John 17:9
I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, because they are yours — The pivot toward intercession for the disciples marks a transition in the prayer's focus. The statement "not for the world but for those you have given me" does not indicate lack of concern for the cosmos but rather distinction of purpose: the disciples become instruments through which salvation is offered to the world (17:20-23). Their election as those "yours" establishes divine ownership.