Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary John 17:6

"I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word." — John 17:6 (ASV)

The disciples have been given to Jesus by the Father. The gift was irrevocable and the Father was able to guarantee it. Jesus has no doubt of the final outcome. The disciples were obedient; they have accepted the message Jesus gave them. In spite of much misunderstanding on their part, those who were with Jesus in the upper room did not reject or doubt the truth he imparted to them, though they may not have comprehended it instantly (20:9). They recognize that Jesus’ message comes from God, and they accept him as a messenger of God (cf. 16:30). From the outset of his ministry, the disciples have received him as the Messiah, and their conviction of his messiahship has grown progressively during the period of association with him. Now as the supreme test of their faith is impending, Jesus prays that they might be preserved against the persecution that can separate them from him and from one another.