Teaching the Apostles (John 17:6-8)

Having prayed about personal matters in verses 1-5 Jesus now begins to pray for those who were his disciples at that time and his intercession for them continues to verse 19. In verses 6 to 8 he refers to their response to his teaching. His teaching, as we know, is a feature of his work as the prophet of his church. The fact that he prayed for these disciples at such a time as when he was about to undergo the most awful experience possible on the cross, reminds us of his great love for them. No matter how great his distress was going to be, he lovingly prayed for them.

Which disciples does he pray for?

One question that needs to be asked is, ‘Why does Jesus concentrate on this group of disciples in his prayer?’ An obvious suggestion is that they were with him on this occasion. Yet they were not his only disciples who were alive at that time. There were several hundred disciples at that time because 500 gathered to meet him, probably in Galilee, after he had risen from the dead (1 Cor. 15:6). It may be that he had these other disciples in mind as well, although I don’t think he did because the descriptions he gives of the those he is praying for fits only the disciples who had been with him for the previous three years. 

I think the answer to the question in the previous paragraph is that this group of disciples were being prayed for by Jesus because their time of training to be his apostles was coming to a close. In this, he is our example that the final activity in any action, be it a one-off event or a series of events, should be to commit it to God in prayer. This realisation that Jesus was praying about the apostle’ preparation for their mission also involves us because it was through their writings that the teaching of Jesus would come to us. 

The fact that Jesus prayed for them specifically is a reminder of the great privilege and responsibility that was given to the apostles. Their privilege was to be the companions of Jesus, the learners in his school, and the conveyors of his message. They had the best Friend, the best Teacher, and the best Message. Their responsibility was to pass on, by the Spirit’s enablement and enlightenment, all that Jesus had taught them. This is what Jesus later said to them in his great commission: ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matt. 28:18-20).

What did Jesus teach?

The Saviour summarises his teaching as ‘the revelation of the Father’s name’. No doubt, an aspect of this is the wonderful progression that the coming of Jesus had on his church. During the Old Testament period, God’s people had focussed on God in general rather than on the Father in particular. Now it was different. More knowledge of God, both intellectually and experimentally, was the result of the teaching of Jesus. In giving his instruction, Jesus’ main purpose had been to teach them about the Father’s plan, character and abilities. Many such teachings come to mind as we think of Jesus’ words recorded in the Gospels. Here are some examples.

Jesus taught them about God the Father when he taught them what is called the Lord’s Prayer. They were to acknowledge his eminent location (heaven), his holy character (hallowed be your name), his sovereign purpose (your kingdom come), the priority of obeying his will (will done on earth as in heaven), his providential care (daily bread), his pardon for their sins, his protection from evil, and the duty of praising him (his is the kingdom, power and glory for ever). To understand experientially the contents of this prayer is a greater spiritual benefit than passing a Bible College course.

Jesus taught them about God the Father when he said that they were to love their enemies. ‘But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect’ (Matt. 5:44-48). 

Jesus taught them about God the Father when he spoke about personal religious activities; their almsgiving, prayers and fastings were to be done in private because the only person who should see them is the Father. And the Father who saw in secret would give an open reward (Matt. 6:18). It is a solemn matter that desire for public acclaim can deprive us of a fatherly reward.

Jesus referred to the heavenly Father when he was describing the appropriate response of his disciples to persecution from their enemies: ‘So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 10:26-33).

Jesus reminded the disciples of the strength of the Father in order to give them great assurance. He said of his sheep in John 10:29: ‘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.’  

Jesus mentioned the Father when he spoke of the eternal abode of his people. In Matthew 13:43 he said, ‘Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.’ It will be said to them, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (Matt. 25:34).  His comfort for them earlier that evening had been, ‘Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also’ (John 14:1-3).

Jesus told the woman of Samaria that she could worship the Father even although she was living a sinful life and was a member of an unauthorised religious community. ‘But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth’ (John 4:23-24).  

