"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world ..." (John 17:11)

"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name You gave me, so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:11)

What is 'the power of Your Name'?

This statement by Jesus, continuing his open prayer to the Supreme Being regarding Jesus' students ("they" and "them") asks God to "protect them by the power of Your Name." What does this mean? How can God's Name protect them?

The phrase, "by the power of Your Name," indicates clearly that Jesus recognized that God's Name has some sort of power.

The Greek phrase τήρησον αὐτοὺς here is being translated to "protect them". The primary translation of the word τηρέω (tēreō) is, according to the lexicon, "to attend to carefully, take care of," and "to keep" according to the lexicon.

For this reason, "keep" is a more appropriate translation:

"keep them by the power of Your Name"

To "keep" someone includes protecting that person. But it also lends to keeping that person close in a personal sense. Someone might be protected remotely by someone or something: For example, an insurance policy might "protect" someone against damage to their house or car. But to "keep" someone is an action word that also includes remaining close - from a personal prospective.

Jesus is clearly stating here that God's Name has the power to "keep them" and "protect them." How is that?

The power of calling out the Supreme Being's Name has been discussed throughout the Biblical scriptures, yet some institutions seem to ignore them. Let's first consider one of the clearest instructions from Jesus regarding the praising of God's Names, within the famous "Lord's Prayer" (using the King James Version):

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name." (Matt. 6:9 KJV)

What does it mean to "hallow" something? The word "hallow" is being translated from the Greek ἁγιάζω (hagiazō), which means "to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable." To hold something venerable means to honor, worship or praise it.

So Jesus is honoring or venerating God's Name in one of his most important instructions, as he stated, just before he began the prayer:

“This, then, is how you should pray:" (Matt. 6:9 NIV)

and

"After this manner therefore pray ye:" (Matt. 6:9 KJV)

So Jesus was clearly instructing his students to praise God's Names within their prayers.

Yet when some sects consider praising God, they praise Jesus' name. While there is nothing wrong with this, we know from Jesus' statements above that Jesus is especially pleased when we praise the Name of His Lord - the Supreme Being.

Did Jesus' followers praise God's Name?

We find that Jesus' followers praised God's Names not just within prayers, but outwardly:

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen (Luke 19:37)

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:20)

Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. (Luke 5:25)

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. (Luke 17:15)

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. (Luke 18:43)

And after the final miracle - of Jesus' final appearance to his disciples, his disciples praised God:

And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:53)

What does "praising God" mean? It means to venerate, honor and glorify His Names.

And this is confirmed by the teachings of Jesus' disciples - as indicated by this statement by Peter:

"And everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Acts 2:21)

And by James:

"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord." (James 5:10)

Now we can see that Jesus' and his disciples' teachings regarding the power of singing or otherwise incanting God's Names was not a new one. It was also part of the tradition of the prophets' teachings. Their teachings professed the importance of worshiping God by praising His Names. They built temples specifically for the purpose of praising God. And their teachers were founded upon the power of God's Names.

So what is it about praising God's and His Names that is so special?

Why praise God's 'Name'?

Consider first the importance of our own name to us. What happens if we suddenly hear our name being called out - even if someone is calling someone else who also has our name? Our ears perk up and we look around to see who might be calling us. Why is that?

Because we feel that our name is important to us. Our name is dear to us and is thus a tool that others can reach out to us with, and connect to us with.

Just consider the first phrase of any email or letter: "Dear so-and-so [insert name]." The person's name is being put in the email or letter first to indicate who it is going to, but also to draw attention to that person that it is an email or letter specifically being sent to them. Who would bother reading a letter or email that does not address them? Such an email from someone the reader does not know would be considered spam.

Now the importance of our name to us is only a tiny reflection of the power of God's Names, because our names are temporary, and many others also share our name with us (just google your name). A person's name is given to us by our parents. Anyone can change their name today. When a woman marries, she often changes her last name. And when a person dies (leaves their physical body) we become separated from the name of our physical body.

