1 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,500 Hi everyone. Welcome back to daily gospel. 2 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:16,200 Exegesis. This is the podcast where we 3 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:19,300 really look at the literal sense of the Gospel text. 4 00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:21,300 So find out what's going on with the words. 5 00:00:21,300 --> 00:00:24,800 What do the words mean on their most literal original level? 6 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:27,600 Today, we're looking at a really complex passage. 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:32,299 We're looking at the start of John chapter 17. 18 verses 1 to 8 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:37,100 11 a and that's the reading. You would hear at Mass today. 9 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,900 Here's today's passage. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:48,600 and said, father, the hour has come glorify your son so that 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,000 your son may glorify you and through the power over all 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,600 mankind that you have given him. Let him give eternal life to all 13 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,300 those. You have entrusted to him. 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:06,500 An eternal life is this to know you the only true God and Jesus 15 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:11,100 Christ, whom you have sent. I have glorified you on Earth 16 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,700 and finished the work that you gave me to do. 17 00:01:14,900 --> 00:01:19,200 Now father, it is time for you to glorify me with that Glory. 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,400 I had with you before the world ever was I have made your name 19 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,300 known to the men, you took from the world to give me. 20 00:01:27,900 --> 00:01:31,600 They were yours and you gave them to me and they have kept 21 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,900 your word now at last. They know that all you have 22 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:40,400 given me comes indeed from you. For I have given them the 23 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,600 teaching you gave to me and they have truly accepted this that I 24 00:01:44,607 --> 00:01:51,200 came from you and have believed that it was you who sent me I 25 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,400 pray for them. I am not praying for the world, 26 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:59,200 but for those you have given me because they belong to you, all 27 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:04,500 I have is yours and all you have is mine and I in them are 28 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:08,199 glorified. I am not in the world any 29 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:13,000 longer, but they are in the world and I am coming to you 30 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:20,700 Okay. So quite a famous passage but an 31 00:02:20,700 --> 00:02:22,600 incredibly deep and complex one here. 32 00:02:22,900 --> 00:02:26,000 So let's start by thinking about the context what has happened? 33 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,300 Just prior to this. So they've just had the last 34 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:31,500 supper and Jesus has been giving the farewell discourse, which 35 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:34,000 goes over quite a few chapters. So that is finished. 36 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,300 Now, the farewell discourse is over but that same scene is 37 00:02:37,300 --> 00:02:39,700 continuing. It appears that he and the 38 00:02:39,700 --> 00:02:43,600 apostles are walking somewhere, maybe they have while they're on 39 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,400 the way to the garden. Certainly but they haven't 40 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,600 arrived at the Garden yet, so maybe they have stopped to pray 41 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,100 somewhere at this point maybe in another room in Jerusalem or 42 00:02:53,100 --> 00:02:55,400 something or maybe somewhere outside on the way to the 43 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,000 Garden. Because Jesus says a prayer 44 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,400 here, and this is a very long and complex prayer, we've only 45 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,500 heard a snippet of it, it goes on for quite a while. 46 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:09,000 In John, chapter 17, it's the longest recorded prayer in all 47 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,800 of the gospels. And so, it's well worth paying 48 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,700 attention to if we want to know how Jesus praise This is often 49 00:03:15,700 --> 00:03:19,700 called the Great High Priestly prayer of Jesus because in this 50 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:23,400 prayer Jesus plays the role of intercessor and mediator, he 51 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,200 intercedes on behalf of his followers to the father. 52 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,500 And also if you think about it, he says this prayer just before 53 00:03:29,500 --> 00:03:32,900 he does a sacrifice, the sacrifice of himself so it's 54 00:03:32,900 --> 00:03:35,700 quite appropriate to call it. The high Priestly prayer. 55 00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:39,800 Now, this incredible richness and complexity in the prayer 56 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,100 even every single line of the prayer reveal some sort of deep 57 00:03:43,100 --> 00:03:45,500 truth. And we're probably not going to 58 00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:48,900 be able to you know draw out every aspect of what Jesus 59 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:51,500 intends with each of these phrases because there's so much 60 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:55,500 depth and complexity there. So just keep in mind that this 61 00:03:55,500 --> 00:03:58,200 really is one of those passages that is inexhaustible. 