9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.
We learn in our verse for today that our Lord Jesus does things for His believing people which He does not do for the unbelieving – He aids their souls through special intercession. We will discover later that He prays for both the protection and the sanctification of the believer. Indeed, Hebrews tells us our great High Priest lives to intercede for us:
24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Heb 7:24-25 (NIV)
This special intercession of our Savior is one grand secret of the believer’s safety – we are daily under the watchful eye of the One who never slumbers nor sleeps and never ceases to pray. The true servant of Jesus should lean on and take comfort in this Truth set before us as it is a treasure for Christ’s followers and ought to be well known among the saints. The psalmist proclaims:
3 He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms 121:3-4 (NIV)
The unbelieving world neither needs to be preserved in its rebellion nor sanctified in its unbelieving state. The doctrine set before us is one that is especially hated by the world as it stirs up a bitter offence. The idea that God would make any distinction between men is objectionable to them in the highest degree. Yet the world’s objections to this doctrine are unreasonable and weak. With but little reflection one can discover the special intercession Christ has for His saints to be found reasonable. Surely a God that would consider the righteous and the unrighteous, the holy and the unholy, the good and the evil no different would be a strange God indeed! The special intercession by Jesus for the benefit of believers is both agreeable to reason and common sense. It is true - on the one hand - we must guard this Scriptural Truth carefully so as not to narrow the love of Christ towards sinners yet, on the other hand, we must neither make it too broad. It is abundantly true Jesus loves sinners but it is also true that He has a special affection for the faithful whom He both sanctifies and glorifies.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:16-21 (NIV)
“I will give place to no one in maintaining that Jesus loves all mankind, came into the world for all, died for all, provided redemption sufficient for all, calls on all, invites all, commands all to repent and believe; and ought to be offered to all - freely, fully, unreservedly, directly, unconditionally – without money and without price. If I did not hold this, I dare not get into a pulpit, and I should not understand how to preach the Gospel. But while I hold this, I maintain firmly that Jesus does special work for those who believe, which He does not do for others. He quickens them by His Spirit, calls them by His grace, washes them in His blood – justifies them, sanctifies them, keeps them, leads them, and continually intercedes for them – that they may not fall. If I did not believe all this, I should be a very miserable, unhappy Christian.” John Charles Ryle
God's mercy is vast and beyond our comprehension. He will never reject anyone who turns to Him for mercy. Nor will He force Himself on anyone who chooses to live without Him.
Michael Youssef
Lastly, Jesus again states His disciples were given to Him by the Father to teach them and feed them and save them. He alone would be able to keep them standing even after His departure from the earth. They would be able to stand because there was (and is) One in heaven actively and effectually interceding for them causing them to stand just as He has continued (and continues) to do for every believer thereafter. Paul tells us in Romans:
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. Romans 14:4 (NIV)
“With God, the honeymoon never ends.” John Piper