<p>18:9 <em>That the word might be fulfilled which he spoke: Of those whom you have given me I lost not one</em>- This suggests that the Lord's 'keeping' of the disciples in His lifetime was physical as well as spiritual (17:12), and this explains why when speaking about their forthcoming tribulation at the hands of the world, He assures them that His physical departure will not mean that He will not continue to &quot;keep&quot; them; see on 16:4. For He would do so through the ministry of the Comforter, the advocate, the legal counsel for the defence.</p>