62 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,900 There's so much in there. One thing that's worth pointing 63 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:04,400 out that this prayer that we're going to look at, it does not 64 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,500 appear to be the same prayer that Jesus will pray. 65 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:09,200 Shortly In The Garden of Gethsemane. 66 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,600 They haven't arrived at the Garden of Gethsemane yet. 67 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:15,800 So it's a different prayer. And in particular, the prayer 68 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,700 we're looking at here in John 17. 69 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,700 The apostles are fully present there with Jesus as he prays 70 00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:24,400 this prayer, whereas in the garden, as you know, they fall 71 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,100 asleep and it's a different prayer. 72 00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:30,600 So, in this first part of the prayer will see, Jesus offering 73 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,700 up his approaching sacrifice to the father. 74 00:04:33,700 --> 00:04:35,700 So, that's the focus of the first part. 75 00:04:35,900 --> 00:04:39,500 Let's start at verse 1. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven. 76 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:43,300 So Jesus looks towards the father whom he's about to speak 77 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:46,500 to, it's a customary Jewish gesture, to raise your eyes to 78 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:48,100 heaven. Now, it would appear. 79 00:04:48,100 --> 00:04:50,000 It doesn't say he closed his eyes at any point. 80 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,300 So, it's possible that throughout this prayer, he 81 00:04:52,300 --> 00:04:55,100 actually kept his eyes open looking up to heaven. 82 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,100 We don't often think about it that way, but It appears that 83 00:04:58,100 --> 00:05:02,800 that's what's going on. Father, the hour has come often, 84 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,300 you'll hear that phrase the our in the Gospel of John and it 85 00:05:06,300 --> 00:05:09,400 basically means Jesus. Crucifixion has come, the time 86 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:13,100 has arrived the hour. So it's everything in the 87 00:05:13,100 --> 00:05:16,300 father's plan of sending the Sun to Earth was leading to this 88 00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:20,900 moment at the time has come. So he says this to the father. 89 00:05:20,900 --> 00:05:24,200 This is his request, glorify your son. 90 00:05:25,100 --> 00:05:27,100 Now glorify can have different meanings, depending on. 91 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,200 How to translate it, but the basic idea here appears to be 92 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:34,100 Point people towards me. Glorify your son as in point 93 00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:38,400 people towards the sun, why does Jesus want that? 94 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,400 Not for his own sake. He doesn't want people to look 95 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:43,700 at him just because it's good to look at him. 96 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,100 There's a deeper. Meaning here Jesus goes on and 97 00:05:46,100 --> 00:05:49,100 says so that your son may glorify you. 98 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,400 This is really, really important. 99 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,500 This is the Father's goal in sending Jesus to die on the 100 00:05:55,500 --> 00:05:58,600 cross. The father allows Jesus to die 101 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,700 on the cross. In fact, he, you could say, he 102 00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:02,700 requires Jesus to die on the cross. 103 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:06,400 So that people will look to Jesus as the son. 104 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,800 They'll see his great Act of Love on the cross and then 105 00:06:09,900 --> 00:06:13,300 hopefully they'll be pointed back to the father and they'll 106 00:06:13,300 --> 00:06:16,500 see this great exchange of life and love within between the 107 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:18,800 father and the son. So that's the whole mission of 108 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,000 God. Bye. 109 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,100 Jesus dying on the cross, Jesus will be glorified because people 110 00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:26,700 will look at him. But in that process of people 111 00:06:26,700 --> 00:06:29,500 looking at him, people will be appointed back to the father. 112 00:06:29,500 --> 00:06:33,100 So the father gets glorified to, you see this deep relationship 113 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:36,000 between the father's Mission and the sun's Mission and that comes 114 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,200 through all the way through you. The sun's mission is to point 115 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,800 people towards the father to glorify the father verse 2 and 116 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,200 through the power. Over all mankind that you have 117 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,800 given him older translations. Put this line this way since 118 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,300 thou Hast given him Power Over All Flesh. 119 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,200 So the teaching here is, the, the father has granted the son 120 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:03,500 over power over all mankind, not a power to Lord, it over them. 121 00:07:04,300 --> 00:07:07,400 But to draw as many people as possible to the father, that's 122 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,400 why the father has given the the sun power so that the sun will 123 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:16,200 draw more people to the father Jesus continues, let him give 124 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,300 eternal life to all those. You have entrusted to him. 125 00:07:20,300 --> 00:07:22,700 So here the translation starts to get a bit confusing because 126 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:24,600 of all the hymns and all the pronouns. 