Jesus taught his disciples that the Father had sent him into the world to save sinners, that the Father’s plan of salvation was an eternal one going back to the eternal counsels, and that it would involve his death on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, his return to the glory of heaven, his authority to raise his people from the dead, and his role as Judge on the last day.’ 

Jesus was so earnest in teaching them because he loved them. They were the special gift to him from the Father. The heavenly Father had entrusted this task to his Son and the Son’s love for them always had this aspect to his dealing with them – they were assigned to him by the Father. Jesus loved them, was patient with them when they were slow learners, because they were the gift of his Father.

What sources did Jesus use to teach the disciples about the Father? 

In connection to these sources, I am referring to his human mind because his divine mind is omniscient. Basically, as far as human mind was concerned, he used two sources. The first was the Old Testament. It goes without saying that Jesus had the greatest understanding of the Old Testament that has ever been achieved, with the gap between his understanding and that of the combined contributions of all others being very wide. He had a perfect understanding according to his human capabilities, such as his age at a particular time; his mind was always totally dedicated to discovering the meaning of the Old Testament and he would use all required means to obtain that knowledge such as asking learned people (Luke 2:46) or by prayer or by meditation.

Not only did Jesus have a perfect understanding of the Old Testament, he was also the best communicator of its contents. Jesus never misinterpreted a passage by an inadequate word or with an inappropriate gesture. The disciples were taught by the Teacher who had perfect knowledge of the Old Testament and flawless ways of communicating it.

The second source that Jesus had was the information that he received from the Father as a result of his communion with him. There was a level of fellowship between the Father and the mind and heart of Jesus that is beyond our capability of appreciating because we do not know what it is like to have continual and sinless interaction with God by the Spirit. The Old Testament did not lay out a daily schedule for Jesus; instead he received that from his communion with God. Isaiah foretold that this would take place when he says about the promised Servant of the Lord: ‘The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.’

Christ’s assessment of his disciples (vv. 7-8)   

Jesus does not only give an account of his performance of the mission that the Father gave him, but he also points out his success. His disciples are ready for the work. He does not mean that they now know everything there is to learn about the attributes and intentions of the Father. Rather he means that they have learned sufficient to begin the work of taking the gospel of Christ to the nations. Jesus here says that his disciples are now ready, although it did not look like it, because later that evening they would deny him. What was lacking was the presence of the Spirit, who was to come at Pentecost, to empower them and to bring to their remembrance what Jesus had taught them. 

Marcus Rainsford comments on these words of Jesus: ‘Surely he here gives them credit not only for what he had himself done in teaching them, but also for what the Holy Ghost was about to do in confirming the instructions he had given them; he not only pledges himself to the completion of his own work for them, but also to the completion of the work the Holy Spirit was about to accomplish in them.’# 

When his power would come to them after his resurrection and ascension, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, they would be ready to loyally and fearlessly proclaim what he had taught them. His instructions would fit together in a wonderful manner, as we can see from Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost.

At the time Jesus spoke, they had understood certain things about him that was proof that they had been sufficiently taught. First, they realised that the Father and Jesus worked in harmony. They knew that all that Jesus said and did had the approval of the Father. This does not mean that they grasped the full significance of every word or action, but it does mean that they knew such words or actions were approved. Take his miracles. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, deduced that they were done by the power of Satan; the disciples knew that they were done by the power of God. Take his words. The crowds found them hard sayings and the Pharisees thought they were blasphemous; the disciples knew that they were the words of eternal life.

Secondly, the reception of Christ’s words led them to have faith in Jesus as the One whom the Father has sent. Through the enlightening work of the Spirit, an enlightening that would come to greater understanding after Pentecost, they were beginning to realise the saving purpose of the Father.

In closing, we should be thankful that Jesus revealed the name of the Father to the apostles, and through their ministry it has been revealed to us. It is the height of folly, as well as presumption, to think of God in any other way than Jesus has revealed him. Jesus has shown to us that the Father is the purposer of our salvation, the hearer of our prayers, the protector of our souls, the pardoner of our sins, and many other blessings.