Jn. 17:12. I have kept those whom You gave Me, and none of them has perished,
There is much abasement in these words, if one does not receive them as one should. For see what is presented here. "Those whom You gave Me, I kept." It appears that He is commending them to the Father, so that the Father also would keep them, just as someone handing over property to another for safekeeping might say: "Look, I lost nothing; do not lose anything either." But all this He says for the consolation of the disciples.
Jn. 17:12. except the son of perdition,
I sought to keep them, Lord, yet how is it that none were lost when Judas perished and many others turned back (John 6:66)? "For My part," He says, "I destroyed no one. Whatever depended on Me, I left nothing unfulfilled, but I kept them, that is, I endeavored in every way to preserve them. But if they fell away of their own accord, this is in no way attributable to My fault."
Jn. 17:12. That the Scripture might be fulfilled.
"That the Scripture might be fulfilled," that is, every scripture foretelling about the son of perdition. For it is said concerning him in various psalms (Ps. 109:8, 17; Ps. 69:26) and in the rest of the prophetic books.
Concerning the particle "that" we have spoken many times, that Scripture has the custom of calling the cause that which comes to pass afterwards.
Jn. 17:13. And now come I to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
"This," He says, "I speak in the world for the peace, consolation, and joy of the disciples, so that they may be encouraged and not troubled, since You receive them whole and will keep them, just as I also kept them, and lost none of them."
Jn. 17:14. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world,
Imploring the Father for help for the apostles, He also states the reason why they are worthy of great care from the Father. For Thy word, which I delivered to them, they were hated. Therefore they are worthy to receive help from Thee, since those who are worldly-minded hated them for Thy sake. Wicked people hate them because they are "not of the world," that is, they are not attached to the world in their mind and do not exhaust their activity for it.
How then does He say in another place (John 17:6), "Those whom You gave Me from the world were Yours"? There He was speaking of their nature, that they are human beings and part of the world, but here He speaks of their thoughts and free will, and notes that they are not of the world.
Jn. 17:14. As I also am not of the world.
Do not be troubled by these words. The Apostles were not as holy and free from worldly passions as the Lord: "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth" (1 Pet. 2:22), but they did not escape the weakness of human nature. So when you hear the words "as I am not of the world," do not take them as a perfect likeness of the Apostles to the Lord; but when this "as" is spoken of the Father and of Him, only then understand it as equality.
Jn. 17:15. I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil.
"I do not pray that You would take them out of the world." He said this, wishing to demonstrate His love for them, and that He cares greatly for them, when He offers prayer on their behalf with such earnestness. For He does not teach the Father what is needful (for that would be entirely unfitting), but, as I said, He says this to the Father in order to show that He deeply loves the disciples and cares for them. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that while they are in the world You would keep them from evil.
Jn. 17:16. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Again He repeats "they are not of the world." "They," He says, "are in need of strong support, for they, having become citizens of heaven, have nothing in common with the earth. And since the whole world will treat them as strangers, do Thou, the Heavenly One, help them as citizens of heaven." He says this very often aloud to the disciples, so that they, hearing this, would hate the world and not bring shame upon such praise of them.
Keep them "from the evil one"; He speaks not only of delivering them from dangers, but also of their abiding and confirmation in the faith. Therefore He also adds:
Jn. 17:17. Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth.
Make them holy through the imparting of the Spirit, preserve them in the correctness of word and dogmas, and guide them, and teach them the truth. For holiness consists in the keeping of right dogmas.
But that He speaks about dogmas, this is clear from the explanation: "Thy word is truth," that is, there is no falsehood in it. Therefore, if Thou wilt grant them to keep Thy word and themselves to be preserved from evil, they will be sanctified by the truth.
The words "sanctify them by Your truth" mean something else as well, namely: set them apart for the word and for preaching, and make them a sacrifice; let them serve this truth, let them devote their own lives to it.
Jn. 17:18. As You sent Me into the world, so I also sent them into the world.
Jn. 17:19. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.