All of this means that there is a duality between us and our name. Our names might refer to us temporarily - but they are not attached to our permanent identity - our spiritual identity.

Are God's Names spiritual?

There are many names that can be called out. Each of us in the physical world has multiple names. Are God's Names any different, and why?

Scriptural evidence indicates that the Supreme Being's Names are different. God is permanent. He is eternal. He never dies. Thus references to Him like His Names, are also permanent. They never change or die. They eternally refer to Him.

And because the Supreme Being is spiritual in nature, there is no duality between God's Name and Himself. There is no separation between God and His Name.

Let's consider this more carefully. We each have two hands, and we might say those hands are part of us. But if we lose our hand in an accident, we are still the same person, but without one hand. Therefore, the hand was not really part of us. This is the duality of the physical world.

But the Supreme Being's Hands are part of Him. They are non-separable from Him. They are eternally one of His parts, and because of that, they have eternal power. When God does something with His Hands, He does that. This is why many will say "in God's Hands" when they mean something or someone is dependent upon God.

It is the same with God's Name. His Names are part of Him. They are non-separable from Him.

This means that when we praise God and invoke His Name with sincerity and humility - we can connect with Him. Because He is present within His Name.

This is a spiritual concept that is difficult for the human mind to conceive. The human mind takes in so many sensory things, and processes them like a machine. So a sound or a vision that is spiritual cannot be distinguished by the mind by itself.

But if we trust Jesus' teachings and the teachings of the Prophets, and God's own statements, we can know that His Names have spiritual power. By calling out His Name with sincerity and respect we bring His personal presence.

This is precisely what Jesus is talking about when he says:

"protect them by the power of Your Name, the Name You gave me, so that they may be one as we are one."

When he says "the Name You gave me" he is not saying how God named Jesus. He is saying that Jesus was given - δίδωμι (didōmi) - God's Name. It was given to Jesus - it was a gift. The Greek word δίδωμι (didōmi) means "to bestow a gift" to someone. Naming someone is not bestowing a gift. But giving someone something special ("a gift") refers to God's Name being given to Jesus, and Jesus is thanking God for this gift.

Any of us have this ability to glorify and praise God's Names. God has many names - praised and documented by countless loving servants who have loved Him since time immemorial. God is not limited to one or two Names. He is the Supreme Being, and we can approach Him by praising His Name.

This is one of the mainstays of Jesus' teachings and a critical element in achieving Jesus' most important instruction:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

*Here is the translation of this verse of Jesus' prayer from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"I will no longer remain in the material world; but they are in the material world and I am departing to You. Blessed LORD, by the power of Your Name, keep those You have entrusted to me, so they may be united, just as we are.” (John 17:2)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who ..." (John 17:20-21)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me." (John 17:20-21)

Is Jesus inside of God?

This translation* makes it seem that Jesus is inside of God and God is inside of Jesus. This is a simple error relating not only to a Greek word, but also a concept of Jesus' relationship with God.

The Greek word ἐν is being translated here to "in" - as in "You are in me and I am in You." 

However, this word can also mean "with" or "among" according to the Greek lexicon. This would radically change the meaning of that phrase to:

"You are with me and I am with You."

This concept of being "with" someone is based upon relationship. Jesus has a loving relationship with God. This means that Jesus loves God and God loves Jesus.

Jesus' love for God - his relationship with God - also means that Jesus has the same will as God:

"By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me." (John 5:30) 

We can see by this statement that Jesus wants to please God because he has a loving relationship with God.

We could compare this to how a husband and wife would share a loving relationship, and the wife might say about the husband: "He is with me and I am with him." They are together - not only in love but in will - because they love each other.

What does 'all of them may be one' mean?

This translation error ("in" instead of "with") also relates to the misunderstanding of the word "one" with respect to God. 

