The Gospel of John ~ Chapter 17, Part 9

Verses 24 – 26

The Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 9

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chapter 17 Outline:

Vs. 1-5, Christ Prays for Himself.

Vs. 6-19, Christ Prays for His Disciples.

Vs. 20-26, Christ Prays for His Church.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

http://gracedoctrine.org/the-gospel-of-john-chapter-17-part-9-verses-24-26/

Included in this study:

• Exegesis, Doctrines & Principles of Vs. 24–26.
• Good Gifts Given by Our Father.
• Principles of God the Father’s Love for His Son Jesus Christ
• Doctrine of God the Father as Righteous.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, (If You have - Trusted in Him for Eternal Life), it is important to prepare yourself to: Take-in God’s Word and/or Participate in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite, or acknowledge your sins privately, directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father & the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher.

1 John 1:9 says— “If we confess [simply name, cite, or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown & forgotten sins].”

For those of you who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior, please see: The Salvation Message @ the end of this document.

2 Pet 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vs. 20-26, Christ Prays for His Church.

We now move on to John 17:24.

John 17:24, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

The Greek reads: 

“πάτερ*, ὃ δέδωκάς μοι, θέλω ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ κἀκεῖνοι ὦσιν μετ’ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα θεωρῶσιν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἐμὴν, ἣν δέδωκάς μοι ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.”

Transliterated it reads: 

“PATER, HO DEDOKAS MOI, THELO HINA HOPOU EIMI EGO KAKEINOI HOSIN MET EMOU, HINA THEOROSIN TEN DOXAN TEN EMEN, HEN DEDOKAS MOI HOTI EGAPESAS ME PRO KATABOLES KOSMOU.”

We begin with “Father, whom You have given Me.” 

“PATER, HO DEDOKAS MOI.”

PATER is a Noun in the Vocative of Address, Masculine, Singular for “Father” once again.

HO is the Relative Pronominal Adjective HOS -  ὅς (hos) in the Accusative Neuter Singular that means, “who, which, what, etc.” We will say, “whom,” referring to the Church.

DEDOKAS is the Verb DIDOMI -  δίδωμι (did'-o-mee) in the Perfect, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular, that means, “give, grant, allow, etc.”

The Perfect Tense stands for completed past action where the results continue to the present. The believer has been given by the Father to His Son; see also verses 9 & 11.

The Active Voice in the Second Person Singular:  God the Father produced the action of giving us to His Son.

The Indicative Mood is the reality of the Church being a gift from the Father to His Son. We will say, “You have given.”

MOI is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I” in the Dative, First Person, Singular that means, “to Me.”  Jesus is the recipient of the Father’s gift of the Church.

So, we have, “Father, whom (Church Age Believers) You have given to Me.”

Principles:

This is now the 7^th and final verse in which our Lord has used the phrase “given to Me” (DEDOKAS MOI) in the Perfect, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular in this Great High Priestly prayer. As you may know, seven is the number of spiritual perfection. So, our Lord applied the phrase seven times for spiritual perfection in the Perfect Tense.

So, let’s see how our Lord speaks of spiritual perfection in this prayer culminating in Verse 24. As we review each one, keep in mind how it reflects on our spiritual life too, and the things we should be doing or have been done for us.

• In Verse 4, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given to Me in order that I do it.”

One being the number of unity, Jesus begins by recognizing His completed work according to the Plan of God the Father that includes the Cross, resurrection, ascension, and session, which demonstrates His unity with the Father and His Plan.

• In Verse 7, “Now (prophetic regarding Pentecost +), they have come to know, that all things whatsoever You (God the Father) have given (from eternity past) to Me are from (the immediate source of) You.”

Two the number of difference, and speaks here to Jesus’ incarnation, Jesus Christ in His humanity, and that all of Jesus’ physical and spiritual needs in His humanity were met by another, God the Father. This is the perfection of Logistical Grace blessings.

In Verse 9, “I keep on praying concerning them, I do not pray concerning the world, but concerning those whom You (God the Father) have given to Me, because they keep on being Yours.”

Three the number of Divine Completeness, and speaks here of the perfect and complete gift of the disciples to Jesus by God the Father according to His perfect Plan, along with the spiritually perfect process of intercessory prayer on their behalf.

• In Verse 11, “I am no longer in the world but they are in the world and I come to You Holy Father. Keep them in Your name, which You have given Me, in order that they might keep on being one just as We are.”

Four is the number of material completeness and creation, and here Jesus references the world in which He created, “I am no longer in the world as they are.” In addition, we have emphasis on the word “Name” which is ONOMA that also means, “authority” and is used for “title,” which signifies someone’s authority, character, or nature. Therefore, “name” stands for the perfect and complete power of God manifested in His person, (cf. 5:43; 10:25; 12:28; 17:6, 26). So, it refers to the perfect Essence of God the Father and signifies all that is protecting the believer in the world. We will see another tie-in to His “name” at the end.

• In Verse 12, “While I was with them, I Myself was continually keeping them in your name. You gave them to Me (in the past with the result that they belong to me forever); and I absolutely guarded them, and not one of them was lost, (to eternal condemnation), except the son of destruction.”

Five is the number of Grace, and here Jesus refers to His part of completing the Plan of perfectly protecting the disciples. We see the grace of God in that “not one of them perished, but the son of perdition.” In grace God provides for salvation and in grace He allows our free will, which Judas used to reject the Messiah. Jesus kept the believing disciples spiritually perfect and complete by His Word.

• In Verse 22, “And the glory which You (God the Father) have given to Me (Jesus Christ) I have given to them (the Church), in order that they may keep on being one just as We are one.”

Six is the number of man, and here Jesus is giving His glory to members of the human race (believers), which results in unity. So, we see the result of spiritual perfection in man, they receive the glory of Jesus Christ.

• In Verse 24, “Father, whom you have given to Me, I desire that where I am they (the Church) may be with Me, so that they would keep on beholding (with understanding) My glory which You have given to Me because You loved Me before the foundation (creation) of the world.”

Seven is the number of Spiritual Perfection, and this verse completes the spiritual journey of Christ on behalf of mankind. In the seventh usage of “given to Me,” our Lord is petitioning for the spiritual perfection of believers in that they are resurrected and in heaven where Christ is. And remember that the Father always answered the prayers of His Son.

Notice also that there are two uses of DEDOSKAS MOI in Verse 24. Two, being the number of division, shows in this verse that we must be separated from the world and our sin nature in order to see Christ’s glory in heaven.

This also means we have an eighth usage of DEDOKAS MOI. And do you know what the number eight means?

In the Hebrew the number eight is SHEMONEH (sh’moneh) from the root word SHAMEN (shah’meyn) that means, “to make fat,” “cover with fat,” or “to super-abound.” As a participle, it means, “one who abounds in strength.” As a noun, it means, “superabundant things.” Therefore, it is the “superabundant” number.

As seven means spiritually complete, spiritual perfection, eight means over and above this perfect spiritual completion and is the first in a new series, as well as being the eighth. For example, where Scripture ties together seven and eight:

• In John 17, we have a similar accounting as in Isa 5:1-2 where there are eight sentences describing the vineyard but seven give the characteristics and one the result. Compared to John 17, Jesus tells of seven characteristics of the Father’s gifts and the last is the result, “Seeing His glory.”

• In Col 3:12-14, there are seven “graces,” but in Verse 14, over all theses there is “love,” which is the “perfect bond of unity,” the major theme of our Lord’s prayer here in John 17.

• In addition, Jesus was on a mountain eight times, seven before the Cross and one after He rose from the dead in glory.

