Keep them aware of all that You are, in all Your glory and wonderfulness.

D. The reason for this is so the world can see the true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. In verse 18 Jesus says He is sending these men into the world as He was sent. The purpose is to testify to the truth about the Father and about Jesus Christ. You can look at these men’s lives and say, these guys are different. They are not like the rest of the world, hating and hating one another. They aren’t driven by lust for power and lust for things. They love one another. What they say with their mouths they prove with their lives. Jesus Christ is really risen from the dead.

5. If the Father doesn’t guard them in His name and keep them in His name, they might go outside His name. And the only other place for them to go outside His name is the world. Jesus does not want them going outside His name to the world.

A. Jesus says specifically He is not praying for the world. That’s kind of hard. Why isn’t Jesus praying for the world?

1. Because the world is outside the name of God. The world is not in relationship with God. There’s no relationship to maintain.

2. Because the world is temporary. God has already given His temporary blessings to the world. There are no eternal blessings for the world.

3. Because the world is under the condemnation of God. The Father is not going to repair the world. He will destroy the world. He is not blessing a world under condemnation.

B. So going back to the world really isn’t an option. It’s a dead end.

C. Do you see how important this prayer is? Don’t let them go back to that death and darkness! Keep them in Your name! Keep them in Your love, keep them close to You, keep them loving one another.

5. Then we have to ask the question, what happened to Judas?

A. Notice that Jesus says not one of them perished except the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

1. God knew in advance that Judas would betray Jesus. He wrote it into Scripture, Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

2. God’s foreknowledge did not make Judas betray Jesus. Jesus warned Judas, woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had not been born, Mark 14:21

B. So what happened to Judas? Why did he do what he did?

1. Judas was no different from the rest of the disciples outwardly. He travelled, ate, with them. He went on mission with them. He heard Jesus speak. He performed miracles with them. They never suspected him, never had a clue that he was different from them.

2. Judas was different inwardly, and we know why because of these scriptures. He did not receive the word of God like the others. He did not keep the word of God like the others. He never stopped being a thief. He broke the eighth commandment over and over and over. He did not truly understand that Jesus came forth from God. He did not believe that the Father sent Jesus. He was still in the world. He was still of the world.

3. Judas looked like he was doing God’s thing. But he was really doing his own thing. It was convenient for him to go along because Jesus was taking care of the disciples, they didn’t lack for anything. It was amazing being around Jesus. But the world was still in him, and he was still in the world.

6. So what?

A. You can see that your salvation is bigger than you are. You used to live under the domination of the devil. You were out doing your own thing and hating God. And then God did an amazing work. The Father gave you out of the world to Jesus. God is working in your life.

B. You’re in a whole new environment now, living in the Father’s love for you. Jesus is even now declaring to you the name of the Father so that you live in His love. You get to feed on God’s faithfulness.

C. That is, if you have received Jesus. If you haven’t received Jesus you are still in the world and still of the world.

1. That’s where your life is coming from. You might be squeaky clean on the outside just like Judas, going to church and wouldn’t kill a fly.

2. But God knows your heart. You are still living with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. You haven’t received the word of God. You do not believe that the Father sent Jesus and you haven’t received Jesus.

3. The end of the world is at hand. Turn from your own way and receive Jesus. Ask Him to save you, that you might be born again. You know if you have received Jesus or not. Make sure!

D. But for we who have received Jesus, there are always temptations to go back to the world. It was better then. It wasn’t so difficult. Maybe this pleasure or that pleasure would be all right.

E. What we need instead is to be kept in the Father’s name. What is going to satisfy our hearts is the love of God that is in Jesus Christ. Because everything in the world is temporary and cannot satisfy. Everyone who drinks of that water will thirst again. But the water that Jesus gives will become in you a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 4:14).

F. So we can pray, Father, keep me in Your name. I’m thirsty, I’m hungry. Please satisfy me with Yourself. Don’t let me go back to the world, back to darkness. Instead, prepare me for heaven. That’s where I belong, with You. Come to me now. Even though I live in this world make it heaven in my soul. Thank You in Jesus’ name, Amen.