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From Him...

              I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17:9-12)

 

            From His celebration with and of the Father, Jesus turns his attention to His disciples. He was coming to the end when He could return to the Father, but His disciples would remain in the world because they had His work to carry on. That would place them in conflict with the world. As He contemplates His victory, He also lovingly thinks ahead to the needs of those reunited with God through Him. He prays for the Father to protect them as He had been protecting them.

This morning that brings to mind the question of how He protected them – and how He protects us. As far as Scripture makes clear, the only weapon Jesus ever wielded as a weapon was words. The temptation in the desert and the struggle in the olive garden were intense. Still, there was no swashbuckling, no parkour maneuvers, no angelic cavalry charging to the rescue – only Calvary. Instead, we find teaching, correction, rebukes, encouragement, challenges, and occasional miracles, most of which were done to/for other people. It might be said that a good chunk of Jesus’ protection of His disciples (and us) involved protecting them (us) from themselves (ourselves.)

It's possible that the attacks from which He protected them from attacks by the devil or his followers and that Jesus did battle “in the heavenly places” against the Evil One(s) with the spiritual equivalent of armor and weapons. Maybe the spiritual swashbuckling happened, but what we’re told is that, rather than attacking the enemy directly, He built up the strength and defenses of His disciples. To draw on a song that was popular for a time, He didn’t calm the storm so often as He called His child, and He didn’t calm His child as often as He tried to excite His child to faith.

And then He says something that should encourage us. “None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction that Scripture may be fulfilled.” As a quick note, there doesn’t seem to be any rancor toward Judas here. It seems more to be pity. If there had been a way to save Judas from himself and therefore, from Satan, that would have been Jesus’ preference, but it could not be.

More importantly, however, we have the assurance that none of those entrusted to Him had been lost except Judas. No matter how miserable a failure we may think ourselves (or others) none of those the Father gave Jesus have been lost except Judas. That’s something we would do well to remind ourselves when we find we’re under attack or attacking ourselves.

 

 

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