Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 17:7-8

"Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee: for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received [them], and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me." — John 17:7-8 (ASV)

How they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you gave me;

Every preacher of the gospel should ask if this is true concerning himself. When we pass on to the people the words which God has given us, we supply them with real spiritual food, and so we glorify God; but if we only give them our own words, we merely mock their hunger, and we dishonor God. Our blessed Master, though fully able to speak his own original thoughts, kept to the words of his Father; let us be careful to imitate his example.

Now they have known that all things to whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

See how the Lord Jesus himself takes all his teaching from the Father. You never hear from him any boast about being the originator of profound thoughts. No, he just repeated to his disciples the words he had received from the Father: I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. If Jesus acted so, how much more must the messengers of God receive the word from the Lord's mouth, and speak it as they receive it!

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

I want you to notice how the Lord Jesus Christ makes no boast of being "an original thinker." On the contrary, he says to his Father concerning his disciples, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me. I would rather repeat the Word of God, syllable by syllable, than I would dare to think for myself apart from the revealed will of God.

What are men's thoughts, after all, but vanity derived from vanity? But the Word of the Lord endures forever; it shall abide when even heaven and earth shall pass away.

Hence our Savior lays great stress upon this fact, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me.

Brother minister, may you and I, when we come to die, be able to say to the Lord concerning our people, I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me.

Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

You see how the truth reached these disciples. The Father gave the words to his Son in his mediatorial capacity, and he gave those words to his disciples, and they received them, and believed that Christ was indeed the Sent One from the Father.

Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you. For I have given to them the words which you invest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

Now that description of the people of God in Christ's day is true of us today. We have received the words which the Father has given the Son, and we believe surely that the Father has sent Jesus Christ into the world.