Wednesday, January 13

John 17:6 - 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.

John 17:26 - 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.

The idea of “name” in the Bible does not mean the label by which we are called. It is a reference to the whole person, the character and being of that person. We often close our prayers with the phrase “in Jesus‟ name,” meaning we are praying with reference to his character, his nature, and his authority. Nothing in our character and nature would open up the doors of heaven for a holy God to hear and, much less, answer our prayers.

Jesus prays that we will be recipients of divine revelation (v. 6). This thought is reiterated later in the prayer, “I made Your name known to them and will make it known” (v. 26). The words made . . . known means to make clear or evident to the eye. The word name refers to the character or person of God. Jesus is stating that the character of God has been revealed to his people. And, he has been the revealer. Jesus told his disciples, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

Jesus was the divine revelation of God. When you see Jesus you see God.

And, consequently, we are changed. No person has the character of God revealed to them and stays the same. When we see God as he truly is we humble ourselves before him, we run to him for mercy, we seek his forgiveness. We want to know him relationally.

Jesus prays not only that we will reflect this divine revelation, but also that we will be protected by divine security (vv. 11-12). Jesus wants the Father to watch over and preserve the still- impressionable disciples. The idea of keeping is like a Shepherd, who constantly observes his sheep. His eyes are on them. He knows that they need and is ready to meet those needs. The idea of the word guarded is a protector, who protects us from those who would seek to pervert and destroy us.

There is an interesting correlation between divine revelation and divine security. A Christian is one whom the character of God has been revealed. Divine security is extended to those “that You have given Me.” In other words, those who have responded to the revelation of God will be the recipients of God’s protection. Those he saves, he keeps. Case in point, Jesus kept the eleven disciples, but did not keep Judas, the son of destruction.

How is this protection accomplished? We are protected by his power working in us and working for us, his presence both within us and without us. “In his name” points to the constant sense of security in the revelation of God.

I once heard a story from a man about how God protected him while he was serving in a foreign country.  He said he was with a small group of missionaries and they were being threatened by a jungle tribe night after night. They prayed, fearful of an imminent attack. Their attackers left. Many months later, after working this tribe some became believers. One of the missionaries asked a tribesman about that night when the tribe threatened. The tribesman said, “We were planning to attack, but when we saw the armed soldiers surrounding your campsite we withdrew.” The missionary knew there was no army surrounding them, except that of the presence of God.

When we pray we are to pray both for God’s presence—to be kept; and we pray for his power— to be guarded.

Pastor Jeff Frazier