Sermon Notes + 7.28.2024
Keep Them in Your Name
John 17:10-12
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: This portion of the High Priestly prayer reveals the heart of Jesus for the eternal security of His disciples. He prays specifically for them because they belong to Him, and He is glorified through them. As Jesus prepares to leave this world by way of the cross and resurrection, He petitions the Father to keep the disciples in His name in order that they may be one with the Father and the Son. This request falls in line with the mission of Jesus as He kept the disciples from falling away during His time on earth. There is one exception to this petition, namely Judas Iscariot, who fell away in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Jesus’ prayer thus gives us every confidence that once we receive eternal life, we are kept in the faith by the faithfulness of God.
01. Jesus’ prayer informs us about the heart of God as it relates to our eternal security; even though the words are given in the form of a petition, we can receive them as an unfailing promise.
02. Judas’ instance of falling away is a unique event in the arena of salvation history; we do not have to fear losing our salvation but his example is a genuine warning against false presumption.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. Why is it important for Jesus to announce in verse 9 that He is not praying for the world? Would any of the petitions He makes in verses 10-12 apply to the world? Since He is praying for His own, what does the focus of His prayers suggest about the heart of Jesus for His disciples? What does it suggest about His heart for you and the church?
2. Jesus says, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine” (verse 10). What does this statement reveal about the unbreakable connection between the Father and the Son with regard to our salvation? Can one believe in Jesus and not belong to God? Can one belong to God without believing in Jesus? How does this statement add to your understanding that once we belong to Jesus, we are justified in the eyes of God?
3. Jesus states that He is coming to the Father and is no longer in the world (verse 11). How does Jesus’ impending departure from the world seem to threaten the safety and shake the faith of the disciples? Are there occasions in your life when you fear what may happen to you in the world? How do you draw strength from God even when you cannot see Him?
4. Although Jesus kept and guarded the disciples from falling away (verse 12), Judas was not among them at the end. What accounts for his falling away? What Scripture(s) does Jesus have in mind as He points to this lone exception? What hope do we have in this prayer that those who truly believe in Jesus will not fall away?
5. Christians throughout the centuries have wrestled with the implications of eternal security vs. possible apostasy. What passages outside of this text serve as warnings against presumptive faith? What passages outside of this text serve to confirm eternal security for those who have genuine faith? What does a healthy balance of trusting in God’s faithfulness while avoiding false presumption look like in the life of a believer?
For Further Reading: D. A. Carson, The Final Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Evangelical Exposition of John 14-17 (Baker Books, 2018)