In this statement, the word "one" is being translated from the Greek word εἷς (heis). In this context, according to Thayer's lexicon, this word would mean, "to be united most closely (in will, spirit)."

This is also illustrated in another, more popular mistranslation:

"I and the Father are one." (John 10:30)

 In this passage, the word "one" is also being translated from the Greek word εἷς (heis).

In both statements, Jesus is not saying that he is "one" with God or his followers are "one" as if they become the same person. In John 10:30, Jesus is saying that he is united with God in purpose. God's will is also Jesus' will. 

This means that the more appropriate translation of John 10:30 would be:
"I and the Father are united."

And in John 17:21, Jesus is saying that his followers are also united. They are united amongst each other and united with Jesus (and therefore God) in purpose and will. 

The phrase related to Jesus being "with" God also contains the Greek word ἵνα (hina). This word does not relate to being inside of another person. The word relates to having the same goals or intentions according to the lexicon.

In other words, the Greek clearly illustrates this prayer by Jesus is saying that he and God have the same purpose, and Jesus' true followers do too. They are all united in will - which is confirmed by the word "with" - becoming "united with."

The very fact that Jesus is praying to the Supreme Being indicates clearly that there are two individuals - the Supreme Being and Jesus. One person - Jesus - is praying to another person - God. Jesus certainly is not praying to himself.

Could we all be God?

If Jesus was praying according to this NIV translation, then, "that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You" would mean Jesus' followers would also be God - inferring that we are all God.

This theory - that everyone is God - is often taught by some teachers who want to take a departure from Jesus' teachings. This "I am God" philosophy is popular among some. Does this doctrine have any logic?

If we are all God why would anyone have to teach us this? If we were all God then we would not have forgotten that we are God and require someone to teach us that we are God.

If we are all God then we wouldn't need Jesus to come to teach us anything.

If we were God we would be in control. God means Omniscient Being. We would control the universe and everything in it if we were God. Nothing would control us. Thus we could never forget we were God because we would also control forgetfulness. Forgetfulness would never control us, and thus we would never forget anything. And therefore we would be executing our God-ship at every moment.

Some of these "we are all God" pundits will say that we just purposely forgot we were God and are now simply playing our pastimes in the physical world for a while.

Oh really now? So we are dominated by the physical world by our own choice? Consider earthquakes, tornadoes, hunger, pain, birth, death, disease and so many other conditions we have no control over. We decided to suffer from these ourselves?

If that is true, then why can't we get out when we want to? Why can't any one of us say, "okay, enough suffering, I'm going back to heaven to relax"?

We can't get out of this physical world because we are not God. We are not in control - we are controlled. We are dominated by the forces of the physical world. We are dominated by these physical bodies - though we simply occupy them temporarily.

We are also dominated by forgetfulness, which is why we have forgotten our real identities, and why teachers like Jesus must be sent by the Supreme Being to teach us about Him.

Yes, Jesus was sent by the Supreme Being. He states this very clearly here:

"so that the world may believe that You have sent me."

Thus we can know that Jesus' is God's messenger. He is God's representative. One who sends another is the sender and the person who is sent is the messenger. Jesus is admitting his position with relation to God is that he is God's messenger.

But Jesus is also discussing being "in" the Supreme Being, and the Supreme Being being "in" Jesus. What is this, and how could they both be inside each other at the same time?

What is Jesus' oneness with God?

It is not as if one person is inside the other. It is not as if Jesus is saying that he is inside of God and God is inside of him literally. This is a figurative expression - being united or being "one" - are both figurative.

Look again at the point of Jesus' being God's messenger - His representative. What is taking place here? Jesus is passing on God's message without changing it.

He is also asking his students to pass on that same message without changing it.

Now let's consider a messenger that we might hire to pass on a message. We give the messenger the message and they bike off to deliver it.

But say the person they deliver the message to doesn't completely understand the message when they read it. They then ask the messenger to explain the message. Can the messenger explain it?

