Day #38: God’s Name – John 17 Part 2
In the Toy Story movies, a prominent theme revolves around the idea that the toys belong to Andy. Even as Buzz Lightyear, convinced he’s a real space ranger, proudly shares, “Say there, Lizard and Stretchy Dog, let me show you something. It looks as though I’ve been accepted into your culture. Your chief, Andy, inscribed his name on me” (The name “ANDY” is written on his boot). Both respond, “Wow! Rex adds, “With permanent ink too!”
Having Andy’s name means that they know who they belong to, and that being one of Andy’s toys is somehow special. Using permanent ink implies that this will never change. We also bear God’s name, and today we are going to look at how that happens and what it means.
John 17:1–26 (ESV): 17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
Earlier in our 40 days of prayer, Joe Stehle explored Jesus’ role as our high priest mediating for us, and that he also offers himself as the sacrifice for us, and in so doing reconciles us to God. In the wilderness, Aaron, as the high priest, was given this familiar form to bless the people of God:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26, ESV).
In my former church as an elder I often gave the benediction, and this passage was a favorite. Then one day when preparing, I took particular note of the next verse, 27, which says, “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” Wow! I wasn’t exactly sure what this meant, but somehow this blessing associated the people of God with His Name. I began including it when I used this as a benediction. Praying that God would put His name on us as His people.
When I read John 17 in order to write these blogs, I recognized the same name concept is also here in Jesus’ words, He:
- Reveals the Father’s name. (vs 6)
- Keeps us in His name. (vs 12)
- Asks the Father to keep us in His name.(vs 11)
If we look back at Aaron’s blessing of the people he both intercedes for the people, and acknowledges God’s covenant. It reads as a request. If instead we consider this blessing as coming from Jesus our High Priest, it becomes a declaration of what God has done through Jesus. From John 17:
- Bless you – “you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” vs 2,3) Restore the original blessings of God’s covenant with Adam – Eternal life (vs 2,3)
- Keep you – “While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (vs 12) – The Good Shepherd
- Make His Face Shine Upon You – “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (vs 8) – We receive the presence of God through the presence of His Son.
- Be Gracious to you – “I have given them your word” (vs 14) – Both the understanding of God through His word and Himself as the Word of God.
- Lift up His Countenance Upon You – “I am praying for them.” … “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (vs 9, 20) – Jesus intercedes for us.
- And give you Peace – “ And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (vs 19) – Jesus’s consecration paves the way for us to be reconciled to God.
Now read vs 27 this way. “So shall [my Son] put my name upon [my people], and I will bless them.” God’s name is on us! But, who are “my people”? Looking again at John 17, we can see the answer. “The people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (vs 6-8)
That’s us. So, what does having God’s name on us mean?
In many ways it is like the idea from Toy Story. As with the toys, the name means that we know who we belong to, and we are set apart as children of God. But the analogy only goes so far. Unlike with the toys, our acceptance is truly permanent. Our God never forgets or neglects us, in fact, He has had a plan for us since the beginning and He has given us to Jesus to do everything necessary to bring about the blessings that He has promised. In yesterday’s post we saw what Jesus has done and is doing on our behalf. One of those things is praying for us. What is He asking for?:
- “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (vs 11)
- “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (vs 15)
- “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (vs 17)
- “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
- “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”
As I wrote and re-wrote the posts for yesterday and today, I realized that Jesus sums up His whole ministry in this prayer.
- He states God’s love for us, his choosing us out of the world and giving us to Jesus.
- He states all that He has done for us including setting himself apart (sanctifying) for us.
- He notes that we have heard His word and have believed.
- He asks that we be kept in the Father’s name.
- He commissions us to remain in the world so that others might believe.
- He asks that we be protected from the evil one.
- He asks that we be sanctified (set apart) by the truth of His Word.
- He asks that we be one together and in Him and the Father.
- He has given us His glory and desires that we be with Him.
As you go to prayer consider especially what Jesus asks for us (in bold above), and think about how we participate in them.