Therefore, we see another analogy of the number eight. It is associated with resurrection and regeneration and the beginning of a new era, especially when it stands alone. For example:

• It was Noah, the eighth person, 2 Peter 2:5, who stepped out on to a new earth, and eight passed through the flood with him to the new or regenerated world.

2 Peter 2:5, “And did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.”

• Christ rose on the first day of the week, eighth day, and the Bible records eight individual resurrections.

• The Transfiguration took place on the eighth day after the first announcement of Christ’s “sufferings” and it was the showing forth of His “glory,” Luke 9:28.

Also, as I mentioned under verse 11 above, we note that eight is the number of Jesus’ name, IESOUS. It is also a multiple in His other names as well including, CHRISTOS, KURIOS, SOTER (Savior), EMMANOUEL (Emmanuel), MESSIAS, and HUIOS (son).

So, in John 17:24, we see Glory, Grace, and Resurrection all tied together that brings home the overall theme of this chapter regarding God’s love which is the perfect bond of unity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 Good Gifts Given by Our Father

In John 17, we have the phrase, “you have given to me” in seven verses with eight usages, (twice used in verse 24).

Seven is the number for Spiritual Perfection. Eight is the number of Superabundance, and is related to resurrection, regeneration, and new beginnings.

Here we see Seven and Eight combined regarding the gifts given in John 17. Therefore, we have a picture of Super-Abounding Spiritual Perfection.

So, in these seven verses, we see that we have been given Superabundant gifts by God the Father to bring about our Spiritual Perfection through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Eph 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.”

• Vs 4, “Having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”
• Vs 7, “Everything You have given to Me is from You.”
• Vs 9, “Ask on behalf of those You have given to Me.”
• Vs 11, “Keep them in Your name which You have given to Me.”
• Vs 12, “I was keeping them in Your name which You have given to Me.”
• Vs 22, “The glory which You have given to Me I have given to them.”
• Vs 24a, “They whom You have given to Me be with Me.”
• Vs 24b, “They may see My glory which You have given to Me.”

These gifts have been given so that we can fulfill the Plan of God for our lives.

• The perfect provision of God’s Plan for our Salvation.
• The perfect provision of our Logistical Grace blessings.
• The perfect provision of prayer to the Father.
• The perfect protection of God the Father by His Essence.
• The perfect protection of God the Son by His Word.
• The perfection of Glorification, being made holy.
• The perfect provision of Eternal security.
• The perfect provision of a Resurrection body and life.

All combined we have the superabundance of the unique spiritual life given to us (believers) by God the Father.

2 Cor 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.”

James 1:17, “Every good gift given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Mat 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

The Gift of God’s Plan for our Salvation:

Eph 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Because we have received the Gift of the Lord Jesus Christ (TLJC), we are able to receive further gifts from God to fulfill His plan for our lives.

The Gift of Logistical Grace Blessings:

2 Cor 9:9-11, “As it is written, “He scattered abroad, he gave to the poor, His righteousness endures forever.” ¹⁰Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

The Gift of Prayer to the Father:

John 16:26-27, “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; ²⁷for the Father Himself loves you….”

Luke 11:11-13, “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? ¹²“Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? ¹³“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Rom 8:26-27, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Gift of Protection by the Essence of God the Father:

1 Peter 1:3 & 5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused (given to) us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… ⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

The Gift of Protection by God the Son by His Word:

Rev 3:10, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep (TEREO) you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The Gift of Glorification, Being Made Holy:

Rom 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

The Gift of Eternal Security:

Eph 1:13-14, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message (Word) of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

The Gift of a Resurrection Body and Life:

Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Cor 15:38 & 57, “But God gives it a (Resurrection) body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. … ⁵⁷but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 1:3-9 summarizes many of these gifts.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now that we have seen the first part of John 17:24, “Father, whom, (Church Age believers), You have given to Me,” and the outline of the phrase, “You have given to Me” in John 17, we now get back to the rest of the verse.

Next, we have, “I desire that they also be with Me where I am,” 

“THELO HINA HOPOU EIMI EGO KAKEINOI HOSIN MET EMOU”

THELO is a Verb in the Present, Active, Indicative, First Person, Singular that means, “to wish, want, or desire.” Jesus is the One who keeps on desiring that all believers of the Church Age be with Him in His eternal abode. We will say, “I desire.”

HINA is the Conjunction “that,” which complements THELO and tells us of the desire of Jesus in the following clause. Jesus is continuing His petition prayer to the Father regarding the Church.

HOPOU is a Subordinating Conjunction use of the Adverb that means, “where.”

EIMI is the Verb, “to exist, to be, are, is, etc.” in the Present, Active, Indicative, First Person, Singular that means, “I am.” Jesus is requesting that the Church be where He will be in a few short days from the time of praying. Again, He is using Present Tense structure for Future events, indicating the eternal present viewpoint of His prayer as part of God’s Divine Decree. We will say, “am,” where Jesus is referring to His Session in the heavenly abode.

EGO is a Pronoun in the Nominative, First Person, Singular meaning, “I or me.” Jesus is referring to Himself being in heaven.

KAKEINOI is the Demonstrative Pronominal Adjective KAKEINOS - κἀκεῖνος (kak-i'-nos), “that one,” in the Subject Nominative, Masculine, Plural; so, we say, “they,” referring to the Church, body of Christ.

HOSIN is the Verb EIMI - εἰμί (i-mee'), “exist, be, etc.” in the Present, Active, Subjunctive, Third Person, Plural.

The Present Tense is once again a Future Present.

The Active Voice is the Church producing the action of being in a place (heaven).

The Subjunctive Mood is for the entreaty / petition of Jesus to the Father for the Church to be in heaven where Jesus is. We will say, simply “may be.”

MET is the Preposition META – μετά (met-ah') in the Genitive Case meaning, “with” or “in the presence” or “company of.”

EMOU is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I, Me,” in the Genitive, First Person, Singular, so we could say, “of Me or My.”

So, we have, “Father, whom you have given to Me, I desire that where I am they (the Church) may be with Me.”

Principles:

• This is the same corporate group referred to in John 17:2; it includes all the ones who have received and will receive the gift of eternal life, that is, all believers of the Church Age. This corporate whole then is the universal church, the one Body of Christ.

• The Lord requests that each one of the corporate whole may be with Him where He is—i.e., in glory, in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father (His Session).

• This is the prayer regarding our Lord’s promise to the disciples in John 14:2-3, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

• The “Session” is that doctrine of Christology pertaining to the glorification of our Lord’s humanity seated at the right hand of the Father.

• Forty Days after our Lord’s Resurrection, He ascend into heaven. Upon arrival in the third heaven, our Lord was seated at the right hand of God the Father. At that time, He received His third royal patent and the title, “King of kings, Lord of lords, the Bright morning star.”

• Because His third royal warrant had no accompanying royal family, the Church Age was inserted for the calling out of a Royal Family. The dispensation of Israel was interrupted seven years short of its completion. Then the omnipotence of the Father and of the Spirit was made available to all believers on the day of Pentecost and the Royal Family began with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the first day of the Church Age.

• The chronology of events was: 1) Resurrection, 2) Forty days on the earth, 3) Ascension ten days before the Church Age began, and 4) Seated at the right hand of the Father. (We know the number of days exactly, because the resurrection occurred on the Feast of the First Fruits and the Feast of Pentecost would occur fifty days later.)

• Though coequal and coeternal with God, it was the true humanity of Christ that was seated at the right hand of the Father.

• His Session fulfilled the prophecy of Psa 110:1, “The Lord (God the Father) said to my Lord (God the Son), “sit down at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”.”  Jesus Christ had to be seated to resolve the Angelic Conflict. Remember that His Deity is omnipresent, everywhere, imminent, and transcendent; it was His humanity that was seated at the right hand of the Father.