If the messenger is a paid messenger, he will likely not be able to explain it. He is just "doing his job" and doesn't really care about the sender much. He is just doing the minimum to get the job done - it is just business to him.

But what if we sent our message through a close friend of ours. The friend knows us very well and they know our intentions. They also care about us and want to make sure that our message gets passed on to the intended receiver.

So this messenger will deliver the message, and guess what? Should the receiver say he doesn't quite understand the message, and asks the messenger to explain it to him. What will happen?

Most certainly this messenger - a caring friend of ours - will be able to explain the message well. Why?

Because there is a oneness that exists between our trusted friend the messenger and ourselves. What is this oneness? A common purpose. The messenger-friend cares about us so he wants to see our message get across. He doesn't care about the money - he doesn't want anything from us. He just cares about us and wants to get our message across.

This is the type of oneness is what Jesus is talking about - although thousands of times deeper. Jesus is discussing a oneness of purpose. A oneness of will.

He is talking about the fact that Jesus is doing God's will, and Jesus is enlisting his disciples and students to also do God's will.

This is because since they will be doing what Jesus wants them to do - Jesus' will - they will also be doing what God wants them to do - because Jesus is doing God's will. There is a oneness there between Jesus' will and God's will, and there can be this same oneness between Jesus' disciples and God if they trust in Jesus' teachings - which means they act upon them.

This oneness, then, is about doing God's will.

Just consider how important doing God's will is to Jesus:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21)

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:50)

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)

"For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me." (John 6:38)

"Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own." (John 7:17)

He [Jesus] went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” (Matt. 26:42)

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Hame, Your kingdom come, Your will be done..." (Matt. 6:10-11)

So we see that doing God's will was a critical part of Jesus' teachings. And what does doing God's will mean? It means serving God. It means doing what God wants. It means pleasing the Supreme Being.

And when a person is doing what pleases someone else out of their own volition - with love - what is taking place? There is a oneness of purpose. The person has become one with that person in the sense that they are doing what pleases them.

This is the oneness that Jesus had with the Supreme Being, and Jesus wanted his students and disciples to have that same oneness.

What does Jesus mean by 'believe in me'?

This NIV translation makes it appear "their message" somehow renders belief in Jesus. And how can this make "all of them" one? And how does this relate to God being "in me" (Jesus) and Jesus being "in You" (God). If one person is inside of another, how can that other person also be inside the person who is inside of them?

With regard to "believe," the original Greek makes it clear that Jesus is speaking of believing - trusting - in his teachings. Here is the entire first section (John 17:20) in Greek:

οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ

The key part of this phrase is ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ, which is being translated* to "who will believe in me through their message" and "which shall believe on me through their word" in the NIV and KJV respectively.

Let's break it down:
ἀλλὰ means however or but
καὶ means also
περὶ means regarding or concerning
τῶν means those
πιστευόντων means to trust or to have confidence in
διὰ means in
τοῦ means of
λόγου means teachings
αὐτῶν means of them
εἰς means into, unto, for, among, towards, to or within
ἐμέ means I, mine, me or myself

So the primary subjects of this sentence are teachings, and those who trust in the teachings. Jesus is clearly not speaking of believing in "me" - Jesus. Jesus is talking about those who will trust in his teachings.

What, then, does the last part mean - "into myself," or "within me"?

Remember that the primary subject of this first statement is the teachings. The secondary subject is those who would be trusting in those teachings: "those who." And just who would be trusting in Jesus' teachings? Naturally, Jesus' students and disciples. The fact that they are trusting in Jesus' teachings makes them Jesus' students and disciples.

And the third subject of the sentence is Jesus - from whom those teachings came.

Can Jesus be separated from his teachings?

There is a slight colloquialism as Jesus refers to the teachings. The teachings "within me" - are coming from Jesus - rather, from the depth of Jesus' being.

Those teachings are part of Jesus. Jesus is committed to those teachings and thus those teachings are part of Jesus. Jesus is inseparable from those teachings.

