What is the meaning of John 17:20? I am not asking on behalf of them alone Jesus has just spent the earlier part of His prayer interceding for the Eleven (John 17:6-19). Now He makes it clear that His petition is wider. • He is the faithful High Priest who “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25), so His concern naturally extends beyond the first disciples. • This shows the personal care of Christ for each believer; His prayer did not stop in the first century. • The wording echoes the Old Testament pattern of a mediator pleading for the covenant people (Exodus 32:11-13). • By specifying “not… alone,” Jesus emphasizes that the coming church is present in His heart at that very moment. but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me • The Lord looks down the corridor of history and sees every man, woman, and child who will come to saving faith. This includes us today (Acts 2:39). • Faith is directed “in Me,” underscoring that salvation is found exclusively in Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). • His foreknowledge guarantees that none of those given to Him will be lost (John 6:37-40; Romans 8:29-30). • The certainty that people “will believe” encourages evangelism; Christ’s mission cannot fail (Matthew 16:18). through their message • “Their” refers to the apostles. Jesus entrusts the gospel to them as eyewitnesses (Acts 1:8; 1 John 1:1-3). • The authoritative apostolic word is preserved in the New Testament, showing why Scripture is our final standard (Ephesians 2:20). • Salvation comes by hearing that word: “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:14-17). • The chain continues: apostles → early believers → subsequent generations (2 Timothy 2:2). We stand in that unbroken line. summary John 17:20 reveals the expansive love of Christ: He prays not only for the first disciples but for every future believer. Our faith fulfills His petition, and our confidence rests on His ongoing intercession. The gospel, proclaimed first by the apostles and now through us, is the God-ordained means by which people come to believe. |
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