John 17:20

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; NEITHER PRAY I FOR THESE ALONE, [ Ou (G3756) peri (G4012) toutoon (G5130) de (G1161) erootoo (G2065) monon (G3440).] - 'Yet not for these alone do I pray,' BUT FOR THEM ALSO WHICH SHALL BELIEVE ON ME. The true reading here is one we should not have expected-`for them which believe on me' [ pisteuontoon (G4100...

20._And I ask not for these only. _He now gives a wider range to his prayer, which hitherto had included the apostles alone; for he extends it to all the disciples of the Gospel, so long as there shall be any of them to the end of the world. This is assuredly a remarkable ground of confidence; for if we believe in Christ through the doctrine of the Gospel, we ought to entertain no doubt that we are already gathered with the apostles into his faithful protection, so that not one of us shall perish. This prayer of Christ is a safe harbour, and whoever retreats into it is safe from all danger of shipwreck; for it is as if Christ had solemnly sworn that he will devote his care and diligence to our salvation. He began with his apostles, that their salvation, which we know to be certain, might make us more certain of our own salvation; and, therefore, whenever Satan attacks us, let us learn to...

20-23 Our Lord especially prayed, that all believers might be as one body under one head, animated by one soul, by their union with Christ and the Father in him, through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The more they dispute about lesser things, the more they throw doubts upon Christianity. Let us endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, praying that all believers may be more and more united in one mind and one judgment. Thus shall we convince the world of the truth and excellence of our religion, and find more sweet communion with God and his saints....

III. Our Lord's prayer for his Church, and for all who would believe on his name, through the preaching of the apostles and their successors: John 17:20. John 17:1, John 17:1. Verse John 17:20. _NEITHER PRAY I FOR THESE ALONE_] This prayer extends itself through _all ages_, and takes in _every soul_ that believes in the Lord Jesus. And what is it that Christ asks in behalf of his followers? The greatest of blessings: _unity, peace, love_, and _eternal glory_....

NEITHER PRAY I FOR THESE ALONE ... - Not for the apostles only, but for all who shall be converted under the preaching of the gospel. They will all need similar grace and be exposed to similar trials. It is a matter of unspeakable joy that each Christian, however humble or unknown to men however poor, unlearned, or despised, can reflect that he was remembered in prayer by “him whom God heareth always.” We value the prayers of pious friends. How much more should we value this petition of the Son of God! To that single prayer we who are Christians owe infinitely more real benefits than the world can ever bestow; and in the midst of any trials we may remember that the Son of God prayed for us, and that the prayer was assuredly heard, and will be answered in reference to all who truly believe. ALL MAY BE ONE - May be united as brethren. Christians are all redeemed by the same blood, and are...

EXPOSITION JOHN 17:1 4. The _high-priestly intercession_._ Audible communion of the Son with the Father_._ _The prayer which now follows reveals, in the loftiest and sublimest form, the Divine humanity of the Son of man, and the fact that, in the consciousness of Jesus as the veritable Christ of God, there was actually blended the union of the Divine and human, and a perfect exercise of the prerogatives of both. The illimitable task which writers of the second century must have set themselves to accomplish, if they had by some unknown process conceived such a stupendous idea without any historical basis to support it, has actually been so effected, that a representation is given which adequately conveys such a synthesis. The author of the Gospel does, however, draw rather upon his memory of that night than upon his phi

NEITHER PRAY I FOR THESE ALONE,.... Meaning his immediate apostles and disciples, for whose preservation and sanctification he had been particularly praying in John 17:19; and now, that it might not be thought that these were his only favourites, and the only persons he had a regard for, and to whom his intercession and sacrifice were confined; he adds, BUT FOR THEM ALSO WHICH SHALL BELIEVE IN ME THROUGH THEIR WORD: Christ is the object of true faith; which faith is not a mere assent of the mind to any truth concerning Christ, as that he is the Son of God, the Messiah and Saviour of the world; but it is a spiritual sight of him, of the necessity, fitness, and suitableness of him as a Saviour, a going forth unto him, laying hold on him, and depending upon him for life and salvation; of which the preaching of the Gospel is the instrumental means: it is indeed a gift of God, and

John 17:1. _These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come;_ That tremendous hour which was the very hinge of history, that hour in which he must suffer, and bleed, and die, to pay up the ransom price for his people: «Father, the hour is come;» John 17:1. _Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:_ In the endurance of the cross, there was a mutual glorification. It was the time of the Saviour's humiliation, and yet, in a certain sense, he was never so glorious as when he died upon the tree. Then, too, he glorified his Father, vindicating divine justice, and manifesting divine love. John 17:2. As thou hast given him power over al

CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The Finished Work. (John 17:1 .)_ 2. The Father's Name and the Father's Gift. (John 17:6 .) 3. Not of the World but Kept in it. (John 17:11 .) 4. Sanctification of Himself for His Own. (John 17:17 .) 5. The Glorification. (John 17:22 .) His words were ended to the eleven disciples and next He spoke to the Father, and His disciples listened to all His blessed words. What moments these must have been! His words to the Father told them once more how he loved them, how He cared for them, what He had done and what

JOHN 13:33 TO JOHN 17:26. THE LAST DISCOURSES AND PRAYER. Perhaps this is the best place to consider the general arrangement and character of the final discourses. They present the same problems of style and language, of content and of arrangement, that are raised elsewhere in this gospel. The language and the theology of the author are conspicuous. And yet we cannot escape the conviction that a greater than John is here, or fail to ask whether something of his style and theology was not learned in the upper room. These Chapter s are not merely the reflections of a later generation. The question of order is also difficult. The last words of ch. 14 mark the end of the discourse, the preceding verses are clearly the last words of a speech. The command, Arise, let us go hence, does not find its counterpart till...