ONE IN HIS NAME

Jesus' departure from this world is the grounds for His prayer. He said, "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to you, Holy Father" (John 17:11). The verbs, "I am" (ειμι), "they are" (εισιν), and "I come" (ερχομαι), are all in the present tense. Jesus prays as if His pending departure has already happened. He prays from the vantage point of heaven.

God's holiness in contrast with the world's unholiness is the grounds for guarding us. "Holy Father, keep them in Your name," Jesus prays. The vocative, "Holy Father" (πατερ αγιε) is important. Jesus' prayer request to the Father to guard His followers is in perfect harmony with God's holiness and because of the world's unholiness. We remain in this unholy world, so we need a Holy Father to keep us in His name. We can pray, "Hallowed be your name" (Mt. 6:9) only as the Holy Father keeps us in His name (Meyer, John, p. 466).

"Keep" (τηρησον) is an imperative of request. It carries the force of urgency and intensity without carrying the force of command (Dana and Mantey, Grammar, p. 176). The verb (τηρεω) means "to keep watch over, guard" or even "hold" and "preserve" someone (BAGD, p.814). Jude later addresses his letter to those who are "beloved in God the Father, and have been kept (perfect tense of τηρεω) for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:1). Here is the answer to Jesus' request in John 17!

Jesus asks the Father to "keep them in Your name, which You have given Me" (John 17:11). The textual problem illustrates the dilemma for interpreters. Is Jesus talking about the disciples being given to Him - some manuscripts use the pronoun ους - or is He talking about the name being given to Him - other manuscripts read ω. The disciples are certainly given to Jesus (John 17:9), but the more difficult reading is preferred in this verse. The gift in this verse (and verse 12) is the name. The antecedent of "which" (ω) is "the name" (τω ονοματι). The Father gives the Son His name thereby indicating that God's essential nature is seen in the Son (Bernard, John, 2:559).

The purpose of keeping them in His name is unity - oneness - "that (ινα) they may be (ωσιν) one (εν) even as we are." We are one as the Father and Son are one (see John 10:30). Jesus extends His prayer for unity to all His followers including us in verse 21. The verb (ωσιν) is a present active subjunctive from ειμι. It is the verb of existence - to be not to become. Jesus does not pray that we become one. He prays that we continue to be one. The number one (εν) is neuter in gender suggesting an essential oneness - a unit. We exist as one just as the Father and Son exist as one (Morris, John, p. 727).

Our oneness is not organizational but organic, not ecumenical but spiritual. We are a unit in the name of Jesus. Jesus speaks of an ontological unity here. We do not create unity. We participate in a unity He created. All who genuinely name His name share His life, so we participate in His oneness no matter what human name we use to describe ourselves. We are kept in His name because we share in His nature. God will never fail to keep us one although we may fail to live as one.