John 17:11,12 - Keep them in your Name

17:11

Clearly the first part of this verse is looking forward to after the ascension. Soon Jesus would no longer be in the world, but we are in the world. So Jesus prays for God to keep them “in His name”, the same Name He gave to Jesus. We are to continue the ministry of Jesus. This is a theme that has been developing since chapter 14. There He says we will do the things that He has been doing. We do this not on our own, but with the Holy Spirit, and protected by the Father. Jesus lived in permanent conflict, yet did the works of God. We can do likewise because we are protected by the Father. Jesus wants us to be in unity, not just with each other, but with the Father and the Son also.

17:12

“While I was with them ..” We don’t often think about Jesus protecting the disciples when He was with them, but think about it. No one did harm them, even though the religious authorities were antagonistic to Jesus, and at times sought to take it out on the disciples. No harm came to them, even at the point that Jesus was arrested. He did protect them. He also protected them from falling away, with the one exception of Judas who was “doomed to destruction”. This means that God had no intention of any of the others being lost, but did intend for Judas to be lost. Now does this mean that the sin in Judas’ heart played no part in this. Absolutely not. Jesus says that Satan entered Judas. God’s will and our responsibility work together (the theological term is “compatibilism”, I think).