• This prophecy is quoted a number of times in the New Testament, Mat 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:33-35; Heb 1:13; 2:7-8; 10:12-13; 1 Peter 3:22. It is quoted so often because it is very important. The humanity of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union is now exalted and glorified at the right hand of the Father where His posture is one of being seated.

Acts 2:33, “Therefore, (Jesus Christ) having been exalted to the right hand of God.”

Acts 5:31, “He is the One whom God has exalted at His right hand as Prince and Savior.”

Phil 2:9, “Therefore also, God has highly exalted Him and given Him a title which is above every title, that at the title of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father.”

Heb 1:3, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His (God the Father’s) nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Heb 2:7-8, “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands; ⁸You have put all things in subjection under his feet”.”

Heb 10:12, “But this one, (Jesus Christ in contrast to the Old Testament sacrifices), when He had offered one unique sacrifice as a substitute for our sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (To indicate the efficacy of His sacrifice, our Lord sat down at the right hand of God.)

1 Peter 3:22, “Who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.”

• Someday, in our resurrection body, we will share that same privilege experientially. Being in union with Christ, we are already positionally higher than angels. But in resurrection bodies, we will be experientially and physically higher than angels, 1 Cor 6:3.

1 Cor 6:3, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?”

• The Session related to the importance of the Church Age is found in Eph 1:18-23.

• His session related to our Priesthood is noted in Heb 8:1, “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”

Our Lord’s priesthood is patterned after a royal priesthood, that of Melchizedek, Gen 14:18; Psa 110:4 cf. Heb 5:6, 10; Hebrews Chapter 7. Melchizedek was both a king and a priest. Our Lord is the King‑Priest, as a result of His resurrection, ascension, and session.

Because you are in union with Christ, you are a king-priest with all its privileges. This means you can directly address God the Father in prayer through Jesus Christ, because He is the greatest High Priest in all of history. He is a Royal High Priest or King Priest.

• The Session of Jesus Christ demands a new mental attitude of the Royal Family.

Col 3:1‑3, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, (and you have in baptism of the Spirit and current positional truth), keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

To “possess the things above” requires the utilization of Divine power inside God’s Power System (GPS), which requires cognition of Bible doctrine, which requires right priorities; doctrine must be first in your life.

The desire to possess your very own escrow blessings motivates you to execute the Plan of God for your life. This motivation results in consistent post-salvation renewing of your mind with the daily perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.

Objective thinking about the “things above” includes cognition of your Portfolio of your Invisible Assets, understanding the plan of God in detail, perception of the unique things related to the great power experiment of the Church Age, especially the Eleven Problem Solving Devices.

The royal family’s mental attitude is to think doctrine, not good and evil. We should have a very strong, positive mental attitude no matter what our circumstances or pressures.

• The Session and Spiritual Self‑Esteem is noted in Heb 12:2‑3, “Let us fix our eyes (concentrate) on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who has endured such opposition by sinners against himself, so that you do not grow weary and faint in your souls.”

Next, we have, “so that they may see My glory which You have given Me,” 

“HINA THEOROSIN TEN DOXAN TEN EMEN, HEN DEDOKAS MOI.”

Here we have the second usage of the phrase we noted in John 17, “You have given to Me.” It is related to the petition, “they, (Church Age believers), may see my glory.” It begins with:

HINA is a Subordinating Conjunction and linked with the Subjunctive of THEOREO below establishes a Result Clause. We translate this, “so that.” This is the result Jesus desires for the Church Age believer.

THEOROSIN is the Verb THEOREO – θεωρέω (theh-o-reh'-o) in the Present, Active, Subjunctive, Third Person, Plural. This word does not just mean to “look at.” BLEPO or sometimes HORAO would be the word used if that were the intention here. Its basic meaning is, “to be a spectator, look at, behold, perceive, and to observe with interest and attention.”

BDAG defines it usage here as, “to come to the understanding of something, and specifically, “of the spiritual perception of the One sent by God (Jesus Christ), which is possible only to the believer.” Therefore, THEOREO means more than just to look at something. It means, “to observe it, understand it, perceive it, etc.”

This is Jesus’ second desire and petition of this passage. Here He desires that the believers of the Church Age “see” Him as He truly is in all His Deified glory, coupled with the glory He has received in His humanity in resurrection form, as a result of being seated at the right hand of the Father.

Only believers will be able to see this glory of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ, when we too receive our interim heavenly body and our final resurrection body in the eternal abode of heaven.

In the Present, Active, Subjunctive we will translate this, “they would keep on beholding with understanding.”

TEN DOXAN is the Article HO - ὁ (ho), “the,” plus the Noun DOXA – δόξα (dox'-ah), “glory,” in the Accusative, Feminine, Singular.

TEN EMEN, is the Article HO “the” once again, plus the Possessive Adjective EMOS - ἐμός (em-os'), “My or Mine,” in the Direct Object Accusative, Feminine, First Person, Singular. Combined with DOXA we will say, “My Glory.”

The Glory of Jesus Christ in hypostatic union is what we will observe and understand in the eternal state.

HEN is the Relative Pronominal Adjective HOS - ὅς (hos) in the Accusative, Feminine, Singular here meaning, “which.”

DEDOKAS is the Verb DIDOMI – δίδωμι (did'-o-mee) in the Perfect, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular, that means, “give, grant, allow, etc.”

In the Perfect Tense we have the reality of the completed past action of God the Father glorifying His Son from Eternity Past, because of the Father’s Omniscience of Jesus completing the Father’s Plan of Incarnation, where the results continue forever. We will say again, “You have given.”

MOI is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I” in the Dative, First Person, Singular that means, “to Me.” Jesus is the recipient of the Father’s gift of eternal glory that Jesus then has given to the believer of the Church Age.

So, we have, “So that they would keep on beholding (with understanding) My glory which You have given to Me…”

Principles:

• As we noted in Verse 22, there are three kinds of glory which are found in these passages. First of all, there is Phase One glory at salvation; the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Then there is Phase Two glory; the building of your Edification Complex of the Soul (ECS). And finally, there is Phase Three glory; the resurrection body, which Jesus received three days after His death on the Cross and we will receive at the Rapture of the Church in ultimate sanctification, 1 Cor 15:20-57; 1 Thes 4:13-17.

The Glory that Jesus referred to in Verse 22 was Phase One glory based on the Baptism of God the Holy Spirit which gives us unity with the Father and Son, and Phase Two glory which is the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit, the Grace Apparatus for Perception (GAP) which provides the Edification Complex of the Soul (ECS).

• Verse 24 emphasizes Phase Three glory in resurrection bodies. The glory Jesus Christ received noted in Verse 24 is the result of His strategic victory of the Angelic Conflict, Luke 24:26; John 12:20-24, 28; 13:31-32; Heb 2:10; 1 Peter 1:10-11.

Luke 24:26, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”

John 12:20-24, “And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’.”

1 Peter 1:10-11, “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, ¹¹seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”

The Humanity of Jesus Christ is glorified, because He fulfilled the Father’s Plan of Salvation. Jesus is God’s sacrifice for the sins of the world. He “purged our sins” by His death on the Cross. Now He is seated in glory, as God’s King-Priest. His work on earth is completed and He has sat down, Heb 1:3-4.

Heb 1:3-4, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

• As a result, Heb 2:10 tells us, “To have led to glory many sons.”  God brings many sons to glory by having judged our sins in Jesus Christ while on the Cross, so that when we believe in Christ, we are entered into an eternal relationship with His glory.