Those teachings, in fact, are coming from the Supreme Being, who is also within Jesus - in the form of God's expansion as the Holy Spirit. But also within Jesus in the manner that Jesus is loving God.

People also will use this type of figurative colloquialism: When they speak of someone they love, they will say: "They are in my heart." 

We know that the person is not physically inside the other person's heart. But this is said because their connection is so deep that there is a heartfelt connection: a loving connection.

This is why Jesus wants them to trust in his teachings: Because those teachings are coming not just from God, but from the loving relationship that exists between Jesus and the Supreme Being.

Jesus is teaching about the Supreme Being and what it means to have a loving relationship with the Supreme Being. He is introducing us to our Best Friend and Constant Companion - the Supreme Being. Jesus is teaching us about loving and serving our true Soul Mate.


*Here is the translation of this part of Jesus' prayer from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"I do not pray for their sake alone, but also for those who trust in me through their teachings. So they may be united, even as You, LORD, are with me and I with You, that they may be with us, so the world may trust that You sent me.” (John 17:15)

"I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they ..." (John 17:22-23)

"I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and You in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me." (John 17:22-23)

What does Jesus mean by 'glory'?

We can quickly tell that "glory" is not the best choice of translation* by the fact that Jesus is saying that he gave his followers "glory." How would a teacher give his followers glory?

If we were talking about a football team where the coach led the team to a championship, that might be a case for the coach giving glory to the team.

But Jesus was not a football coach. So let's discuss the concept Jesus is praying about more closely.

As Jesus continues his open prayer to the Supreme Being, he delves into the depths of his intimate relationship with the Supreme Being.

Entering into this relationship is not possible for professional teachers among those sectarian institutions motivated by gaining followers and filling their coffers.

Entering into this relationship is not possible for those who confuse Jesus with God - teaching that Jesus is "God became man." To call Jesus God ignores the very relationship that Jesus had with God.

Jesus contradicts such a notion in front of his disciples (he is praying openly before his disciples here) not only with his prayer in general but this specific part of his prayer:

"I have given them the glory that You gave me"

"Them" here refers to Jesus' students and disciples - as confirmed throughout this prayer with statements such as "I have given them Your word (teachings)." Certainly, Jesus is referring to whom he has been teaching.

So what has Jesus given them? Glory? What is that? How has Jesus given them glory? Is Jesus talking about fame here? Did he make them famous? - as glory typically refers to fame.

No. The Greek word translated to "glory" here is δόξα (doxa). This is actually a complex word - and in this case, it is more complex because Jesus is using it to describe a spiritual concept.

As we examine the lexicon, we find several uses, but the most applicable would be "a most glorious condition, most exalted state."

So is Jesus talking about God exalting Jesus and Jesus exalting his students? Why, then was Jesus' physical body beaten and tortured, and why, after Jesus left the physical world, did most of his followers have to also undergo beatings and persecution? Were they really exalted?

This is not what Jesus is talking about here. The "glorious condition, most exalted state" that Jesus is speaking of is a spiritual concept. It is a spiritual condition - a spiritual state.

And what is that state? It is bliss. And what produces this bliss?

It is love for the Supreme Being. This is the perfection of spiritual life - as Jesus instructed:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

To achieve this instruction - to fall in love with the Supreme Being - with all our heart and soul and mind - is a glorious spiritual accomplishment. It is the achievement of spiritual perfection.

And this - love for God - can only be granted by the mercy of the Supreme Being and one of God's representatives.

This is why Jesus is saying that "I have given them the glory that You gave me."

Because love for God - real love for God, not the "oh I love God and I love my cat and my dog and my house" that we often hear people say - requires coming to know God.

After all, we cannot love someone we do not know.

And to come to know the Supreme Being, we have to be introduced. Either by God personally or by someone who already knows and loves Him.

