I. WHO IS IT WHO GAVE SOMEBODY TO SOMEBODY?
God the Father is the somebody who gave somebody to somebody. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
It is clear from this verse that God has given a great number of people to somebody to save for all those given shall come.
This gift of the Father is again indicated in the passage we have read. John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
This great transaction in which the Father gave somebody to Somebody is again implied in verse 45 of this chapter. John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
1. Those who are taught by the Father come to Christ according to Jesus words in this verse.
2. Those who were given to him come to him.
3. Those who are taught by the Father and given to Christ are the same people.
This great transaction is again declared in the discourse of Jesus concerning the good shepherd where the Father is identified as the giver of the sheep. John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
1. The Father gave those in Jn. 6:37 and they come.
2. The Father gave the sheep in Jn. 10 and they hear Christ’s voice and follow him.
3. Certainly those sheep given and those people given are one and the same group of people.
This great transaction is mentioned several times in the high priestly prayer of Jesus Christ.
1. In verse one it is obvious that all in this chapter is addressed to the Father. John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.
2. The Father is addressed again in verses 5, 11, 21, 24, and 25.
3. In verse two the Father is again the giver of somebody to somebody and eternal life is given to those who are given by the Father. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
4. In verse 6 the Father is the giver of those to whom his name is manifested. John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
5. In verse 9 the Father is the giver of those who are prayed for. John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
6. In verse 11 the Father is identified as the giver of those whom he is asked to keep. John 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.
7. In verse 12 the Father is the giver of those who have been safely kept and of whom none are lost. John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
8. In verse 24 the Father is again the giver of those who are to be with Christ in glory. John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
G. This great transaction in which the Father is the giver is again set forth in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
H. The Father chose them and gave them. Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
I. The Father chose them unto salvation. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
J. There are many other places in Scripture where the Father is identified as the Great Giver of those in our text.
1. It is important that men see that it is the Father who gave somebody to Somebody because many argue that he would never do such a thing.
2. It is abundantly evident that the Father gave somebody to somebody and that all those given to somebody will come to him and be saved.
II. WHEN DID THE FATHER GIVE SOMEBODY TO SOMEBODY?
A. It is evident from our text that they were given to him before they came to him. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
B. It is evident from his the lesson on the good shepherd and his sheep they were given before he laid down his life for them, before they heard his voice and came to him, before they were given eternal life. John 10:27-29 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
C. It is evident they were given to him before he was given power over all flesh in order to give eternal life to them. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
D. It is also evident they were given to him before he manifest the name of the Father to them. John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
E. It is also evident that these belonged to the Father in a very special sense before they were given. John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
1. They were the Father’s and were given out of the world.
2. They were the Father’s in a sense that is above the sense in which the whole world is his.
3. They were the Father’s and were given to somebody.
4. They were the Father’s before they kept the Father’s word.
F. They were the Father’s and were given to somebody to save from before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
G. It is evident that this great transaction in which the Father gave somebody to Somebody took place before the foundation of the world for all their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life from the foundation of the world. Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
III. WHO ARE THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN TO SOMEBODY BY THE FATHER BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD?
A. That the whole world, every person in the human race, was not given to him is abundantly evident.
1. Those given to him come to him. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
2. Those given to him hear the shepherd’s voice and come to him and receive eternal life. John 10:27-28 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
3. Those given to him were prayed for but the rest of the human race was not prayed for. John 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
B. Since it is evident from verse nine that the number of those given does not equal the totality of the human race, we must believe as Scripture teaches that these were chosen out of the human race and given in this great transaction. John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
C. There is no way that it can be successfully argued that the Father did not give an elect body of people to Somebody to save and that everyone of those given will surely come to Christ. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
IV. TO WHOM WERE THESE ELECT PEOPLE GIVEN BY THE FATHER BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD?
A. Our text clearly shows that the Father, before the foundation of the world, gave an elect group of particular people to somebody and that somebody is the Son of God. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
B. Jesus identified himself as the one to whom they were given again in his discourse on the good shepherd. John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
C. The receiver of these elect people given by the Father is obviously the Son of God as is evident in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
D. The receiver of these elect people is the one who was slain for them from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
E. The receiver of these elect people is the one who was foreordained to be their redeemer from the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:18-20 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
V. FOR WHAT PURPOSE WERE THESE ELECT PEOPLE GIVEN BY THE FATHER TO THE SON BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD?
A. In eternity the Father gave to the Son an elect people whom the Son must raise up at the last day. John 6:37-39 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
B. In eternity, the Father gave to the Son an elect group of people that he should give them eternal life. John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
C. In eternity, the Father gave to the Son an elect people that he should bring them all into the fold. John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
D. In eternity, the Father gave to the son an elect group of many people for whom he should give his life a ransom. Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
E. In eternity, the Father gave to the Son an elect people called his seed from whom he must render a perfect satisfaction and whom he must justify. Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
F. In eternity, the Father gave to the Son an elect group of people whom he must surely save. Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
G. In eternity, the Father gave to the Son an elect people whom he must save according to God’s own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:8-9 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
H. In eternity, God gave to his Son an elect people whom he must saved according to the eternal purpose which he purpose in Christ. Ephesians 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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This page updated Friday, March 04, 2011.