Joh 17:13-26 | TNotes

17:14 ^a God’s word, which Jesus had given his disciples, also provides a defense against the world. The Spirit would preserve and recall God’s word in the church (14:26 ^b), equipping the church for its encounter with the world.
Summary for John 17:16-18: 17:16-18 ^c Being holy refers to purity gained by separation from the world, and living a life so aligned with God that it reflects his passions. Disciples are set apart by God, equipped by the Spirit, and readied by God’s word to enter the world without being victimized by its darkness.
17:19 ^d I give myself as a holy sacrifice (literally I sanctify myself): Priests and prophets were similarly set apart for service to God (Lev 8:30 ^e; Jer 1:5 ^f). Jesus recommitted himself to his mission, acknowledging that he was set apart for the purpose of the cross. The disciples would benefit because his death would enable them to experience new holiness in a deep attachment to God.
17:20 ^g Jesus was praying for other sheep who were not yet in his flock (10:16 ^h). These are the believers through the centuries who have come to faith through the witness of Jesus’ disciples.
17:21 ⁱ For believers, becoming one with one another is an outgrowth of the union they enjoy with Jesus himself, a union modeled on the oneness of the Father and the Son.

• may they be in us: Through the power of the Spirit, believers would experience a profound spiritual intimacy with the Father and the Son and be transformed (14:20 ^j, 23 ^k; 1 Jn 4:13 ^l).

• Disciples of Jesus represent him, so their conduct and relationships with each other reflect the credibility of Christ in the world. When there is disunity, infighting, and intolerance, their testimony to the world is unconvincing. When people observe the community of believers, they know that it represents Jesus; a unified, loving community convinces the world to believe (John 13:35 ^m; 1 Jn 3:11 ⁿ).
17:22 ^o The community of believers should display the same glory that Jesus displayed from the Father.
17:23 ^p that the world will know: If the church lives in the Spirit, reflects God’s glory and love, and shows unity sustained by a shared knowledge of God, then its testimony will astonish the world.
17:24 ^q I want these ... to be with me: Someday, Jesus’ followers will see Jesus’ true glory, the true love that has existed in heaven since the beginning of time (17:5 ^r). Jesus was returning to heaven, and he yearned to see his disciples there so that they might glimpse what no words on earth can describe.
17:26 ^s All who accept the Son and embrace the Father will experience the kind of love known only between the Father and the Son.

• I will be in them: Jesus loves his followers and wants to indwell them with glory and joy unmatched by anything in the world.