When we believe in Christ, we receive the imputation of God’s perfect righteousness and are made holy, which is the potential for blessing from the integrity of God. This is what Jesus meant in John 17:22, “I have given to them the glory which You have given to Me,” referencing the glory we will receive in resurrection body.

• Ultimately, God the Father is the source of our Lord’s glorification and the Father is glorified as a result of the Son’s glorification, just as the Son is glorified in the Father’s glorification, John 13:31-32.

John 13:31-32, “Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; ³²if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.”

“Immediately,” means that God the Father will raise His Son to eternal glory so that the Son will not see corruption or decay, Psa 16:10; 49:9; Acts 2:27, 31; 13:34-37.

The Father then seated Jesus Christ in hypostatic union at His right hand in glory for all of eternity, Eph 1:20.

Eph 1:20, “Which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

• Jesus’ glorification speaks of the unity of “being” between the Father and Son, cf. John 17:5, “glorify Me together with Yourself.”

• 1 Tim 3:16, “Christ taken up into the place of glory;” this refers to the third heaven, the location of the integrity of God, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God in glory and is what we call Phase Three glory, our resurrection.

• The Royal Family is called to eternal glory since Christ is seated in the place of glory. The formation of the Royal Family comes under the phrase, “being called to eternal glory, in 1 Peter 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3. This is the status of the Royal Family being called into eternal relationship with the integrity of God. Cf. Mat 19:28.

Mat 19:28, “And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This of course refers to the 12 Apostles including Paul.

• Our resurrection bodies are described in terms of glory, 1 Cor 15:43. Our resurrection body is raised in glory, because we are in the status quo of everlasting life. We will live forever in a state of glory, and will be able to fully observe and comprehend the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as well as our own glory.

In 2 Thes 2:14, “the attainment of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” refers to having a resurrection body exactly like His. In like bodies, we will be able to have a face to face relationship with our Lord in all of His glory, 1 Cor 13:12, having a complete understanding of His glory.

His Resurrection Destiny, by Oswald Chambers, “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26).

“Our Lord’s Cross is the gateway into His life. His resurrection means that He has the power to convey His life to me. When I was born again, I received the very life of the risen Lord from Jesus Himself.

Christ’s resurrection destiny—His foreordained purpose—was to bring “many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10). The fulfilling of His destiny gives Him the right to make us sons and daughters of God. We never have exactly the same relationship to God that the Son of God has, but we are brought by the Son into the relation of sonship. When our Lord rose from the dead, He rose to an absolutely new life—a life He had never lived before He was God Incarnate. He rose to a life that had never been before. And what His resurrection means for us is that we are raised to His risen life, not to our old life. One day we will have a body like His glorious body, but we can know here and now the power and effectiveness of His resurrection and can “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Paul’s determined purpose was to “know Him and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).”

Finally, we have, “For You loved Me before the foundation of the world,” 

“HOTI EGAPESAS ME PRO KATABOLES KOSMOU.”

HOTI Subordinating Conjunction establishing a Causal Clause, so we say, “because.”

EGAPESAS is the Verb AGAPAO - ἀγαπάω (ag-ap-ah'-o) in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular.

The Aorist Tense views the entirety of God’s Love for His Son, both as God and as Man.

The Active Voice in the Second Person, Singular:  God the Father performs the action of loving His Son.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the Father’s Impersonal and Unconditional love for His Son. We will say, “You loved.”

ME is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I, Me,” in the Direct Object Accusative, First Person, Singular. Jesus is the object of the Father’s love.

PRO is a Temporal (of time) use of the Preposition in the Genitive meaning, “before.”

KATABOLES is the Noun KATABOLE – καταβολή (kat-ab-ol-ay') in the Genitive, Feminine, Singular that means, “laying down, foundation, beginning, depositing of a seed, etc.” It is used to indicate the creation of planet earth.

KOSMOU is the Noun KOSMOS – κόσμος (kos'-mos) in the Genitive, Masculine, Singular that means, “world.” Here, it is used in its literal meaning of planet earth. We will say, “of the world.”

“Foundation of the world” is found eight other times in Scripture, making it nine in all where we have KATABOLE KOSMOU, (Mat 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24; Eph 1:4; Heb 4:3; 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20; Rev 13:8; 17:8). Utilizing the numerology of the number nine, which means “Divine judgment and the finality or conclusion of the whole matter so far as man is concerned,” (Number in Scripture, E.W. Bullinger, pg.242), you see an interesting progression of the usage of the phrase, from eternal salvation for those who believe in Christ to eternal condemnation for those who do not believe in Christ, and the provision of salvation in between, which here includes the love of God the Father for His Son in regards to the Son completing the Father’s Plan of Salvation for the entire world.

In addition, this phrase also tells us of the same pre-incarnate consciousness of Christ as also seen in John 17:5.

1 Peter 1:20, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.”

This is another of the numerous passages which prove that the Lord Jesus existed before the creation of the world. It is not possible to explain it on any other supposition. Therefore, it is a further assertion of Christ’s preexistence, and the preexisting love the Father has had for His Son.

So, we have, “Because You loved Me before the foundation (creation) of the world.”

Jesus’ recognition of the Father’s love for Himself is continued in John 17:26, “And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Principles of God the Father’s Love for His Son Jesus Christ

John 17:26 shows that one of the binding powers of unity in the Triune God is love, because love belongs eternally and coequally to each member of the Trinity.

Love is a part of the essence or being of God, 1 John 4:8, 16, “God is Love.” All three members of the Trinity have coequal and co-eternal sovereignty, absolute righteousness, justice, eternal life, love, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability, and veracity.

The love of God has always existed. There never was a time when it did not exist. Divine love is the same yesterday, today, and forever, Heb 13:8. That is one reason why Jesus can say, “You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

God’s love has always been perfect and eternal in its capacity. The capacity of God’s love is infinite and eternal. Since God is truth and doctrine, He has perfect capacity for His love at all times.

God’s love is incorruptible, unchanging, infinite, immutable, and virtuous, meaning He has perfect capacity for love with no compromise of that love. His infinite integrity and His eternal virtue is His own unchanging self which produces a constant capacity for love. Therefore, God gives of Himself whether there is an occasion or not.

In Divine Impersonal Love, the virtue of the subject is emphasized and it places all merit on the subject.  God is the subject in His Impersonal Love. Therefore, God’s impersonal love depends on who and what God is.

In our passage AGAPAO love is used, which emphasizes the love God the Father has for His Son. Even though in this case, Jesus Christ is 100% loveable, Jesus is emphasizing the integrity of the Father in the Father’s expression of love towards His Son.

Never-the-less God also has Personal Love where the emphasis is placed on the object of love, in this case Jesus Christ.

• Personal love from God demands that the object of that love be perfect.

• Personal love demands integrity on the part of the object.

• God’s personal love cannot be directed toward anything less than perfect eternal righteousness or anyone not having perfect eternal righteousness.

• The object of God’s infinite, eternal, unchangeable, personal love must always be absolute perfection.

Each person of the Trinity has Spiritual Self-Esteem directed toward His own perfect righteousness, and each person of the Trinity has perfect love directed toward the perfect righteousness of the other two members of the Trinity. This is God’s personal love for God. As such, God the Father loves the perfect Divine righteousness of God the Son. Therefore, God the Father has personally loved God the Son from “before the foundation of the world.”

God the Father, based on His Divine Decree, can also personally love the humanity of Jesus Christ, knowing from eternity past that Jesus would complete the Father’s plan for salvation. As a result, because Jesus had no sin of His own and was 100% obedient to the Plan and will of God the Father, the Father also personally loves the humanity of Jesus Christ because of His perfect righteousness from “before the “foundation of the world.”

