John 17:11-12, Not One Has Been Lost

11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

As followers of Jesus we call ourselves Christians. We have taken the name of Jesus—actually his title, Christ, but for us it is also a name. We are kept in the name of Jesus by identifying ourselves with Christ. By asking the Father to keep his followers in his name, he is asking that they be kept until the end, never disowning their faith, but keeping their faith in the Father and in the Son. Jesus wants his followers to be unified as he and the Father are unified. Strong, deep faith produces strong, deep unity, and this unity is to reflect the Father/Son relationship. Unfortunately, in the modern church, much unity comes at the expense of biblical truth, which really means our unity is fragile.

Jesus then gives an example of the one who does fall away from unity, faith, and truth—namely, Judas. He calls him “the son of destruction,” meaning the one who belongs to the sphere of destruction and damnation. The Scripture even prophesies what Judas will do. Psalm 41:4: “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” People have told me how they feel sorry for Judas and perhaps he too will be saved. One would think that if anyone would feel sorry for Judas and look on him with deepest compassion and empathy, it would be Jesus. There is no record of Jesus doing that. Instead he calls him “the son of destruction” and John says that he does what he does because Satan has entered into him.

Judas is the antithesis of what Jesus prays for his disciples. Judas ignored the truth of Jesus, and when one ignores truth, one loses faith and unity with the followers of Jesus and with Jesus himself. Jesus knows that only the Father can keep his followers unified, and so he prays for all of us.

Father, keep us in your holy name and in the strong name of Jesus that we may love your truth revealed in Jesus, walk in his ways, and remain in unity with one another through him. Amen.