John 17:9 - Exposition

I —very emphatic— am praying for them (for this use of ἐρωτῶ see note, John 16:23 ). We must remember that this is perfectly consistent with the fact that, in the day of the spiritual manifestation to the disciples, when both the Father and Son came to them, the disciples would ask the Father for the gifts which his love to them was waiting to supply; and he, Christ himself, would hear them if they asked in his Name; and that then there would be no need that he should pray the Father for them. That time had not yet come, though it was coming. Both statements are also perfectly consistent with his "intercession" for us. Not concerning —or, not for— the world am I praying . Surely this is not an assertion that he would never pray, or that he had not already prayed, for the world. Nay, his entire ministry is the expression of the Father's love to the whole world ( John 3:16 ). He came as Jehovah's Lamb to take away its sin ( John 1:29 ), he bade his disciples ( Matthew 5:44 ) pray for their enemies, and he cried at the last for a blessing on his murderers. He "came to seek and save the lost," to " call sinners to repentance," " not to condemn, but to save the world." Moreover, in this prayer ( John 17:21 ) he does pray for those who should ultimately, though they do not now, believe on him through the word of the disciples; therefore it is inconceivable that he should here dogmatically limit the range of his gracious desire. Calvin here observes, "We are commanded to pray for all (lTi John 2:1 )," and quotes Luke 23:34 that Christ prayed for his murderers. " We ought to pray that this man and that man and every man may be saved, and thus include the whole human race, because we cannot distinguish the elect from the reprobate." Calvin implies that Christ is here within the sanctuary, and places before his eyes the secret judgments of the Father. Lampe goes much further. Luther says , " In the same sense in which he prays for the disciples, he does not pray for the world." But the best explanation is that the high-priestly intercession at this supreme moment is concerned with those who were already given to him, and who have come to believe in his Divine Person and commission. He expressly and divinely commends to the Father those whom thou hast given me —the burden of the thought is contained in the motive he suggests for this commendation, viz.— because they are thine ; i.e. though thou hast given them to me, though they have "come to me ," through thy drawing, they are more than ever "thine." This most fervent yielding to the attraction of Jesus, and utter moral surrender to his control, do not alienate the heart from the Father, but make it more than ever his.