God Gave You to the Son!

Consider the High Priestly prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17:2 - "Even as you gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom you have given Him, He may give eternal life..."

John MacArthur elaborates on the glory of this marvelous reality that God gave a particular group of people to His Son:

"Having chosen to redeem them, the Father gave them to the Son as gifts of His love. Thus ... the disciples were infinitely precious to the SOn, not because of anything intrinsically valuable in them, but because they were promised to Him by His Father before time began (2 Tim 1.9; Titus 1.1)."

"Jesus' beautiful prayer in John 17 indicates, this divine promise was made from one member of the Trinity to another -- from the Father to the Son. As a tangible expression of His infinite love for the Son, the Father promised Him a bride (cf. Rev 19.7-8), a company of redeemed sinners who would honor and glorify the Son forever.  In eternity past, the Father recorded their names in the book of Life (Rev 13.8; 17.8), and pledged them to His Son as a gift of His love.  Thus, Jesus could pray: "Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world; they were yours and you gave them to me (17:5-6). A few verses later, Jesus again underscored that believers are a gift from the Father, given out of His love and for the purpose of His Son's glory: "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world!"

According to God's sovereign design, the Father draws to the Son those whom He has chosen to redeem, in keeping with His eternal promise. The Son, in return, receives and protects all those whom the Father draws. Because they are a gift to Him from the Father, he would never refuse them or allow them to be lost. He will raise them all to eternal glory."

SO Sinners are saved NOT because they are inherently worthy of salvation, or wise enough on their own to choose it (Eph 2.1-10), but because the Father lovingly draws them for the purpose of giving them as a gift to the Son. In response to the Father's love, the Son eagerly receives all those who are drawn because they are a gift from His beloved Father. The Son opens his arms to sinners, not because they either deserve to be embraced or seek such, but because He is exceedingly glad to receive the gift His Father prepared for him from before time began, and then sought and saved!"

When the Father, in eternity past, decided to redeem sinners, He did so with the ultimate intent of conforming them into the image of His Son (Phil 3.20-21; 1 John 3.2; Rom 8.29). Because they will be like Christ in their glorified state, the redeemed will forever be a supreme tribute to the Son -- reflecting His perfect goodness and proclaiming His eternal greatness!"

--from John MacArthur, John 12-22, MNTC, p.247-48.