⁶ “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”

God’s gift to Jesus Christ is you and me! Now that’s an interesting thought. We sometimes hear the derisive saying, “That person thinks they are God’s gift to the world.” But to think that I am the Father’s gift to the Son is an amazing thing!

Does this apply to us, or just the eleven disciples? After all, God’s choosing them, in context, has more to do with their mission as apostles than with their own personal eternity. However, Jesus makes it clear that He extends His prayer to all believers, not just the eleven: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20).

William MacDonald quotes J.G. Bellet, “They were the Father’s by election before the world was, and became Christ’s by the gift of the Father, and by purchase of blood.” What do you give to someone who is God? The Father gave the gift of image-bearers of His glory. His gifts are perfect (James 1:17). Bottom line: we are special to God because we are the Father’s perfect gift to His Son. This gift was entirely suitable, fitting for the One “for whom are all things, and through whom are all things” who brought “many sons to glory” (Heb 2:10). The perfect gift for the perfect Savior.

Keep in mind this is the intimate prayer of the Son as He speaks to the Father. While condescending to allow the disciples (and us) to listen in, it nonetheless contains things beyond our comprehension, but not beyond our wonder. To think that I am, that you are, the precious, perfect gift that the Father gave as an expression of His love for His son – that should stop us in our tracks with an overwhelming sense of honor, privilege and gratitude. How can God see us as a gift? This is beyond mere human understanding but not beyond gratitude, praise and worship of Him whose ways are above ours.

The positive thing Jesus had to say about His followers was, “they have kept Your word.” No mention of what they were about to do in abandoning Him. Obedience was not a qualification for their election. It was proof of their faith, of being chosen by God. To miss this distinction brings error and is extremely important on two fronts: salvation does not come by obedience, for it was our disobedience that necessitated the need of salvation in the first place. Salvation comes by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9). But, on the other hand, a faith not accompanied by obedience is no faith at all (James 2:14, 17, etc.).

Lord, thank You for the desire to obey that You have placed in me.