This is what Jesus is talking about: He has introduced his students to the Supreme Being and they have come to know God and have achieved love for the Supreme Being through their relationship with Jesus. How is this?

What does Jesus mean by 'they may be one as we are one'?

These references to "unity" and being "one" are being taken from a repeating of the Greek word εἷς (heis), which refers to the opposite of many or divided according to Thayer's lexicon. Jesus' use of this word refers to a unity that comes from having a personal relationship.

How can a person have a personal relationship with God?

Let's say we want to meet a famous rock star, and come to know him. Do we just write him a letter? Millions of people write him letters. Do we try to call him? His phone number is private. Do we try to rush the stage at a concert? The rock star has armed bodyguards that protect him. How do we meet and come to know the rock star?

The only feasible way is to be introduced by a friend of the rock star. If we come to know the rock star's friend and the rock star's friend begins to trust us - they know we aren't a nut case or something - then they might introduce us. But this is only if they - the rock star's friend - trust us and if we are sincere. 

If it seems we are just using the rock star's friend then there will be no trust. But if we are sincere then there will be trust and the friend of the rock star will introduce us.

Of course, such an introduction requires first that the friend of the star is on good terms with the rock star. The rock star must trust the friend - and only then will the rock star trust someone who is introduced by the friend. The whole thing is built upon relationships.

This is not so different for the Supreme Being. Why? Because the spiritual realm is built upon relationships. One must have a relationship with God to be in the spiritual realm. It is not as though we can just go hang out in the spiritual realm and have a good time. The spiritual realm is based upon loving service relationships with God: Loving God and serving God, which is blissful to the pure soul.

God has created us for the purpose of exchanging a loving relationship with Him. He also gave us the freedom of choice to love Him or not. Those who chose not to love Him got sent away to the physical world - and given temporary physical bodies. Why? Because we wanted to get away from Him. So here we are in the physical world - away from Him.

That is why our physical bodies - our temporary vehicles - have no access to God. We cannot see Him, hear him nor touch Him with these physical bodies. This was our choice - God is simply granting our wish to be away from Him.

But should we become serious (and sincere) about returning to our relationship with the Supreme Being, He will see this seriousness as He knows our heart. And He can direct us to His representative who will introduce us to Him.

This is what Jesus is speaking of here. He is introducing his students not just to God, but to his relationship with God. He has revealed God to his students while revealing his intimate relationship with God.

This intimate relationship with God is what Jesus is referring to with:

"that they may be one as we are one — I in them and You in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity."

What does 'complete unity' mean?

We can compare such unity with what happens between a mother and her infant. When the infant is hungry, the mother breastfeeds the infant. When the infant is crying, the mother will try to relieve the infant's distress. The mother cannot ignore the child's crying. She becomes distressed when the infant is distressed. This is because of the love and care that exists between the mother and her infant. The mother cares about the child so much that her life revolves around the infant.

The infant and the mother are certainly two different individuals - the infant is not the mother and the mother is not the infant. But there is unity between them because of the love the mother has for the infant. Her will is connected to the needs of the infant. This creates unity between them.

This is seen when the infant is happy: suddenly the mother will be happy too. There is unity there. When the infant is pleased, the mother is pleased.

In the same way, when a person is in love with the Supreme Being, their will becomes connected with God's will. Whatever God wants, the lover of God wants to do. This is also called loving service. Just as the mother tends to her baby out of love and care, the lover of God will tend to God and serve God with the desire of pleasing Him. This creates a oneness between God and the lover of God.

This type of oneness with God - this loving service to God - can be facilitated by God's representative.

In the example above about the rock star - the friendship between the rock star and his friend will reflect upon our relationship with the rock star too. If they have a particularly close relationship - and we end up having a close relationship with the rock star's friend - certainly our relationship with the rock star will also be close. The relationships become intertwined. This is how relationships work.

Of course, these examples have limitations. The relationships of the rock star or the mother and infant are not as deep as the relationships between God and His loving servants.

