Yours and Mine

John 17:6-10

I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and they have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.


Jesus understood the men that He chose to become His disciples were really chosen by the Father...because Jesus listened to the Father and did as He asked. He may not have, although it's possible I suppose, audibly heard God say, "Choose Peter, choose, Andrew, choose..." but being in tune with His Father's Spirit, He would have known.

He chose these disciples out of the world. And they came out of the world to become His followers. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. And immediately He called [two more fishermen], and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. (‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭17-18,20‬) They came out of the world, they dropped their things and followed.

Prior to this Jesus had told His disciples that they did not choose Him, but He chose them. If He chooses to make Himself known to us it is a privilege and we should also be willing to come out of the world to follow Him. We may not be asked to drop everything, but some will. Some will know to drop their things and become missionaries. You just never know what God will do.

The disciples saw what Jesus did, heard what He said...and they believed. They knew what He said was true and that it came from His relationship with His Father. When we come to Christ, when we allow ourselves to be in relationship with Him, it should be like the relationship Jesus had with His Father...one of listening and obeying, doing His will, not our own. If we choose to follow Christ we become the Father's. But not before then.

Jesus made a statement above that made me think and search. He prays not for the world, but for those who are chosen. He prays that the world might be saved, that they might receive Him...but He prays specifically for those who do receive Him. The world, as He has said before, hated Him. If we do not choose to follow Christ, think it's not necessary, or scorn those who do, we ultimately hate Him. It's a hard truth.

He chooses us, we receive Him, a He prays for us. Jesus is there for everyone, but it will always be about the choice to receive Him. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭37‬) We might have family or friends who think we've gone off the deep end with this Jesus stuff. If we choose them over Him, we are not worthy of Him. If we do not seriously consider Christ, submit to Him, we are considered of the world and we do not belong to Him. He makes this very clear.

I am His, He is mine...we who have been called.

Isaiah 43:1 - But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine."