Hello, and welcome back to "A Word from the Vine." I'm Pastor Loren Christensen. We are currently in our series entitled, "Eternal Intercession - The Unity, Sanctification, and Love of Christ’s Prayer", and now in the middle of Jesus' prayer from John 17, we are ready to take a closer look at verses 11-19, where we find a profound intercession for the disciples’ protection and sanctification. Jesus is fully aware of the trials and tribulations they will face in a world that is not their home. Yet, His prayer is not for their escape from the world but for their preservation within it.
“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15 ESV). Here, Jesus articulates a pivotal aspect of His desire for His disciples: protection from the evil one. This request underscores the reality of spiritual warfare and the presence of forces that would seek to undermine the disciples’ faith and mission. Jesus does not pray for a life of ease for His followers; instead, He prays for their resilience in the face of adversity.
The world presents a myriad of challenges that can distract, discourage, or derail the disciples from their divine calling. Jesus’ prayer acknowledges that while the disciples are in the world, they are not of the world. Their identity and purpose are rooted in something far greater than the temporal concerns that often preoccupy human thought.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17 ESV). Sanctification is a central theme in Jesus’ prayer. To sanctify means to set apart for a specific, holy purpose. Jesus asks the Father to sanctify the disciples through the truth of His word. This sanctification is not merely an external setting apart but an internal transformation that aligns the disciples with the will and character of God.
The truth of God’s word is the agent of sanctification. It is living and active, capable of penetrating the heart and renewing the mind. As the disciples engage with Scripture, they are shaped by its truths, equipped for every good work, and fortified against the deceptions of the evil one.
“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:18-19 ESV). Jesus speaks of His own consecration—His setting apart for the purpose of redemption. His consecration is for the sake of the disciples, that they too may be sanctified in truth. There is a profound connection between Jesus’ mission and the mission of His followers. As He was sent into the world, so are they, carrying the message of the gospel and embodying the love and holiness of God.
This passage also touches on the theme of unity. “That they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11 ESV). The unity for which Jesus prays is reflective of the unity within the Godhead. It is a spiritual unity that transcends individual differences and binds believers together in love and common purpose. This unity is a powerful witness to the world of the transformative power of the gospel.
As we consider these verses, we are reminded of our own calling as followers of Christ. We are called to be in the world but not of it, to be sanctified in truth, and to stand firm against the schemes of the evil one. We are called to unity, reflecting the oneness of the Father and the Son in our relationships with one another.
Thank you for joining me today.
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