127 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,500 It appears that what's going on here is something like this. 128 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:33,300 Father, please allow the sun to give eternal life to all those. 129 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:36,200 You have entrusted to your son, that's what's going on. 130 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,100 So Jesus is requesting that the father follows through with 131 00:07:40,100 --> 00:07:42,800 their plan almost and that's a theme in the Gospel of John, 132 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,300 Read chapter 10 of the Gospel of John, particularly, which is 133 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:50,800 about the Good Shepherd. There's this idea that the 134 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,900 father has given the Sun, a certain number of people to 135 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:56,900 protect in order that the sun would bring those people to the 136 00:07:56,900 --> 00:08:00,000 father. So when he says those, you have 137 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,800 given me that's a reference to Christian believers, who the 138 00:08:03,808 --> 00:08:07,300 father has drawn to the Sun. So it's Christian believers. 139 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,000 And the way God has set, the father has set this up, is the 140 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,400 son has the responsibility to provide for and protect these 141 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,700 Believers for the purpose of bringing them to the father, 142 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,300 that's what's going on. Jesus he requests that the 143 00:08:23,300 --> 00:08:26,400 father follows through with the plan to give eternal life to all 144 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:30,800 of Jesus followers at that time, his request is Father, please 145 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,299 allow me to give eternal life to these followers. 146 00:08:33,299 --> 00:08:35,900 That you've given me to protect, that's his prayer. 147 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:40,100 Why the necessity for Jesus to pray like this? 148 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:43,100 Wouldn't it just be automatic? Well, if you think about it, the 149 00:08:43,100 --> 00:08:45,600 way, this is working where people can come to the father 150 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,300 through. The son is a new thing. 151 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,700 It had never the New Covenant is just beginning. 152 00:08:49,700 --> 00:08:53,500 It had never happened before this time period before this to 153 00:08:53,500 --> 00:08:55,500 come to the father. One had to go through the old 154 00:08:55,500 --> 00:08:58,100 Covenant. So Jesus is in effect saying 155 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,200 Lord, we're beginning a new thing. 156 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:03,000 This is the first time we've tried this to bring people to 157 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,300 you through the New Covenant Lord. 158 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:09,800 I pray that That you would honor the agreement or something like 159 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,800 that and bring these people to you, through me. 160 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,000 It's the first time that something like this has 161 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,900 happened. And obviously, there's some 162 00:09:16,900 --> 00:09:19,200 complexities there with salvation, but that appears to 163 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,400 be the main point of the prayer verse 3. 164 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,200 And eternal life is this. We want to listen to this 165 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,100 because Jesus is about to specify exactly what he 166 00:09:29,100 --> 00:09:32,500 considers eternal life to be. And his answer might surprise 167 00:09:32,500 --> 00:09:35,000 you because it's not to go to heaven when you die. 168 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:39,000 That's not eternal life. Here's what he says, eternal 169 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,300 life is this to know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ 170 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:48,000 whom you have sent. So according to Jesus that's 171 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,100 eternal life to know the will of God and to be in a deep abiding 172 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:56,900 relationship with the father and also with the Messiah Jesus who 173 00:09:56,900 --> 00:10:00,500 has come to join us to him. So a deep mystical Union with 174 00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:03,400 the father is what all people are called to, and if one 175 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,400 experiences that they are experiencing eternal life, So, 176 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:08,700 how does that relate to going to heaven? 177 00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:11,200 Then a lot of Christians would say, eternal life is what 178 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,200 happens when you get to heaven. According To Jesus, it's a bit 179 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,300 more complicated than that. Going to heaven when we die to 180 00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:19,700 be with God. According To Jesus, it's a 181 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:22,300 natural extension of the relationship. 182 00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:25,100 We already have with God on Earth if we experience God's 183 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,500 Divine Life, and he and communion with him on Earth, 184 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,800 then that continues, when we go to heaven in the next life. 185 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,600 But if we don't have that relationship during our life on 186 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,900 Earth, then it doesn't Can you after death into eternal life 187 00:10:38,900 --> 00:10:41,600 either? So Jesus has this model of 188 00:10:41,900 --> 00:10:44,600 eternal life is an extension of whatever you were doing in the 189 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,300 current life. This deep intimate, personal 190 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:51,300 knowledge of the father was actually prophesied to be an 191 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:53,500 aspect of the New Covenant even in the Old Testament. 