This depth of love is expressed by Jesus with this phrase:

— I in them and You in me —

Is Jesus talking about being inside of his disciples' physical bodies? Of course not.

This is a metaphorical expression or idiom. Today we use a similar metaphorical expression/idiom when we refer to someone with whom we have a special loving relationship:

"you are in my heart"

Certainly, this doesn't mean the other person is physically sitting inside my heart. It means that we have a closeness of love. A special loving relationship. This is what Jesus is speaking of as he refers to his relationship with God and his relationship with his closest disciples.

And this closeness also relates directly to Jesus' last point:

"Then the world will know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me."

"Then" is connecting the "so that they may be brought to complete unity" to "the world will know that You sent me". This clarifies the relationship between God and Jesus. Jesus is God's loving servant, and God has sent Jesus.

This also relates directly to the purpose of God sending Jesus. It is not as if God could not come down to the earth and appear at any point in time, and with a thunderous voice say "I am God and you better love Me and serve Me or else." God could do that at any time.

But He doesn't.

Why? Let's use an example.

Let's say that a teenage boy has gone off to college - which his parents are paying for. But before the boy leaves he gets into a fight with his dad. The boy curses to his dad and says "I hate you" as he storms off and takes off to college.

What does the thoughtful dad do? Does he just show up at the college? Does he barge into his sons dormitory and demand his son take that back and hug him now? No.

The dad will stay away and give his son some space. He hopes this is a temporary phase, but also respects his son's seeming independence. Even though the dad is still paying for college.

The Supreme Being is sort of like this. He is kind and thoughtful. He is gracious and forbearing. He does not force Himself upon us because He knows that only we can decide to love Him. He cannot force us to love Him.

Why did God send Jesus?

To guide those who sincerely want to return to Him. To re-introduce God to those who want to come to know and love God.

God's messenger already has this oneness with God, because he wants what pleases God. Whatever pleases his master is what pleases him. This creates a oneness of purpose and will, which is what Jesus had.

Such oneness is extended - passed on - when a student of God's representative wants what their teacher wants. Because they know that what their teacher wants is what God wants, they can also join that unity by working to please God under the guidance of the teacher. This is what is taking place between God, Jesus and Jesus' students here.

The precious thing about what Jesus says here is how he praises God's love for him and his students:

"You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me."

Jesus is not thinking that he has some sort of exclusive thing going with the Supreme Being. He is loving the Supreme Being, and wants his students to also love God as he does. Jesus confirmed this when Jesus said elsewhere:

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt. 12:50)

Doing God's will means following Jesus' instructions. His most important instruction was to love God as indicated above. Another instruction was that we pray to the Supreme Being, and we glorify God's Holy Names. This is clearly indicated here:

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matt. 6:9-10)

This indicates that Jesus instructed doing God's will along with praising God's Names ("hallowed be Your Name" or in KJV, "hallowed be Thy Name.")

Jesus' disciples also followed this instruction. This is confirmed in the last verse of Luke, after Jesus had left his disciples and returned to the spiritual realm:

And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. (Luke 24:53)

*Here is the translation of this verse of Jesus' prayer from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"The bliss that You have given me I have given to them, so they may become united, just as we are united: I with them, and You with me, so they may be perfectly united, so the world may know You have sent me – and have loved them just as You have loved me.” (John 17:22-23)

“And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it ...” (John 17:26)

“And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

Why do some translations omit 'Your Name'?

For this verse - the continuation of Jesus' open prayer to the Supreme Being - the New King James Version has been selected. This is because the New International Version omits the phrase "Your Name" in this portion of Jesus' prayer. The original Greek clearly states ὄνομα (onoma), which means "name."

Why have the NIV translators done this? They do not realize Jesus' purpose relating to the glorification of the Supreme Being's Holy Names. This, in fact, was a central component of Jesus' teachings.

