John 17:6-11 - Homiletics

Our Lord's prayer for his disciples.

As he had prayed for himself, he next prays for his disciples.

I. CHRIST 'S MANIFESTATION OF THE FATHER TO HIS DISCIPLES . "I have manifested thy Name to the men which thou gavest me out of the world."

1. He only could make such a discovery of the Divine mind and will

2. Those who received the revelation were God ' s . "Thine they were:"

(a) as his charge,

(b) as his subjects,

(c) as his apostles,

(d) as his reward.

II. THE APOSTLES ' FAITHFUL RECEPTION OF THE FATHER 'S WORD . "And they have kept thy Word." Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

1. Christ ' s ' Word is the Father ' s Word .

2. The disciples kept it

3. The complete loyalty of the disciples to the revelation of Christ .

III. OUR LORD 'S PRAYER FOR HIS DISCIPLES . "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them whom thou hast given me; for they are thine."

1. Christ is our gracious Intercessor .

2. Christ at present prays only for his disciples , who were to continue his work . The world is only for the moment outside the sphere of his supplications. It will by-and-by be reached by those for whom he first prays.

3. The answer to his prayers for the disciples is guaranteed by a threefold claim .

(a) in their grace

(b) and in their glory.

IV. THE DANGERS TO WHICH THE DISCIPLES WOULD BE EXPOSED . "And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee."

1. Christ thinks of his departure as all but already accomplished .

(a) by sending his Spirit;

(b) by interceding for his people ;

(c) by preparing a place for them;

(d) by triumphing over all his enemies.

2. The world is always a place of danger to the disciples .

(a) the lust of the flesh,

(b) the lust of the eye,

(c) and the pride of life.

V. OUR LORD 'S ENTREATY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HIS DISCIPLES . "Holy Father, keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."

1. The term of address suggests the thought of the petition . The name, " Holy Father," suggests at once the filial relationship and the consecration which mark off our separation from the world.

2. It is the Father who will maintain this continued separation .

3. The end of this Divine keeping is the unity of the disciples in estrangement from the world . "That they may be one , as we are."

(a) for growth in grace,

(b) for comfort,

(c) for the furtherance of the gospel.

(a) by carnal pride,

(b) by selfish interests,

(c) by intellectual restlessness ,

(d) by the diversity of human temperaments.

(a) that man may attain to a union like that between the Father and the Son;

(b) that God may be thus abundantly glorified;

(c) that the world may be thus attracted to Christ by the visible oneness and love of his disciples.