192 00:10:53,500 --> 00:10:55,400 They predicted that this would happen. 193 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,100 If you look at Jeremiah chapter 31, in his famous declaration, 194 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:03,200 that I will be their God, and they will be my people. 195 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:08,800 Jeremiah 31 verses 33 to 34 verse for Jesus says, I have 196 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,600 glorified you on Earth and finish the work that you gave me 197 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:16,300 to do. So the father sent the son to 198 00:11:16,300 --> 00:11:17,900 Earth. Earth with specific missions to 199 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:21,600 accomplish through his teachings and actions, Jesus has pointed 200 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,700 people towards the father. That was the whole point to 201 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:28,000 point people, towards the father, verse 5 now. 202 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,700 Father, it is time for you to glorify me. 203 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,100 Here's where the translation starts to get a little bit 204 00:11:34,100 --> 00:11:36,400 confusing. It appears that our translation 205 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:39,800 is omitting some words to try and make it a bit less 206 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:44,700 theological calm, theologically complex, Other translations have 207 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:47,700 verse 5. He has this glorify thou me in 208 00:11:47,700 --> 00:11:51,700 the iron presence, so some sort of Glory here that has to do 209 00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:55,500 with being in the presence of God, it appears that Jesus is 210 00:11:55,500 --> 00:11:58,800 asking the father to glorify him. 211 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,900 Jesus, once he returns to the father at his Ascension and once 212 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:06,300 he returns to his presence, so it's a request, father. 213 00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:09,000 Please, when I get back to heaven with, you glorify me. 214 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,200 Jesus wants the father to bestowed upon him, a special, 215 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,900 kind of glory. And he specifies what their 216 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:19,900 glory is with that Glory that I had with you before the world 217 00:12:19,900 --> 00:12:22,700 ever was. This is an incredibly deep 218 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:25,400 teaching. Listen to what it says Jesus, he 219 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,000 is says I had Glory with you god before the world ever was. 220 00:12:29,700 --> 00:12:32,600 So the son, who's the second person of the Holy Trinity, 221 00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:37,200 existed in a state of Glory, with the father, even before the 222 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,900 world was created. That's an Credibly, you know, 223 00:12:40,900 --> 00:12:44,200 deep part of Christian teaching, Jesus is not just a man. 224 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:48,200 He has existed since eternity or at least the second person of 225 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:52,400 the Trinity has the idea appears to be and this is talked about 226 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:56,000 in Philippians as well. He lost some of his Divine Glory 227 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,300 voluntarily, when he came to Earth and took on human form. 228 00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:01,600 So we actually lost some of that Glory that he had. 229 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:05,400 And now he asks, the father to return him to that glorified 230 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:10,600 State once he returns to heaven. So even though both the father 231 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,900 and the son of God, there's sort of a hierarchy in rolls, all 232 00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:18,200 gifts, come from the father. It's the father who really runs 233 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,500 the show as such and there's a deep mystery there. 234 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:23,300 So that's why the sun has to pray to the father here. 235 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:27,200 Some Colts Christian colds, would say this prayer proves 236 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,700 that Jesus is not God because Jesus, he was praying to God, 237 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000 but I think that's just simplifying it a little bit too 238 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,900 much clearly, they're both God, but there is a distinction in 239 00:13:35,900 --> 00:13:37,700 roles particularly in terms of what's going. 240 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,100 On while Jesus is on Earth. So Jesus is praying to the 241 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:45,600 father that he would be returned to his state of pre-existing 242 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:47,200 Glory. Once he gets back to heaven. 243 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,500 Now, notice that at a minimum, regardless of what you think of 244 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:53,700 the Trinity, and the relationship between the persons 245 00:13:53,700 --> 00:13:57,700 of the Trinity, any Christian who has this Bible, who has this 246 00:13:57,700 --> 00:14:01,700 text at a minimum, the text teachers that Jesus is claiming 247 00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:05,500 to be a Divine being, which existed before the world began, 248 00:14:05,500 --> 00:14:08,700 that's in the text. Jesus himself says, I was with 249 00:14:08,700 --> 00:14:11,000 you and had Glory before the world ever was. 250 00:14:11,700 --> 00:14:15,700 So truly, the teaching here, is that Jesus pre-exists the Earth, 251 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:17,600 and he's been sent to Earth from heaven. 