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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Father, Part LX, John 17:6-8 - Lesson 168
Read Verses John 17:1-5 for review: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
John 17:6, I have manifested thy name (his character) unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
Christ had made known the Father as the only true God and had glorified him on earth.
Jesus Christ's whole life, his ministry, his works, revealed the Father, the creator.
The men which the Father gave to Christ were first the Fathers by right of creation.
It was fully the Father's right to give them to the Son.
They were given to Christ by virtue of the fact that he is redeemer and they have believed on him.
They have accepted the truth about the Father that his Son came to reveal.
These men had been given to Christ as the Father's spiritual gift to him.
They were fruit of the work of Christ.
He had manifested the Father's name (his character) to them and they had kept the word that he had spoken and the Father had given them to Christ.
Christ's Spirit was now to be engaged in conforming them to the Son for the Father.
They were first fruits of many to be a part of the people called out for his name.
They were the seed crop of the church and from them the people called out for his name were to come.
John 17:7, Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
He speaks of his disciples.
How weak their faith was at this time.
How little was their knowledge.
How afraid they were at their glimpse of what lay ahead.
In a little while they would flee from his very presence.
And yet Christ saw his disciples as to what they would be when his Spirit worked a work of grace in their lives.
The least degree of faith is precious in his sight.
This is the difference between the men of the world and the man of faith.
Faith greatly pleases God.
A grain of faith as a mustard seed pleases God.
Jesus Christ knows that the knowledge of God that he has brought into their lives will bring fruit that pleases the Father
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
My works are of thee and my word is of thee and they know that.
John 17:8, For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
Some wondered at the words of Christ.
Some even attributed his words to Satan.
But here Christ prays and tells the Father that the disciples know that the Father is the source of all that was given to the Son.
Of this knowledge the world is ignorant.
The world fails to recognize Jesus Christ as the revealer of the Father.
To the world Jesus Christ is simply a man speaking man's word.
But to the disciples Jesus Christ was God speaking God's word.
He says that he has given, they have received, they have known, and they have believed.
This believing is the "believing on" kind of believing.
It is an action believing, a doing believing.
It is a "trust in" kind of believing and it comes from receiving the word of God.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
They believed that Jesus Christ's teaching came from God, that he himself had come from God as the Father's sent one.
They by experience had learned the message of:
John 7:17, If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
If you do God's will you will know that Jesus Christ was sent from God! |