“That They May Be Purified in Me Through Faith”

In the context of these events and the language used, the reference for “those whom thou hast given me out of the world” in this case is the twelve. It is they who have become purified. In the sequencing of events, it would appear that this purification was a preliminary to becoming one with Jesus and the Father.

• Jesus prays in behalf of the twelve that: “I might be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.” (verse 23)

• Jesus then approaches the twelve and blesses them. (verse 25)

• The twelve are transformed with light. (verse 25)

• Jesus turns to pray again, thanking the Father for purifying them. (verse 27-29)

• Jesus prays that they may be one (verse 29)

• Jesus returns to the twelve, and “did smile upon them.” (verse 30).

• Jesus turns to pray again, and prays things that cannot be written. (Verse 32)

The sequencing of events suggests a building up of actions and blessings that culminate in the desired goal of having the twelve be “in him” and Jesus was “in” the Father. The last “action” is that Jesus “did smile upon them.” This would appear to be passive. It may have been some unheard or unstated action. Clearly it was a benediction upon the faith for the twelve, and after this “smiling” Jesus prays unspeakable things. This suggests that the event of true oneness happened at this point, and as with the earlier stages in this transformation, Jesus would then turn to give thanks to his Father that the events had happened as Jesus had prayed for.

This is not a state that is recorded for any other men, though it would not be surprising if it had also happened to the Old World twelve after Christ’s resurrection. Nevertheless, something of this experience is unusual, as Jesus declares that something has happened that no others have experienced (verse 36).