252 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:19,600 That's an inescapable All conclusion. 253 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,200 And you know, Christian cult and Christians who don't believe in 254 00:14:25,208 --> 00:14:27,900 the Trinity need to take this claim seriously and think about 255 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:31,300 what it means in terms of Jesus relationship with the father, 256 00:14:33,100 --> 00:14:36,300 when he uses the phrase, before the world ever was that also is 257 00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:40,300 supposed to contrast with the other reference to the World. 258 00:14:40,300 --> 00:14:43,400 In this passage in the Gospel of John, the world. 259 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,300 Basically means people in Rebellion against God. 260 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,300 So, when Jesus says before the world ever was, it's sort of a 261 00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:52,700 contrast with the work. Has has been doing in the world 262 00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:56,600 during his ministry on Earth in the world, Jesus lost some of 263 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,700 his Divine Glory, but he's glorified the father. 264 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,300 Now the son asks, to be return to that state of Glory, which he 265 00:15:03,300 --> 00:15:06,400 had from eternity before the world even existed. 266 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,600 You see all these different things come together and kind of 267 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,800 complex ways at this point, there's a transition in the 268 00:15:13,808 --> 00:15:16,800 prayer. So Jesus now begins to plead to 269 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:20,000 the father not for himself, but for the preservation of his 270 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,400 disciples, There's a question here about who the disciples are 271 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:28,400 that Jesus is thinking of often. You'll hear people say that this 272 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,100 is about all of us. I think in context, although 273 00:15:32,100 --> 00:15:34,500 this is something you need to make up your own mind about as 274 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:36,900 we go. It appears that he's thinking 275 00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:40,600 primarily of the Apostles, this is a prayer for protection of 276 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,800 the Apostles verse 6. I have made your name known to 277 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,200 the men. You took from the world to give 278 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:51,500 me Sara during Jesus ministry. The father Drew certain All to 279 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:56,100 Jesus in order in order that they might come to know him to 280 00:15:56,100 --> 00:15:59,700 know the Father, and Jesus Took responsibility for these people. 281 00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:02,700 He taught them about God and he led them closer to God. 282 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,400 That was the arrangement. Now, some people have looked at 283 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,800 this verse, I have made your name known to the men. 284 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,700 You took from the world. To give me some people have said 285 00:16:11,700 --> 00:16:15,200 well this teachers like a Calvinism kind of predestination 286 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,800 where God picks certain people from the world to come to Jesus 287 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:24,000 and not others. That could be a legitimate 288 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:25,700 meaning of this. There could be what Jesus 289 00:16:25,700 --> 00:16:27,200 intense, but I don't think it is. 290 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,900 I think in context Jesus is referring particularly to 291 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:34,200 certain people in his own time period. 292 00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:36,100 That's how God worked at the time. 293 00:16:36,100 --> 00:16:39,000 Jesus gave the prayer. So think about what's going on 294 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:42,000 here, the kingdom of God is just beginning when Jesus comes to 295 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,100 Earth for those first few years, it appears that God worked 296 00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:48,300 differently than he did. After Jesus had returned to 297 00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:50,500 heaven. So it's likely that in these 298 00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:52,100 early. Use when the kingdom of God is 299 00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:55,500 just beginning, when Jesus is walking, the Earth, it's 300 00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:57,800 probably true. That God chose certain people to 301 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,100 be drawn to Jesus for the purposes of building, the 302 00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:05,200 kingdom of God at the start and in particular he's probably 303 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:08,200 talking about the apostles as we'll see in a couple of verses. 