We can, in fact, see this aspect of Jesus' teachings throughout the four Gospels. We can also see that calling upon God's Name and praising God's Names has been professed throughout the Biblical scriptures.

Why did Jesus say he 'declared to them Your Name'?

Why did Jesus feel that praising God's Names is so important, and why would Jesus need to "declare" God's Name to his students ("they")?

The word "declared" in this verse comes from the Greek word γνωρίζω (gnōrizō), which means, according to the lexicon, "to make known" and "be recognized." So Jesus is talking about making God's Holy Name known to them. In this context, this means he is glorifying God's Names. Why is this important?

Because the praising of God's Names is the pathway to coming to know and love the Supreme Being. Within the physical world, God reveals Himself through His representatives and through His Holy Names as glorified by His representatives.

God reveals Himself through these vehicles because these relate to devotion.

You see, God is not a 'thing' or an 'it.' God is a Person. He is the Supreme Person. And it is because He is a Person that we can love Him.

We can only love a Person. A person might say "I love that rock" but that is not real love. Real love can only be exchanged between persons.

The Supreme Being is reached through devotion because He connects with us through love. Love means caring for the other person. God loves each of us, and we can only become connected with Him when we love Him. This means we have to care for Him, and this means we have to first come to know Him.

Is this about knowing God?

In the physical world, we typically think of "knowing" someone as becoming aware of a person's habits, or what they do in their spare time, or where they were born and so forth. These are material facts. They are related to the status of the physical body.

In the spiritual realm, "knowing" someone relates to knowing their heart. Knowing their goals and objectives. Knowing what they like or don't like. This type of knowledge is gained through empathy - caring about someone enough to want to know them.

The only way to come to know God is through an introduction by His representative because God's representative already loves God. He already has a connection with God via his love for God. Therefore, that person is qualified to introduce us.

Furthermore, the Supreme Being appears within the physical world on the lips of such a lover of God. When such a person glorifies the Supreme Being, and teaches about God, people become introduced via a subtle mechanism from within the heart - their spiritual selves become connected as their hearts are softened by the teachings of His representative.

And thus God reveals Himself through His glorification by His loving servants - in the form of His Holy Names.

What is duality?

Duality exists within the physical world, but is not present in the Supreme Being. For example, if a person is named John, that name is not the person. They are separate. John can change his name to Jim if he wants.

Duality exists within the physical world primarily because we are not these physical bodies. The fact that the physical body is different from us creates duality here. In the spiritual realm, individuals are themselves.

And the Supreme Being is Himself, and His Names are part of Himself. There is no duality between God's Names and God.

It is for this reason that Jesus is talking about the connection between God's Name, and the love that exists between Jesus and God, and Jesus' beloved students. The connection is love. They each love each other, and through that love, there is unity. This unity is based on love because when someone loves another, they want to please them. Their objectives become one and the same. Thus there is oneness between them through one wanting to please the other.

This unity is often confused with physical presence, as if when Jesus is saying "in them" he is meaning that he is physically inside of them. This is taking Jesus' words to a physical state not intended, as though Jesus is talking about crawling inside their bodies or something.

No. We are talking matters of the heart here. Love.

And we do have a modern expression that approaches the kind of figurative expression Jesus is using and has used before. For example, a person might say:

"He is in my heart."

When a person says this, they mean that they love and care deeply for that person. It is not as if the person has crawled inside their heart like a parasite or something. We are talking about love.

This is what Jesus is talking about. He is connecting the glorification of God with God's love for him, and Jesus' love for his students. He wants his students to share in this loving relationship.

And we can all participate in this love by glorifying the Names of the Supreme Being as Jesus did, praising Eloi, Yahweh, Elohim and Abba.

Jesus communicated the intention behind these teachings within his most important instruction:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

*Here is the translation of this verse from Jesus' prayer from the Lost Gospels of Jesus:

"I have declared Your Name to them, and will continue to declare it; so that the love You have loved me with may be with them, and I may be with them.” (John 17:26)