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John

John 
Day 
Day 261

John 17 : 1 - 26 "THE WORK OF KEEPING THE DISCIPLES"

Day 261 – John 17

THE WORK OF KEEPING THE DISCIPLES

Jesus worked very hard with reference to His Disciples. First, He had to win their hearts. But conversion of their souls was not all that Jesus sought to do in their lives. He had to teach them and equip them for the great work that God had called them to do. They would be His witnesses to the end of the earth!

There was another work that Jesus did. This is revealed in this text.

“While I was with them in the world, I kept them
in Your Name.
Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none
of them is lost except the son of perdition, that
the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
John 17:12

Jesus worked hard at keeping or preserving the faith of the Disciples. This work is often easily overlooked. What did Jesus keep His Disciples from anyway? Let us look at two things Jesus kept His Disciples from.

1. Kept from the power of sin

Each and every one of His Disciples had to be delivered from sin. The most startling example would be Matthew the former tax collector. This profession was just about one of the most hated jobs ever. Many tax collectors grew wealthy at the expense of those they took advantage of. Not only did Jesus deliver them from the bondage of sin, He made sure that they never went back to their old sinful lifestyle.

2. Kept from the power of Satan

Many were the occasions when Jesus had to deliver people from the power of Satan. Demon-possessed people had to be delivered by the great power of Jesus! Those who were delivered were also kept by Jesus. He spoke of how He kept them in the mighty Name of His Father!

Luke recorded in his Gospel an important conversation Jesus had with Peter. He said,

“Simon, Simon! Indeed Satan has asked for you,
that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed
for you, that your faith should not fail;
And when you have returned to Me, strengthen
your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32

How important prayer is! Jesus knew the power of Satan. He would do his utmost to stumble all the Disciples, if he could not take away their salvation. What stopped Satan from total success? Surely, it was Jesus who kept His Disciples in His Father’s Name!

All His Disciples whom He had especially called to be with Him so that He would equip and train them for future ministry were safe and sound! Neither sin nor Satan had been able to harm them. They had been kept because Jesus kept them well! One of the ways in which He kept them was through intercessory prayer.

“NONE OF THEM IS LOST EXCEPT THE SON OF PERDITION”

But wait, wasn’t there one who was lost? Yes! Jesus reflected on the fact that Judas had left Him. He knew that he had betrayed Him for a paltry sum of money. How had Judas been lost? How could he have lost his soul to eternal damnation (“perdition”)?

Once again, Jesus recalled what the Scriptures said and thus drew comfort from the fact that He had not actually “lost” Judas. He was never a true believer in the first place.

Of those whom the Father had given Jesus, none was lost. However, the Father did not give Judas to Jesus for safekeeping. Judas was given the special privilege of having the friendship of Jesus and the opportunity of a lifetime – to be a Disciple of Jesus! Obviously, he had taken too many things for granted:-

1. He had not appreciated the friendship of Jesus.

2. He had not treasured the fellowship he had with Jesus and his fellow Disciples.

3. He had not taken to heart all that Jesus sought to teach them.

4. He had abused the privilege of being entrusted with the moneybag of the Disciples.

5. He had allowed Satan to invade his heart and take residence there!

Jesus had not lost Judas. The latter had never accepted Jesus as his Saviour and Lord at any time! He was just one who had cleverly deceived his fellow Disciples all this while. He was indeed the son of perdition (“damnation”).

THAT THE SCRIPTURE MIGHT BE FULFILLED

There is no question about the fact that Jesus dwelt on the Scriptures even as He prayed to His Father. His teachings were drawn from the Scriptures. He knew the Scriptures so intimately, that even His enemies were surprised. John noted the consternation of the Jews.

“And the Jews marveled, saying,
‘How does this Man know letters, having never studied?'”
John 7:15

Jesus in answer to this statement said,


“My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know
concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God,
or whether I speak on My own authority.”
John 7:16-17

It should not surprise us, that even as Jesus prayed, He would be found quoting the Scriptures as part and parcel of His prayer to His Father. The Scriptures were not just a great source of wisdom and understanding. They became part of His daily vocabulary. His speech contained the Scriptures either in direct quotation or in allusion. The Scriptures were both consciously and naturally employed in prayer. This was something most natural for Jesus. How we must be challenged to emulate His employment of Scripture when we seek God in prayer!