Jesus asks the Father to keep His disciples "in your name." This isn't just about protection, but about preserving them in the knowledge of God Himself, the very essence of who He is, which Jesus has revealed to them. It's a call to remain steadfast in the divine reality that binds them together, mirroring the unity between the Father and the Son.
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. 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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is concluding his earthly ministry and is about to return to the Father, leaving his disciples behind in a hostile world. He prays for their protection and unity, asking the Father to keep them in His name, the very name that God entrusted to Jesus. This prayer highlights the disciples' vulnerability and the crucial role of divine power and fellowship in their ongoing mission.
Jesus is about to leave His disciples, not physically, but in terms of His earthly presence. He knows the world they're left in is hostile. What does this mean for their future?
Jesus begins this prayer by stating a profound reality: 'I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world.' This isn't just a geographical statement; it’s about spheres of influence and immediate presence. His mission on Earth is complete, and He is returning to the Father. However, His disciples remain embedded in the 'world' – a realm often characterized by opposition, temptation, and spiritual danger.
This transition highlights the disciples' vulnerability. Without Jesus' visible presence, they would need a special kind of divine protection. Jesus’ impending departure makes His prayer for their preservation even more urgent and poignant. He acknowledges their ongoing struggle in a fallen world, a struggle He has finished but they must now continue.
Jesus asks the Father to 'keep them in your name.' What does it mean to be kept 'in God's name,' and how does this relate to His identity and ours?
The phrase 'keep them in your name' is rich with meaning. It's not just about protection from external harm, but preservation within the very character and power of God. God's 'name' represents who He is – His attributes, His authority, His covenant faithfulness.
Jesus is asking the Father to sustain His disciples by His divine nature and power. It’s about keeping them grounded in the truth and reality of who God is, as revealed through Jesus. This preservation ensures they remain faithful to God’s revealed will and don’t fall away from Him. The Father's holiness, invoked in the address 'Holy Father,' underscores that this keeping is inherently tied to His pure and righteous character.
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Jesus’ ultimate desire for His followers is that they 'may be one, even as we are one.' What kind of unity is this, and why is it so crucial?
The unity Jesus prays for is not a superficial agreement or organizational merger. It’s a profound, spiritual oneness that mirrors the intimate, unbreakable unity between the Father and the Son. This divine unity is characterized by perfect love, shared purpose, and mutual indwelling.
Jesus desires this same kind of deep connection among His followers. This unity, grounded in being 'kept in God's name,' is a powerful testimony to the world about God’s love and His redemptive work through Christ. It’s a unity that flows from their shared identity in Christ and their shared experience of God’s keeping power. It’s about being of one mind and one heart, reflecting the very nature of the Godhead.
Understand the original words
kosmos · Greek Noun
Often used in the New Testament to denote the present fallen world system that is opposed to God and His kingdom. It refers to the realm of human affairs apart from God, characterized by sin and rebellion.
hagios · Greek Adjective
An attribute of God describing His absolute moral purity, set-apartness, and transcendence. It signifies that God is entirely distinct from all creation and is morally perfect, demanding righteousness from His people.
onoma · Greek Noun
A designation representing God’s authority, character, nature, and revelation. To be 'kept in' or 'baptized in' a name is to be brought into submission to and protection by the authority and presence of that Person.
heis · Greek Number/Adjective
The state of spiritual unity among believers, modeled after the perfect unity between the Father and the Son. It is a divine gift that reflects the nature of the Trinity and is intended to be a testimony to the world.
tēreō · Greek Verb
To preserve, protect, or guard against loss or danger. Biblically, it emphasizes the security of the believer in God’s hands and the active role of the Holy Spirit or the Father in sustaining faith.
apōleia · Greek Noun
A designation for a person destined for ruin or eternal separation from God due to their rejection of Him. It indicates one who embodies or is characterized by destruction.
graphē · Greek Noun
The written Word of God, considered to be inspired, authoritative, and infallible. It is the record of God's will and plan, which must be accomplished in human history as He has decreed.
This prayer occurs in the immediate hours before Jesus' crucifixion, marking his transition from his earthly ministry to his return to the Father, and his deep concern for the ongoing mission and unity of his followers in a hostile world.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Last Supper and Prayer
Jesus shares his final meal with his disciples, offering this profound prayer in the Upper Room before his impending arrest and crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Arrest and Betrayal
Following the prayer, Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested, beginning the sequence of events leading to his crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death
Jesus is crucified, fulfilling his mission and atoning for the sins of humanity.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Resurrection
Jesus is raised from the dead on the third day, conquering death and validating his divine claims.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Ascension
Jesus ascends into heaven to be with the Father, leaving his disciples to carry on his work.
c. AD 30
Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples, empowering them to spread the Gospel and forming the early Church.
Jesus' prayer here echoes His desire for unity among believers, explicitly stating His prayer is not just for the disciples present but for all who will believe, reflecting the same unity He shares with the Father.
1 Corinthians 1:10This passage directly addresses the issue of division within the church, calling for believers to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and same judgment, mirroring Jesus' prayer in John 17 for oneness.
Philippians 2:1-2Paul urges believers to live in unity and like-mindedness, emphasizing compassion and mercy, which aligns with Jesus' plea to be kept in His name so that His followers might be one.
Ephesians 4:1-6This passage highlights the 'unity of the Spirit' and calls believers to 'make every effort to keep it' by maintaining humility, gentleness, and love, directly supporting the prayer for oneness found in John 17:11.
barnesJohn 17:11: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
I am no more in the world - I have finished my work among men, and am about to leave the world. See John 17:4 . These are in the world - They will be among wicked men and malignant foes. They will be subject to trials and persecutions. They will need the same protection which I could give them if…
vincentJohn 17:11: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."
I come (ἔρχομαι)I am coming. Spoken of His departure to the Father.Holy (ἅγιε)See on saints, Acts 26:10; also see on 1 Peter 1:15. Compare 1 John 2:20, and righteous Father (δίκαιε), John 17:25. This epithet, now first applied to the Father, contemplates God, the holy One, as the agent of th…
Jesus asks the Father to keep His disciples "in your name." This isn't just about protection, but about preserving them in the knowledge of God Himself, the very essence of who He is, which Jesus has revealed to them. It's a call to remain steadfast in the divine reality that binds them together, mirroring the unity between the Father and the Son.
Jesus is concluding his earthly ministry and is about to return to the Father, leaving his disciples behind in a hostile world. He prays for their protection and unity, asking the Father to keep them in His name, the very name that God entrusted to Jesus. This prayer highlights the disciples' vulnerability and the crucial role of divine power and fellowship in their ongoing mission.
Jesus is concluding his earthly ministry and is about to return to the Father, leaving his disciples behind in a hostile world. He prays for their protection and unity, asking the Father to keep them in His name, the very name that God entrusted to Jesus. This prayer highlights the disciples' vulnerability and the crucial role of divine power and fellowship in their ongoing mission.
"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. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, wh…" — Jesus asks the Father to keep His disciples "in your name." This isn't just about protection, but about preserving them in the knowledge of God Himself, the very essence of who He is, which Jesus has…
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Last reviewed October 2026