John 10:14-15, 17, “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep…. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves (AGAPAO) Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.”

John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

God the Father has a special love for Jesus because of His sacrificial obedience to the will of God.

Divine love is also God’s motivation. It is God’s motivation for blessing Jesus Christ for completing His work upon the Cross. Therefore, the Father was motivated by love and able through Divine integrity to raise Jesus from the grave in resurrection body, and seated Him at His right hand in eternal glory.

John’s Gospel is especially rich in this theme. Twice we are told that the Father loves the Son, once with the verb AGAPAO (3:35), and once with PHILEO (5:20).

John 3:35, “The Father loves (AGAPAO) the Son and has given all things into His hand.”

John 5:20, “For the Father loves (PHILEO) the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.”

The love of the Father for the Son, and the love of the Son for the Father are expressed in a relationship of perfection, untarnished by sin.

John 15:9, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.”

Our complete translation of John 17:24 is, “Father, whom you have given to Me, I desire that where I am they (the Church) may be with Me, so that they would keep on beholding (with understanding) My glory which You have given to Me because You loved Me before the foundation (creation) of the world.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next in John 17:25 it reads, “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.”

The Greek reads: 

“Πάτερ δίκαιε, καὶ ὁ κόσμος σε οὐκ ἔγνω, ἐγὼ δέ σε ἔγνων, καὶ οὗτοι ἔγνωσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας·”

Transliterated it reads: 

“PATER DIKAIE, KAI HO KOSMOS SE OUK EGNO, EGO DE SE EGNON, KAI OUTOI EGNOSAN HOTI SU ME APESTEILAS.”

We begin with, “O righteous Father,” which is PATER DIKAIE in the Greek.

PATER is the Noun for “Father” in the Vocative, Masculine, Singular, referring to God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. In the Greek, the root word in the Nominative Case is πατήρ, where in our verse it is Πάτερ in the Vocative. The difference is the accent mark and the ending “e” which in English is translated the same, but in Greek, it is the “Eta,” (sounds like our “a” as in obey), and “Epsilon,” (a short “e” sound as in met), respectfully.

DIKAIE is the Adjective DIKAIOS - δίκαιος (dik'-ah-yos) also in the Vocative, Masculine, Singular. It comes from the root word DIKE – δίκη (dee'-kay) that means, “right (as self-evident) or justice (the principle, a decision or its execution).”

With early writers, such as Homer, DIKAIOS was used of persons for, “observant of custom and social rule, well-ordered, civilized, observant of right, righteous,” and of actions, in accordance with right, righteous.”

DIKAIOS then comes to means, “upright, righteous, good, just, right, correct, proper, fair, honest; innocent.”

BDAG defines its use here as, “just, fair, and righteous,” in relation to who and what God the Father is.  In fact, from this word, we get both English words “righteous and just” in regard to actions and decisions.

The Vocative is the case of address; Jesus is praying to the Father, as we have seen, but more importantly, it is calling attention to the Father in a unique way by calling Him “the Just or Righteous Father!”

In Verse 11, Jesus addressed the Father as “Holy Father.” Now when He mentions the world, ripe for judgment, He prays “Righteous Father!” The utilization of “Righteous Father” calls our attention to and praises the integrity of the Father for His Plan and Provision for the salvation of mankind and His Grace Policy, allowing them to choose or reject that Plan. Whereas in John 17:11, “Holy Father” was calling on the character and nature of God the Father to provide protection for the believer who is in the world from Satan’s Cosmic System.

So, DIKAIOS here means, “absolute righteousness,” and it indicates that God is perfect, and therefore His Plan is perfect, as well as His judgments.

From DIKAIOS we also get:

DIKAIOSUNE that means, “Righteousness or justice.”

DIKAIOO that means, “To show to be righteous or declare righteous.”

Compare with Rom 3:21-26; 1 John 1:9; 2:29.

Rom 3:21-26, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE) of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²²even the righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE) of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴being justified (DIKAIOO) as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; ²⁵whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE), because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; ²⁶ for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE) at the present time, so that He would be just (DIKAIOS) and the justifier (DIKAIOO) of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous (DIKAIOS) to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 2:29, “If you know that He is righteous (DIKAIOS), you know that everyone also who practices righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE) is born of Him.”

Jesus is also called “the righteous one” in Mat 27:19; Acts 7:52; 22:14; 1 John 2:1; 3:7b.

Luke 23:47, “Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent (DIKAIOS).”

Acts 22:14, “And he (Paul) said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.”

1 John 3:7, “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness (DIKAIOSUNE) is righteous (DIKAIOS), just as He (Jesus) is righteous (DIKAIOS).”

Back in John 17:11 under the topic of “Holy Father,” we studied the Essence and Attributes of God, including His Righteousness and Justice. Therefore, we will not study them in detail again here. Instead, we will note some new principles and review others previously studied regarding of His Righteousness and Justice.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Doctrine of God the Father as Righteous

Though it is related to God’s holiness and justice, righteousness is a distinct attribute of God. Holiness relates to God’s separateness (sanctification) and righ­teousness to His justice. Since God’s Righteousness works so closely together with His Justice and Holiness, we must understand His righteousness in order to understand God.

Righteous means that God the Father is perfect goodness, sinless in character, and person. His attitudes and actions conform to the flawless standard of His own nature. God the Father is absolute righteousness (R+), and Holiness means His absolute Righteousness and Justice combined, Psa 145:17

Psa 145:17, “The LORD is righteous (TSADDIQ from TSEDEQ) in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.”

There are three major characteristics of the attributes of God. The attributes of God are:

• Eternal - Always have and always will exist.
• Functional - Ever operating and applicable in all that God does or thinks.
• Directional – Always pointed towards an object.

God has Absolute Attributes which include: Spirituality, Infinity, and Perfection.

He also has Relative Attributes made up of three categories:

• Those related to time and space - Eternity and Immensity.
• Those related to creation - Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence.
• Those related to moral beings - Veracity and Faithfulness, Mercy and Goodness, and Righteousness and Justice.

The Justice and Righteousness of God the Father.

• There are two categories under Divine integrity; justice and righteousness. Divine integrity is composed of two separate and distinct assets which are totally related, i.e., God’s justice and God’s righteousness. This is His infinite integrity acting toward others in perfection.

• What the righteousness of God demands, His justice satisfies. What His justice demands, His righteousness satisfies.

• Perfect righteousness is the principle of Divine integrity, while justice is the function of Divine integrity. Divine righteousness gives the orders which justice carries out.

• In perfect righteousness the Divine love for integrity is revealed. In perfect righteousness Divine love exists, but in justice Divine love is expressed.

• In the function of the Essence of God, Divine perfect righteousness and justice always precede Divine love. God cannot love personally (PHILEO) that which is not perfect.

• God the Father’s righteousness is the guardian of His justice. Justice guards the rest of the essence of God.

God the Father is absolute good. This is not goody-good, not legalistic good, not distorted good from the Old Sin Nature, whereby man tries to impress God and people with how good he is. Absolute good is perfect righteousness, Psa 25:8; 34:8; 86:5; 119:68; Luke 18:19.

God the Father is perfect, both in His person and in His character which comprises His righteousness, Deut 32:4; Psa 7:9; 11:7; 97:6; 119:137; Jer 23:6; John 17:25; Rom 1:17; 10:3; 1 John 2:29. As perfect and absolute righteousness, God rejects all relative standards of righteousness, and therefore all human standards of righteousness, with the one exception of human compliance with the Laws of Divine Establishment, Isa 64:6.

God is totally free from sin. He has never sinned. He cannot tempt or solicit to sin, James 1:13. He cannot in any way be involved in sin except to judge it. This is why Jesus Christ had to become perfect humanity to be judged for sin as our substitute. In His deity, He could have nothing to do with sin except to judge it.

James 1:13, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

God the Father is our supreme judge. The righteousness of the Father demands decisions. His justice administers them, Gen 18:25; 1 Kings 8:31-32; Psa 7:11; 47:8; Heb 12:23.

Gen 18:25, “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

Psa 7:11a, “God is a righteous judge.”

Heb 12:23, “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous (DIKAIOS) made perfect.”

God the Father is fair; it is impossible for God to be unfair. Therefore, justice administers the penalty which perfect righteousness demands. Perfect righteousness and justice always go together, 2 Chr 19:7; Job 37:23; Psa 19:9; 50:6; 58:11; 89:14; Isa 45:21; Rom 3:26; 12:3; Heb 10:30-31.

As noted in John 17:11, God the Father is Holy, which is made up of His righteousness and justice, Lev 19:2; 1 Sam 2:2; Psa 22:3; Rev 3:7; 4:8; 6:10.

In grace, God provided through salvation all that His love desires and His righteousness and justice demand. The issue in salvation is Divine justice accepted or rejected.

• You get Divine justice sooner or later. You get it sooner by believing in Christ. You get it later by the Lake of Fire.

• Sin is not the issue in salvation, justice is. Because of propitiation, God the Father is now free to pardon and justify sinful humanity who appropriates the saving grace of God by faith in Christ. God is free to save those who believe because of His justice.

• The basis for the unbeliever’s indictment at the Last Judgment is evil and human good, not sin, Rev 20:12-15. 

Divine righteousness and justice is mankind’s point of reference with God. Although it is true that God loves us, God’s love is not our point of reference. God can do nothing for mankind that would compromise any of His Divine attributes.

The Father’s Righteousness is the principle of Divine integrity, while justice is the function of Divine integrity.

The source of all blessing, discipline, testing, and punishment is the integrity of God the Father. This is what we call the Grace Pipeline: His Love, Righteousness, and Justice working together to bless or discipline the believer, or in judging the unbeliever.

Man’s self‑righteousness, sinfulness, good deeds, or morality cannot influence the integrity of God. They do not bring blessing. The integrity of God gains nothing from the function of any creature. On the contrary, creatures gain from the integrity of God.

The imputation of Divine righteousness the believer receives at the moment of salvation is the potential for further blessings in time and eternity, Rom 3:21ff; 2 Cor 5:21.

2 Cor 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

• Bible doctrine perceived through GAP is the capacity for that blessing, and cracking the maturity barrier is the reality of that blessing.

Mat 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom [salvation] and His righteousness; then all these things shall be provided for you.”

• God is not compromised when He blesses us, because grace is the policy of blessing. Because righteousness demands righteousness, God cannot save anyone on the basis of emotion or because He feels sorry for them. This would make Christ’s work non-efficacious. Therefore, blessing from God the Father has security and capacity.

The correct application of the Essence of God rationale is that all help, all blessing comes from the justice of God to the righteousness of God in us. Our help comes from the imputation of blessing from the justice of God to His indwelling righteousness.

Psa 35:24, “Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness.”

In summary, the utilization of “Righteous (DIKAIOS) Father” here in John 17:25 calls our attention to and praises the integrity (righteousness and justice) of God the Father for His Plan and provision for the salvation of mankind, and His grace policy allowing them to choose or reject that Plan.

Whereas, in John 17:11, “Holy Father” was calling on the character and nature of God the Father to provide protection for the believer who is in the world from Satan’s Cosmic System.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next, we have, “although the world has not known You,” 

KAI HO KOSMOS SE OUK EGNO.”

KAI is the Conjunction that means, “and, even, also, etc.” But many times, it just marks the beginning of a sentence or statement and goes untranslated as it will here.

HO KOSMOS is the Article for “the” plus the Noun in the Subject Nominative, Masculine, Singular meaning, “world.” Here, it represents unbelievers of planet earth who are a part of Satan’s Cosmic System.

SE is the Pronoun SU – σύ (soo), “You,” in the Direct Object, Accusative, Second Person, Singular; referring to God the Father as the object which is not known by the world of unbelievers.

OUK is the Greek negative for, “not, does not, etc.”

EGNO is the Verb GINOSKO - γινώσκω in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, Third Person, Singular that means, “to know, to come to know, recognize, or perceive.” It means to have learned something by careful observation and study. This is what the “world” of unbelievers have not done. If they had, then by the Common Grace ministry of God the Holy Spirit, they would come to an understanding of the Father and His plan of salvation that then leads to believing in that plan, which was accomplished through the person of Jesus Christ. It is a disastrous thing to not come to know God the Father.

The Constative Aorist Tense is for simple past tense and views the entirety of the action as a whole in regard to the world not knowing who God the Father is, because they do not know who Jesus Christ is.

The Active Voice, 3^rd Person, Singular refers to the world of unbelievers collectively as one (“it”) producing this action of not understanding who God the Father is, which is tantamount to unbelief.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the situation. We will translate this, “has known,” with the preceding negative it is, “has not known.”

Literally, we have, “the world You does not known.” But for our English ears we will say, “The World (unbelievers) has not known You (God the Father).”

Next, we have, “yet I have known You,” which is:

“EGO DE SE EGNON,”

EGO is the Pronoun “I” in the Subject Nominative, First Person, Singular, where Jesus is referring to Himself.

DE is a Superordinating Contrasting Conjunction meaning, “but, to the contrary, rather, etc.” It establishes here the contrast between our Lord in hypostatic union, who absolutely knows God the Father, compared to the unbelieving world of man who does not know Him, and therefore does not believe in Him or His Son.

SE is once again the Pronoun SU, “You,” in the Direct Object, Accusative, Second Person, Singular, referring to God the Father as the object known by our Lord Jesus Christ and the believer.

EGNON is the verb for GINOSKO - γινώσκω (ghin-oce'-ko) once again, but this time in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, First Person, Singular.

The Constative Aorist Tense is for simple past tense and views the entirety of the action as a whole in regard to Jesus Christ “knowing” who God the Father is.

The Active Voice, 1^st Person, Singular refers to Jesus Christ as the One producing this action of understanding who God the Father is.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the situation. We will translate this, “I have known.”

So, we have, “But I have known You,”

Then we have, “and these have known that You sent Me,” which is:

“KAI OUTOI EGNOSAN HOTI SU ME APESTEILAS.”

KAI this is a Coordinating Conjunction meaning, “and” here.

OUTOI is a Demonstrative Pronominal Adjective of HOUTOS -  οὗτος (hoo'-tos) meaning, “this or these,” in the Nominative, Masculine, Plural. As a Pronoun, it means, “they all or these,” referring to believers in Jesus Christ.

EGNOSAN is the Verb GINOSKO – γινώσκω (ghin-oce'-ko) once again, “know” in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, Third Person, Plural.

The Constative Aorist Tense is for simple past tense and views the entirety of the action as a whole in regard to the believers in Jesus Christ knowing who God the Father is, because they know who Jesus Christ is.

The Active Voice, 3^rd Person, Plural refers to all believers of the Church individually (“they all”) producing this action of understanding who God the Father is, which is tantamount to belief.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the situation. We will translate this, “They all have known.”

HOTI is a Coordinating Conjunction that means, “that, because, for since.” Here, it tells us what leads to one knowing who God the Father is.

SU is the Pronoun for “You” once again, but this time it is in the Subject Nominative, Second Person, Singular. It once again refers to God the Father, but here as the One who sent Jesus Christ to earth.

