John 17 - NIV Quest Study Bible

It wasn’t for his own benefit that Jesus asked to be glorified. Rather, he wanted the Father to be glorified through the coming events of the cross. His prayer was that his death, resurrection and ascension would demonstrate God’s love and power to the entire world. Such an outcome would glorify God forever.Salvation depends on God’s initiative, not ours. He sent his Son to fulfill his plan of salvation, and he also stirs the human heart so a person can turn to God. Why then doesn’t God stir more hearts to turn to him? Some say the answer is known only to God, who predestines certain ones for salvation (Eph 1:4 – 5). According to this view, God is responsible for who is saved and who is not. Others say that God, who wants everyone to repent (2Pe 3:9), gives Jesus anyone who will trust in him. According to this view, many are given spiritual resources to believe, but they choose not to; those who reject God’s offer will be held accountable for that decision.As he finished his work, Jesus prayed that the Father would restore him to the eternal, majestic and exalted position that he had held before he surrendered it to take on human form. His prayer was that he would be glorified to confirm that he had completely fulfilled the will of the Father.Since he would soon be leaving his disciples, Jesus chose here to focus on their needs. Later, he prayed for those who would become believers by hearing the gospel in the future (v. 20). He also prayed that believers would be united as one in him so that the world would believe he was sent by the Father (vv. 21,23). Jesus had a worldwide vision and wanted all to hear the Good News (Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15).In Bible times, a name represented the person’s essential character. When the Father gave his name to the Son, he commissioned him to act on his behalf and with his authority and power. It’s through that authority and power that believers are protected from the evil schemes of Satan.Even though God in his divine wisdom knew exactly what Judas would do (Ps 41:9), God was not to blame for Judas’s actions. Judas made his own choices and was responsible for his act of betrayal. Like all who reject Jesus, Judas was doomed. Still, God used Judas to accomplish his sovereign purpose according to his plan. See Was Judas or the devil responsible for betraying Jesus? (Jn 13:2), What prompted Judas to betray Jesus? (13:27) and the article Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart? (Ex 10:1).When Jesus prayed that believers would be sanctified, he was praying that they would be set apart and made righteous by the Word of God. In one sense that has already happened: believers are made righteous the moment they place their faith in Jesus. In another sense, however, they enter the “process” of sanctification, growing in obedience and holiness.

Many see the existence of church denominations as a blot against the church’s witness to unity as one body of believers. Others say that denominations were created with quite the opposite intent — to make unity in the church possible. Here are some reasons for denominations, based on what was articulated by Independents at the Westminster Assembly of 1642 – 49:

• Considering the human inability to always see truth clearly, differences of opinion about the outward form of the church are inevitable.
• Even though these differences do not involve fundamentals of the faith, they are not matters of indifference.
• Since no church has a final and full grasp of divine truth, the true church of Jesus can never be fully represented by any single ecclesiastical structure.
• Separation does not of itself constitute schism. It is possible to be divided at many points and still be united in Jesus.
Jesus wants all believers to be united in love and grace, just as the Father and Son are one. God desires for the world to see tangible expressions of this unity. As Christians demonstrate God’s love in concrete ways, people will encounter God’s revelation that Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love.