Word of Encouragement (3/30/2021)

Today, we will reflect on the next petition Jesus prays in His High Priestly prayer: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (v. 11).

Jesus asks His Father to “keep them” in His name. Who is He praying this for? “Them” refers to His disciples and His chosen people (cf., John 10:16). So, in v. 9, Jesus said, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” Again, we see a glimpse of the covenant of redemption: in it, God gave to His Son a people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation to be redeemed through His saving work.

Jesus asks His “holy Father” to keep them. This is not to say that Jesus is done “keeping” them. God gave them to Him in the covenant of redemption. He came to suffer and die and rise again from the dead to redeem them. He will never forsake them. But here, Jesus is highlighting the fact that He is going back to heaven after His resurrection: He prefaced this petition by, “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you” (v. 11). Once He ascended to heaven and received the Holy Spirit without measure, He would pour out the Holy Spirit on His people and be present with them to keep them by His Spirit to the end of the age.

What is Jesus asking His holy Father to do? To “keep” them. To keep them from what? Jesus speaks of how He kept them throughout His earthly ministry and did not lose any of them, except “the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (v. 12). To keep is, at the very least, to keep His people from falling away in unbelief so that none of His chosen people is lost. It is to protect them from whatever evil or sin or temptation that might cause them to stumble and lose faith. It is to give them refuge in the shadow of His wings till the storms of destruction pass by (Ps. 57:1). It is to allow no temptation to overtake any of His people so that none of them is tempted beyond their ability and to provide the way of escape when needed so they may endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).

And Jesus is asking His Father to do this in “His name.” Here, “name” represents God’s power and authority. Those, who belong to Christ, have the seal of divine ownership. This seal symbolizes God’s commitment to keep what is His. This seal also solemnly warns those, who try to harm it or steal it, “Back off! They are mine!” Jesus said earlier, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand” (John 10:29).

What a wonderful blessing this is that Jesus prayed this petition on our behalf? And we have no doubt that He, who asked this of His Father, will not fail to do this Himself now that He is seated at the right hand of God and has received the Holy Spirit without measure. We also have the assurance that He is continuing to intercede for us to God as our great High Priest! We, too, should be diligent in praying for all of God’s elect to be saved. We should also be faithful to pray for ourselves and for our loved ones to remain strong and grow in faith so that we might be kept safe from whatever temptation or sin or evil that might lead to apostasy (denying our faith). This starts with recognizing that nothing in life is more important than keeping our faith. Let us take our refuge and shelter in the shadow of His wings!