ME is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I” in the Direct Object, Accusative, First Person, Singular. This is the person God the Father sent, which is Jesus Christ. We will translate this “Me.”

APESTEILAS is the Verb APOSTELLO - ἀποστέλλω (ap-os-tel'-lo) in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular that means, “to order (one) to go to a place appointed, to send, or send away, etc.”

The Constative Aorist once again views the entirety of the past action of God the Father sending His Son in the 1^st Advent.

The Active Voice in the 2^nd Person, Singular complements SU above, referring to God the Father as the One who commissioned Jesus Christ’s incarnation.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the Father dispatching His Son to planet earth. We will say, “sent.”

So, we have, “And they all, (believers of the Church Age), have known that You sent (commissioned) Me (our Lord’s First Advent).”

Our complete translation of John 17:25 is, “Righteous Father, the world (unbelievers) has not known You but I, (Jesus Christ), have known You, and they all (believers of the Church Age) have known that You sent (commissioned) Me (Lord’s First Advent).”

Principles:

The world does not know (GINOSKO) God, yet Christ knows God and His disciples know that the Father had sent Him. This is the third use of GINOSKO in this verse, which signifies “Divine Completion/Perfection.” This is God’s completed plan of salvation for the entire world. Everyone who receives this revelation becomes part of God’s Family.

Once again, Jesus ends where He began. Back in John 13:16, He began the Upper Room Discourse by identifying Himself as subordinate to God the Father in the phrase, “the one who is sent (noun - APOSTOLOS; apostle / messenger) is not greater than the one who sent (PEMPO; dispatched) him.”

Likewise, in the Great High Priestly (GHPP) prayer He begins in John 17:3 with, “And Jesus Christ whom you sent (verb - APOSTELLO).”

APOSTELLO is used Seven times in this GHPP, (John 17:3, 8, 18 (twice), 21, 23, 25).

Seven is the number of “Spiritual Perfection.” So, we see that Jesus is stating the Father’s plan of salvation, in sending His Son to die on the Cross, is the means by which the lost and dying in this world come to spiritual perfection, (i.e., belief in His Son, thereby gaining eternal life).

• Vs. 3, is the Process. It sets it all up, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” The use of “Jesus Christ” here emphasizes both His humanity (Jesus) and Deity (Christ). It emphasizes the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ; whereby, God the Son’s incarnation was designed by God the Father to complete the Father’s plan for our salvation. The Father sent His Son to be the propitiation of the world, Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10.

1 John 2:2, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

• Vs. 8, establishes the Precedent, “For the words which You gave Me (Gospel Message), I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.” When we receive the Word of God, (mind of Christ), with emphasis on the gospel, and believe upon it, we gain eternal life, Act 16:31-32.

Acts 16:31-32, “They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³²And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.”

• Vs. 18 with its double reference is the Perpetuation of the Father’s Plan of salvation, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (i.e., to continue manifesting the Father – preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world perpetuates the Father’s plan of salvation for mankind.)

• Vs. 21 is the Petition, the desire of our Lord for the salvation of all mankind, “so that the world may believe, (PISTEUO), that You sent Me,” where the unity of believers with Christ would be the witness.

• Vs. 23 doubly emphasizes the Lord’s Petition and Desire, “so that the world may know, (GINOSKO), that You sent Me,” where unity and love are the dual witnesses. GINOSKO is the Greek word for knowledge and understanding. As we noted, understanding who God the Father is leads to saving faith.

• Vs. 25 wraps it up by emphasizing the Principle of God the Father in His plan of salvation, His righteousness, where Jesus and the believer knows the Father in contrast to the world that does not know Him. Here we see the integrity of God (His righteousness and justice) functioning under His grace policy. (i.e., The Father has provided for salvation for all of mankind. Man, in grace, is left to accept or reject His provision for eternal life, while the integrity of the Father is perpetuated for all of eternity.)

So, in these seven mentions of APOSTELLO, we see the Process, Precedent, Perpetuation, and Principle of God’s Plan of Salvation for all unbelievers of this world. And Jesus Christ calls upon God the Father to satisfy His desire that all of mankind come to know God the Father for salvation, in His Petition.

Then finally we see that:

Of the Seven references to APOSTELLO, four times the emphasis is specifically referencing a benefit for the world. Four is the number of material, which emphasizes the incarnation of God the Son by becoming flesh, and in His humanity, taking on the sins of the entire world. Four emphasizes the substance of God’s plan for our salvation – The Incarnation of His Son.

Of the Seven references of APOSTELLO, six times it is a reference to God the Father sending His Son. Six is the number of “man,” so once again the incarnation of God the Son is in view. It was the humanity of Jesus Christ that won the strategic victory of the Angelic Conflict on the Cross, thereby purchasing us from the slave market of sin, and providing the way for our salvation.

Heb 2:17, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We have now arrived at the final passage of our Lord’s Great High Priestly Prayer.

John 17:26, “And I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The Greek read: 

“καὶ ἐγνώρισα αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομά σου καὶ γνωρίσω, ἵνα ἡ ἀγάπη ἣν ἠγάπησάς με ἐν αὐτοῖς ᾖ κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς.”

Transliterated it read: 

“KAI EGNORISA AUTOIS TO ONOMA SOU KAI GNORISO, HINA HE AGAPE HEN EGAPESAS ME EN AUTOIS E KAGO EN AUTIOS.”

We begin with “And I have made Your name known to them and will make it known,” 

“KAI EGNORISA AUTOIS TO ONOMA SOU KAI GNORISO,”

KAI is the Coordinating Conjunction, “and, even, also.” This continues the last thought of our Lord, as He is addressing the Integrity of God the Father.

EGNORISA is the Verb GNORIZO - γνωρίζω (gno-rid'-zo) that means, “to make known, disclose, point out, or explain.” Other early uses translate it as, “to become acquainted with” and “to recognize.” It comes from the root verb GINOSKO - (ghin-oce'-ko) and potentially the word HORIZO - ὁρίζω (hor-id'-zo) that means, “determine or cause to happen,” with the resultant idea of “causing someone to know something that he previously did not know, comprehend, or understand.” It stresses the obtaining of new information or understanding. Here it is in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, First Person, Singular.

The Consummative Aorist Tense stresses the cessation of the act or state and brings the action to a conclusion. It gathers up into one entirety the three years of His ministry, whenever He taught them. Now, Jesus has completed His assignment of making the Righteous Father’s Plan of Salvation known to a lost and dying world. It was completed during His First Incarnation. He has revealed the Plan of God.

The Active Voice in the 1^st Person Singular tells us that Jesus Christ is the One who has made the name of God the Father known during His 1^st Advent. Jesus Christ has actually revealed the Father’s Plan.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of Jesus’ completed task. We will say, “I have made known.”

AUTOIS is the Pronoun AUTOS in the Dative, Masculine, Third Person, Plural that means, “to them.” This is a Dative of Advantage; it was advantageous to all believers that Jesus manifested the Father to us. The advantage is the benefit of Eternal Life to those who receive and believe Jesus’ revelation of the Righteous Father.

TO ONOMA is the Article HO - ὁ (ho), “the” plus the Noun ONOMA, “name,” in the Direct Object, Accusative, Neuter, Singular. This is the object that Jesus has made known, the name of God the Father as Righteous Father, emphasizing the integrity of His Divine Decree for the salvation of all mankind.

SOU is the Pronoun SU – σύ (soo), “you” in the Genitive of Possession, Second Person, Singular, which refers to God the Father. So, we say, “your.”

KAI is the Coordinating Conjunction once again, “and.”