304 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:11,500 When Jesus says, I have made your name known to the men, you 305 00:17:11,500 --> 00:17:14,800 took from the world to give me. If we say he's talking about the 306 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,599 apostles and that God specifically chose these men to 307 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:21,200 be Jesus, a possible. Well then there's no Illogical 308 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,300 problem. Here, it's not a general 309 00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:26,300 sweeping statement about the way God works all the time. 310 00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:30,400 It's a, it's talking about the apostles, being picked to begin 311 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:33,800 the Christ movement. So we don't have to say that God 312 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,700 works in exactly the same way as he does here, as when Jesus 313 00:17:37,700 --> 00:17:41,100 returns to Heaven. Jesus continues, they were 314 00:17:41,100 --> 00:17:43,200 yours. And you gave them to me and they 315 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,100 have kept your word. So these faithful Christian 316 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:49,100 disciples are the Sheep who are mentioned in the parable of the 317 00:17:49,108 --> 00:17:51,900 Good Shepherd. The For the ones who are open to 318 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:54,800 God's promptings and they respond to Jesus Commandments, 319 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:58,300 they are those who have been with Jesus and have continued to 320 00:17:58,308 --> 00:18:01,400 follow his teachings. And these are the ones who are 321 00:18:01,408 --> 00:18:04,800 going to form Jesus church verse 7. 322 00:18:04,900 --> 00:18:08,600 Now at last, they know that all you have given me comes indeed 323 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,500 from you. Think about this phrase. 324 00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:16,700 Let's this just keep this in mind as we go now at last. 325 00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:20,200 They know that all you have given me comes indeed from you. 326 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:23,200 So because of what Jesus has been saying, in the farewell 327 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:28,400 discourse, the apostles realize that Jesus is who he is, he is 328 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,700 who he claims to be, and that he comes from God. 329 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:33,500 During the ministry of Jesus, the apostles did have their 330 00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:37,100 doubts about Jesus identity. But if you read the end of 331 00:18:37,100 --> 00:18:40,100 chapter 16, which we just finished in the previous day, 332 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,000 Days. The Apostle's have this moment 333 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,000 of Revelation where I realized that Jesus is who he says he is. 334 00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:48,400 So that appears to be who Jesus is talking about his talking 335 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,900 about the apostles, Notice the phrase here now at last. 336 00:18:52,900 --> 00:18:57,600 They know, you'll know if you know a bit of grammar, the VA 337 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,300 must be referring back to the people. 338 00:18:59,300 --> 00:19:03,800 Jesus was just talking about in the previous verse, who is 339 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,100 Jesus. Talking about in the previous 340 00:19:05,100 --> 00:19:08,000 verse, the menu took from the world to give to me. 341 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,500 So he's continuing to talk about the same group. 342 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:16,200 And then in this verse in verse 7, Jesus says, this group is the 343 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:20,500 ones who know that, all you have given the sun is indeed from the 344 00:19:20,700 --> 00:19:22,700 Father. So it's a group of people who 345 00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:25,900 believe that Jesus is from the father and have just realized 346 00:19:25,900 --> 00:19:28,300 that. So, all the evidence here is 347 00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:32,200 suggesting that they, Jesus has in mind is the apostles. 348 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,300 So, when Jesus says, you have picked two people from the world 349 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:38,000 to give to me. If we take all these verses 350 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,400 together, it seems like Jesus is talking about the apostles. 351 00:19:41,500 --> 00:19:43,100 That's who the focus at the prayer. 352 00:19:43,100 --> 00:19:47,400 Is not all, Christian Believers, however, later in the prayer, 353 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,000 not today, but in later lectures area, Readings. 354 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,600 In the coming days, you'll notice there is a transition 355 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:57,800 later on when Jesus starts to talk about Christian Believers 356 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,800 in later centuries, but at the moment, he's just talking about 357 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,700 the apostles. That would be my reading of this 358 00:20:03,700 --> 00:20:08,200 text. Although I should, I should 359 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,000 mention here as part of this podcast. 360 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,900 There's very few texts that the Catholic church has defined. 361 00:20:13,900 --> 00:20:16,500 As here is the deafening interpretation, there's a few of 362 00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:19,900 them but not many. And so, with a lot of these 363 00:20:19,900 --> 00:20:24,800 things, you're free to look at the text yourself and go with 364 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,700 what in interpretation seems best to you based on your 365 00:20:27,700 --> 00:20:32,200 research. So we're up to verse 8 for I 366 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,800 have given them, the teaching you gave to me and they have 367 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,400 truly accepted this that I came from you and have believed that 368 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,300 it was you who sent me. So Jesus has been teaching his 369 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,300 followers, particularly the apostles, all that he has heard 370 00:20:45,300 --> 00:20:48,300 from the father and they have accepted it as being from the 371 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:49,600 father. They believe. 