Question 1

What does it mean that Jesus "manifested" the Father's name?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says He has manifested the Father's name, He is saying He has made God known in a clear and personal way to the disciples. He did not just repeat titles for God. Through His words, actions, and whole life, He showed God’s character, will, and mercy. The disciples were “given” to Him out of the world, and to them He opened up who God really is. This means knowing God is a gift, not something we figure out on our own. Jesus reveals the Father so that His followers can trust, obey, and belong to God in a real way.

Question 2

Why does Jesus say "I pray not for the world" in this passage?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus says, “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me,” He is focusing His prayer on those the Father has given Him. Here “the world” means those who remain opposed to God and do not receive His word. Jesus is not saying He has no concern for the world at all, but in this prayer His care is especially for His disciples, who have believed His message and kept God’s word. He asks for their protection, unity, and holiness because they belong to the Father and are about to be sent out to serve Him in a hostile world.

Question 3

What does it mean that the disciples are "not of the world"?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says His followers “are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” This means their deepest identity and loyalties no longer come from the fallen world’s values and ways of thinking. God has taken them out of that realm by giving them to Christ and by His word working in their hearts. They still live in the world and face its hatred, but they do not belong to it as their home. Their life is now tied to Jesus, His Father, and His truth. So their beliefs, choices, and hopes are shaped by God’s word instead of by what the world prizes.

Question 4

Why does Jesus ask the Father to keep the disciples "from the evil" instead of removing them?

Accepted Answer

Jesus clearly says He does not ask the Father to take the disciples out of the world, but to keep them from the evil, or the evil one. They have a mission: just as the Father sent Jesus into the world, Jesus now sends them. If they were removed, they could not carry His word to others. So He prays that they will be guarded while they remain in danger. The goal is not a trouble-free life, but faith kept alive, protected from being ruined by sin and the devil. Their ongoing presence in the world, under God’s care, shows that the message they carry is true and powerful.

Question 5

What does "sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth" mean?

Accepted Answer

To be sanctified is to be set apart for God, made holy and devoted to His service. When Jesus prays, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth,” He is asking the Father to use His truth to shape and separate the disciples for Himself. God’s word is not just correct information; it is the standard of what is real and right. As the disciples receive, believe, and obey this word, they are changed and marked off as God’s people. This fits their calling, because they are sent into the world to speak that same truth, living differently because they belong to God.

Question 6

Who is the "son of perdition" and why is he mentioned here?

Accepted Answer

The “son of perdition” refers to Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Jesus says that while He was with the disciples, He kept them and none was lost except this one, “that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Mentioning Judas shows that his falling away did not mean Jesus failed to guard those truly given to Him. Judas had walked among the disciples, but he did not share the eternal life Jesus gives. His betrayal and ruin were known beforehand in God’s plan. This is a sober reminder that being outwardly among God’s people is not the same as truly belonging to Christ in faith.

Question 7

What kind of unity is Jesus asking for when He prays "that they may be one"?

Accepted Answer

When Jesus prays that His followers “may be one, as we are,” He is asking for a deep, spiritual unity among them. It is not just getting along outwardly, but sharing one heart and mind in God’s name and truth. Their unity is to reflect, in a creaturely way, the unity between the Father and the Son. This means they are joined together in faith, love, and purpose as those who belong to the same God, hear the same word, and share the same mission. Such oneness strengthens them in a harsh world and shows that they truly belong to Jesus.

Question 8

How does this passage show Jesus as a protector and priest for His followers?

Accepted Answer

In this prayer, Jesus speaks like a guardian and priest for His people. He says the Father gave them to Him, He has kept them in the Father’s name, and He has not lost any of them except Judas. He now leaves the world and asks the Father to keep them, guard them from evil, make them holy, and fill them with His joy. He also speaks of setting Himself apart for their sake. All this shows that He cares for their souls, presents them to the Father, and asks for everything they need to stay faithful in a hostile world.

Question 9

How can this prayer guide believers in following Jesus today?

Accepted Answer

This prayer shows what matters most to Jesus for His followers. He wants them to know they belong to God, to hold onto His word, to be protected from evil while still living in the world, to be united, and to be made holy by the truth. For believers today, this means taking God’s word seriously, expecting opposition, and valuing unity with other true followers of Christ. It also gives comfort, because Jesus does not leave His people on their own. He cares for their faith, asks the Father to guard them, and sends them into the world with the same word He first received and gave.

John 17:6

I have manifested thy name 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.

Prayer for the Disciples

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John 17:6

I have manifested thy name 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.

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Prayer for the Disciples

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