GNORISO is once again the root word GNORIZO – γνωρίζω (gno-rid'-zo), but here it is in the Future, Active, Indicative, First Person, Singular.

The Future Tense tells us that Jesus will continue His ministry of manifesting the name of God the Father after His work is completed on the Cross, including His burial, resurrection, ascension, and session. Therefore, at the right hand of the Father, He will continue to work towards making the name of the Father known to those who are lost and dying in this world. This is the perpetual mission of Christ through the Spirit, John 16:12, 25; Mat 28:20, just as He had done during His 1^st Advent, John 17:6.

So, we will say, “I will make it known.”

This refers to the mind of Christ on earth, and/or the Canon of Scripture. This is the legacy which Jesus Christ left us on this earth—the Word of God in permanent form, the Canon of Scripture and the ability to comprehend it and master its content. (There is no part of the Word which cannot be mastered.)

So, we have, “And I have made known (during His 1^st Advent) to them (believers for the Church Age) Your name, and I will make it known (post resurrection).”

Next, we have, “so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” 

“HINA HE AGAPE HEN EGAPESAS ME EN AUTOIS E KAGO EN AUTIOS.”

HINA is a Subordinating Conjunction here which is linked with the Subjunctive Mood of EIMI below to give us a result clause. We will say, “with the result that.”

HE AGAPE is the Article HO - ὁ (ho), “the” and the Noun AGAPE for “love” in the Subject, Nominative, Feminine, Singular. This is AGAPE love that emphasizes the integrity of God the Father in His expression of love toward Jesus and all believers.

HEN is the Relative Pronominal Adjective HOS - ὅς (hos) in the Accusative, Feminine, Singular. We translate it as, “which,” that is, “which love” signifying the love God the Father has for Jesus.

EGAPESAS is the Verb form of AGAPE that is AGAPAO - ἀγαπάω (ag-ap-ah'-o) in the Aorist, Active, Indicative, Second Person, Singular.

The Constative Aorist views the entirety of the action of God the Father’s love for His Son from eternity past.

The Active Voice in the 2^nd Person, Singular refers to God the Father as the One who produced this love for His Son.

The Indicative Mood is for the reality of the Father’s love. We will say, “You loved.”

ME is the Pronoun EGO - ἐγώ (eg-o'), “I” in the Direct Object, Accusative, First Person, Singular. The Object of the Father’s love is His Son Jesus Christ. We will say, “Me.”

EN AUTOIS is the Dative Preposition for “in,” and the Pronoun AUTOS - αὐτός (ow-tos') in the Masculine, Third Person, Plural, that means, “in them.”

E is the Verb EIMI - εἰμί (i-mee'), “to be, is, are,” in the Present, Active, Subjunctive. This gives us our result clause.

The Stative - Customary Present Tense is for the ongoing action of God’s love of the Church Age believer, just as He loved His Son.

The Active Voice in the Third Person, Singular is referencing the believers of the Church Age, as a whole, as having the love of God in them.

The Subjunctive Mood is for this result clause and tells of the potential every unbeliever of the Church Age has; to have the love of God as a believer. We will translate this as “may be” and it will come before “in them.”

Finally, we have:

KAGO is a Coordinating Conjunction and a Pronoun in the Subject Nominative, First Person, Singular meaning, “and I,” where Jesus is referring to Himself.

EN AUTIOS is once again the Dative Preposition for “in,” and the Pronoun AUTOS - αὐτός (ow-tos') in the Masculine, Third Person, Plural, that means, “in them.”  This refers to our Union with Jesus Christ, based on the love of the Righteous Father who sent His Son to pay for our sins. The phrase “I in them” was also expressed in Verse 23.

Our complete translation of John 17:26 is, “And I have made known (during His 1^st Advent) Your name to them (believers for the Church Age) and I will make it known (post resurrection), with the result that the love, which love, You loved Me with may be in them, (Church Age believers), and I in them.”

Jesus is expressing:

His completion of the Father’s work for His 1^st Advent to reveal the Father’s Plan of salvation.

His commitment to continue that work after His Ascension. His future work would be done by His intercessions for them, leaving His Word, (Canon of Scriptures) and the Holy Spirit’s ministry among them, John 16:7.

His confidence in the Father’s love toward Himself.

His desire is that the same love be directed toward the believer of the Church Age, which it is.

His desire for the Church Age believer’s union with Himself, which it has, which is the means by which the Father’s love comes to the believer.

Principles:

Jesus prayed that the same love which exists within the Godhead would be extended from the Father to the believers of the Church Age, as in Verse 23.

How a holy God’s love can be “in them” is accomplished through the work of Christ’s redemption. It goes beyond His purchase of us from the slave market of sin to a realization of our own personal holiness, as a result of efficacious grace and the 40 things we receive at the moment of salvation.

It is the love of God in believers that makes possible all of our future sanctification, (Experiential and Ultimate).

The believer’s holiness brings about constant fellowship with the holy God, John 17:11; 1 John 1:3, 7. Thus, Jesus interceded as the High Priest to bring God and the believer into this perfect unity, and that becomes possible when the same love shared by the Father and the Son is shared by the believer at the moment of salvation.

The believer is not forced by law to become holy positionally or experientially, nor would it be possible. The believer is compelled by love toward holiness. Therefore, by sharing God’s love, the believer is empowered toward reaching, experientially, his positional standing that is already credited to his account through the merits of Christ, (i.e. positional sanctification).

Jesus was inseparable from the love He had just asked the Father to dwell in them. Therefore, whatever happens to believers, happens to Him. He cannot be separated from them, Rom 8:37-39.

The Father’s love for Christ is the same as the Father’s love for believers, because Christ dwells “in them,” (believers of the Church Age).

The Father’s love, union, and fellowship is complete “in them,” because it is perfect in Him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Complete Translation of 

John 17: 24-26

John 17:24 is, “Father, whom you have given to Me, I desire that where I am they (the Church) may be with Me, so that they would keep on beholding (with understanding) My glory which You have given to Me because You loved Me before the foundation (creation) of the world.”

John 17:25 is, “Righteous Father, the world (unbelievers) has not known You but I, (Jesus Christ), have known You, and they all (believers of the Church Age) have known that You sent (commissioned) Me (Lord’s First Advent).”

John 17:26 is, “And I have made known (during His 1^st Advent) Your name to them (believers for the Church Age) and I will make it known (post resurrection), with the result that the love, which love, You loved Me with may be in them, (Church Age believers), and I in them.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next in Part 10 of John 17, we have the Summary and Conclusion, which includes the complete translation of Chapter 17 and the doctrines covered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A PERSONAL NOTE FOR YOU

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.”

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have;” it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it, and it can never be lost or taken away from you [John 10:28-29]. Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life [also called eternal life in Scripture] is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Eph 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I am here to tell you that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you. God the Father also loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His only Son for you by sending Him to the Cross. At the Cross Jesus died in your place. Taking upon Himself all of your sins and all of my sins. He was judged for our sins and paid the price for our sins. Therefore, our sins will never be held against us.

Right where you are, you now have the opportunity to make the greatest decision in your life. To accept the free gift of salvation and eternal life by truly believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised on the third day as the proof of the promise of eternal life. So right now, you can pause and reflect on what Christ has done for you and say to the Father:

"Yes Father, I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, 

died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins."

If you have done that, I Welcome You to the Eternal Family of God !!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grace Fellowship Church

Pastor/Teacher: James H. Rickard

23 Messenger Street, Unit 3

Plainville, MA 02762

Copyright © 2001 - 2017. 

Property of: James H Rickard Bible Ministries

All Rights Reserved.