372 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:53,100 Jesus is truly the Son of God verse 9. 373 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:56,700 I pray for them or more. Literally, here, I am praying 374 00:20:56,700 --> 00:20:59,200 for them. So, Jesus is saying that in this 375 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,700 current prayer, He is praying for his disciples and he's about 376 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:07,100 to give a series of requests to the father about his followers. 377 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,700 But now he says, I am not praying for the world, some have 378 00:21:11,700 --> 00:21:13,900 considered this to be quite a controversial phrase. 379 00:21:13,900 --> 00:21:15,400 What do you mean? Jesus isn't praying for the 380 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,500 world. We shouldn't take this to mean 381 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:21,800 that Jesus never praised for the world in general, but in this 382 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:25,700 case, in this prayer, he is praying about his followers and 383 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:27,900 that's okay. It's okay for Jesus to pray 384 00:21:27,900 --> 00:21:29,700 about certain people and not others. 385 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:34,100 Times. But for those, you have given me 386 00:21:34,100 --> 00:21:36,600 because they belong to you, there's that language of 387 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:38,900 belonging again. So Jesus is praying to the 388 00:21:38,900 --> 00:21:42,600 father for his followers. Jesus has been trusted by the 389 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:46,400 father with protecting these ones that the father has chosen. 390 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,600 So now Jesus asks the father to protect them after he has gone. 391 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:55,300 Jesus is kind of transferring his protection from himself to 392 00:21:55,300 --> 00:21:56,800 the father. That's kind of what's going on 393 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,600 here. Verse 10. 394 00:21:58,700 --> 00:22:01,900 All I have is yours and all you have is mine. 395 00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:05,600 So, there's this deep intimacy between the father and the son 396 00:22:06,500 --> 00:22:09,200 in context. This refers primarily to, Jesus 397 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,500 followers, all you have refers to the followers in them, I am 398 00:22:14,500 --> 00:22:17,200 glorified. So, the works of Jesus followers 399 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,100 point back to Jesus himself, all the works, the apostles do and 400 00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:22,700 that they will do in the coming years. 401 00:22:22,900 --> 00:22:26,100 Point back to Jesus. Verse 11. 402 00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:28,900 A so in today's lecture rereading we're just looking at 403 00:22:28,900 --> 00:22:31,600 the first half of verse 11 and we'll do the second half of 404 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,600 verse 11. In the coming days verse 11, a I 405 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:39,400 am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world and I 406 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:43,900 am coming to you So Jesus is about to leave the world and 407 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,500 return to the father, but the apostles will still need help 408 00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:50,600 and protection. And Jesus knows that Jesus has 409 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,400 said earlier, in this discourse of the world hates the disciples 410 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:59,200 that's in 15:19. So all of these last few 411 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,100 phrases, the basic idea appears to be that after the 412 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:05,400 crucifixion, which is going to happen very soon. 413 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,000 It is not Jesus who will protect and provide for his followers 414 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:10,900 since he won't always be with them. 415 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,000 Anymore. So rather Jesus asks the father 416 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,500 to watch over them in his absence that's kind of the point 417 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:21,000 of this prayer. Jesus knows that the apostles 418 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,500 will be without a Shepherd for a while. 419 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:24,800 So he is asking the father to protect them. 420 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:29,100 So, a long and complex prayer there. 421 00:23:30,500 --> 00:23:34,000 There's a few places where this great High Priestly prayer gets 422 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,700 mentioned in the catechism because it's quite an important 423 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,600 section of the gospels in teaching us about Jesus and his 424 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,600 prayers. So I just want to read out a few 425 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:47,600 of the most important ones. In paragraph 2, 7 4 6. 2 to 7 426 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,900 and 51. That is a commentary on this 427 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:51,500 prayer. So there's actually a section of 428 00:23:51,500 --> 00:23:54,900 the catechism dedicated to this prayer and I want to read out 429 00:23:55,500 --> 00:24:00,500 the first few paragraphs of this commentary because this is, you 430 00:24:00,500 --> 00:24:04,500 know, you could almost say the official Catholic t or one of 431 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:07,200 the official Catholic teachings about how to interpret the 432 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,700 prayer of the of Jesus at this point. 433 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,600 So here's what it says paragraph, 2746 onwards. 