Are you included in the elect?
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| Christ in Gethsemane (Christus in Gethsemane), oil painting by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (Heinrich Hofmann). The original is at the Riverside Church (Riverside Church, New York City). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The first words of this passage are filled with doctrinal significance: “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” Jesus is, of course, speaking of the disciples in particular, but He is also referring to the elect in general (v. 20, “for all those who believe in Me”). Jesus makes known the name of God, which is His character and all His attributes, to those “who believe in Me.” And those who believe in Christ are those whom the Father has graciously chosen from all the people of the world.
One of the best commentaries on this is found in the Canons of Dort: “Now election is the immutable purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, He has, according to the most free good pleasure of His own will, of mere grace, chosen out of the whole human race, fallen by its own fault from its primeval integrity into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons, neither better nor more deserving than others but with them involved in a common misery, unto salvation in Christ; whom even from eternity He had appointed Mediator and Head of all the elect and the foundation of salvation; and therefore He has decreed to give them unto Him to be saved.”
Such a doctrine has often been labeled cold and unfeeling, but notice the tender affection with which Jesus speaks in this chapter. All those who would believe in Him are dear to Him because they have been given to Him by the Father. To them alone He shares the counsel of the Godhead, to them alone He opens the purposes of heaven. The world can’t understand Christ and His work, His sacrifice, or His glory. But the elect can. They alone have been given such a glorious privilege and are themselves an expression of love between the Father and the Son.
The special connection between the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and the elect is illuminated throughout Jesus’ prayer. During those hours before His anguish upon the cross, Jesus had in mind those for whom He would die. They were not some unknown multitude, but a certain number of people who had been specifically chosen by the Father for the Son, out of tenderness and love.
What was your favorite birthday gift? Why was it so special? The Father chose some people out of the world to give to His Son. It was an expression of love, filled with wisdom and purpose. And it was specifically for those people that Christ died. Praise God today for His sovereignty in redemption.