434 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:18,300 When his The hour came, Jesus prayed to the father, his 435 00:24:18,300 --> 00:24:21,800 prayer, the longest transmitted by the gospel Embraces, the 436 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,500 whole economy of creation and salvation as well as his death 437 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:29,400 and Resurrection, the prayer of the hour of Jesus, always 438 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,700 remains his own just as his Passover once, for all remains 439 00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:37,700 ever present in the Liturgy of his church, Christian tradition, 440 00:24:37,700 --> 00:24:40,700 rightly calls, this prayer. The Priestly prayer of Jesus. 441 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,400 It is the prayer of our high priest Inseparable from his Vice 442 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,100 from his passing over to the father to whom he is. 443 00:24:49,100 --> 00:24:53,200 Holy consecrated in this, Pascal and sacrificial prayer. 444 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,900 Everything is recapitulated in Christ. 445 00:24:56,300 --> 00:25:00,300 God in the world, the word and the flesh, eternal life and 446 00:25:00,300 --> 00:25:03,000 time. The love that hands itself over. 447 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,200 And thus, in the portrays, it the disciples present and those 448 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,300 who will believe in him by their word, humiliation and Glory. 449 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:15,900 It is the prayer of unity. Jesus fulfilled, the work of the 450 00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:20,700 father, completely his prayer like his sacrifice extends Until 451 00:25:20,700 --> 00:25:25,200 the End of Time, the prayer of this our fulfills the end times 452 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,000 and carries them towards their consummation. 453 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000 Jesus, the son to whom the father has given. 454 00:25:31,008 --> 00:25:35,700 All things has given himself wholly back to the father, yet, 455 00:25:35,700 --> 00:25:39,100 expresses himself with a sovereign Freedom by virtue of 456 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:43,400 the power, the father has given him over All Flesh, the son who 457 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:48,500 made himself If servant is Lord the pantocrator, a high priest 458 00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:52,900 who prays for us is also the one who prays in us and the God who 459 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:57,000 he is our prayer. So that's a really amazing 460 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,100 summary of what's going on here. Everything. 461 00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:02,300 You've just heard their suppliers certainly in the 462 00:26:02,300 --> 00:26:04,400 coming days as well. As we continue to look at the 463 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:06,000 rest of the high Priestly prayer. 464 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,400 Paragraph 17 to 1, this is about Christian. 465 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:13,600 Beatitude it says God puts us in the world to know to love and to 466 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,500 serve him. And so to come to Paradise, 467 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:21,100 beatitude makes us partakers of the divine nature and of eternal 468 00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:25,200 life with beatitude man, enters into the glory of Christ. 469 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,900 And into the joy of the trinitarian life. 470 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:34,600 Paragraph 1069 is about the word liturgy through the Liturgy 471 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:38,500 Christ, Our Redeemer and high priest continues, the work of 472 00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:41,900 our redemption in with and through his church. 473 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,200 And obviously that comes out pretty clearly in his high 474 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:48,900 Priestly prayer. Lastly, we'll look at paragraph 475 00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:52,900 28 12 and this is a commentary on the part of the Our Father, 476 00:26:52,900 --> 00:26:57,000 which says, Hallowed be thy name finally, in Jesus, the name of 477 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,700 the holy God is revealed and given to us in the flesh. 478 00:27:00,700 --> 00:27:04,600 As Savior revealed by what he is, by his word. 479 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,200 And by his sacrifice, this is the heart of his Priestly 480 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,900 prayer. Holy Father, for their sake. 481 00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:14,700 I consecrate myself that they also So, maybe consecrated in 482 00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:17,800 truth. Because he sanctifies his own 483 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,600 name. Jesus reveals to us the name of 484 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,800 the father at the end of Christ's Passover. 485 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,200 The father gives him the name that is above all names. 486 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:33,000 Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father And 487 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,000 there's a couple of other paragraphs that all include in 488 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:40,400 the, in the show notes as well. So a longer podcast today 489 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,000 because of how deep and complex the high Priestly prayer. 490 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,800 He's thank you for listening. I hope you have benefited 491 00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:50,700 benefited from digging into the text of the high Priestly 492 00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:52,600 prayer. If you think there's others in 493 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,000 your life, who would benefit from hearing this, then please 494 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,500 share it with them as well. Thank you. 495 00:27:57,500 --> 00:27:59,900 And we'll continue in the high Priestly prayer in the coming 496 00:27:59,900 --> 00:28:00,400 days.