Jesus Prays For His Disciples - John 17:6-19
Jonathan Stephen - Carey Baptist
Church - 9 July 2006
The important thing to notice, as Jesus begins to pray for others, is that he is only praying for his people, not for 'the world'. Verses 6-9. Here is a classic demonstration of his electing grace. He knows those he intends to save from their sinful rebellion against God - and he has prayed for them since before the creation of the world! It is his prayers that have been instrumental in their salvation. And during the comparatively fleeting time they are alive in this sinful world, it is his prayers that sustain them... But supposing you're here this morning and you wouldn't claim to be
a Christian. You're not to despair. You're not to say, 'O well, then, Jesus isn't praying for me.'
How do you know? Maybe he's been praying as much for you as for anyone here. Maybe you are one of his people. You have simply not been converted yet! But your salvation is absolutely certain. You will repent of your sin and trust the only Saviour. So don't delay! Find out today whether or not Jesus has been praying for you! Obey the gospel, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ - and your life will yet bring glory to him (verse 10)...
The principal prayer - 'Sanctify
them'
What lies at the heart of Christ's prayer for his people in verses 11-19? Everything revolves around the petition of verse 17. In the NT, sanctification usually refers to the process by which we are progressively made more holy. But it cannot mean that in this context, certainly not primarily, because of what Jesus says just a couple of verses on. Verse 19. This is firstly an admission of divinity. We cannot sanctify ourselves, that's' God's work. But Jesus says he sanctifies himself. He therefore claims to be God. But, as God, he cannot grow in holiness. He is perfectly holy. The N IV explains with a helpful footnote: hagiazo means 'to set apart for sacred use'. That's what happened to the holy vessels that were used in the temple. That is what Jesus did to himself when he came to this earth as a man - and supremely when he offered himself as a sacrifice for sin upon the cross. So verse 19 becomes clear. As a result of Christ’s saving work on the cross, it becomes possible for his people also, in an infinitely humbler way, to be 'set apart for sacred use'. This is what Jesus is praying for us in this seminal verse 17. Now there are obviously two parts to the idea of being 'set apart for sacred use'. And the two parts are reflected in the supporting prayers that surround this central petition. First, Jesus prays:
'Set them apart'
The whole concept here is of spiritual separation from the world. If you were with us last Sunday evening, you would have heard from Haggai 2 how the ceremonial law of Moses enshrines one of the most important spiritual laws of this fallen universe: the fact that evil and falsehood are far more contagious than holiness and truth. It is for this reason that, though we are called to be in this fallen world, we must not be of it. Read verses 14-16. There is enormous confusion today amongst true evangelicals as to exactly what it means to be in the world but not of it. Many imagine that spiritual separation means cultural disengagement - so that anything contemporary is treated with the gravest suspicion. That leads to a very unattractive ghetto mentality, where we are hardly living in the real world at all.
But
we haven't time to think of that this morning: In this prayer, Jesus is firstly
concerned about the real dangers of spiritual contamination - of becoming
'worldly'. Because close association with this sinful world is likely to harm
us, we need divine protection. Read
11-12. The Son is leaving them; the Holy Spirit will not be sent
for a while. In the meanwhile, the Father must now take on the role of
Protector. Without this divine protection, believers could not survive
spiritually in this hostile environment. Peter says that Satan 'prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour' (1 Peter 5:8). John writes
that 'The whole world is under the control of the evil one' (1 John 5:19). We
are very much in enemy territory! That's how serious it is! We need therefore to
be aware of our danger and do all we can to avoid, and keep ourselves safe, from
all contaminating thoughts, situations, activities and relationships. Above all,
because we depend on divine protection, we must pray constantly, 'Lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one' (Matthew 6:13). And by the
power of the Name of Jesus, we shall be preserved. Read
16:33.
But there is a second component to Christ's prayer that his people may be sanctified. They are to be 'set apart' for a purpose:
'For sacred use'
The Lord does not leave us here in this spiritually dangerous environment simply so that he can play cat-and-mouse games with the devil. God has a 'sacred use' for his people in this fallen world. We are sent out as sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16) in order to fulfil the work of Christ. Read verse 18. Christ's mission is ours. We must bring his completed work to fruition. What a privilege and responsibility! That is why we must be right in the world on the front line and not remain in the safety of the reserve trenches. For this aspect of our sanctification we also clearly need divine intervention. It not only requires a miracle for sheep to be kept safe among a pack of wolves, it requires further miracles for the wolves to be transformed into sheep!
Are
we faithfully fulfilling our mission? Or are you in the world less and
less the older you get? Has your circle of non-Christian acquaintances dwindled
to virtually zero? Do you rejoice in finding a Christian hairdresser and
celebrate the fact that your dentist is a believer? Shame on you! This world is
not heaven's waiting room! We're not merely left in the world - we're
sent into it. We're on a mission. We've been 'set apart for sacred use' -
not to be exhibits in a glass case... Every disciple is bound by the Great
Commission.
One
of John Wesley’s often repeated prayers was, ‘Lord let me not live to be
useless!’ Supposing, in the light of what we've seen, you wanted to pray
the same? How could you be sure your prayer would be answered? Let's return to
our key verse, verse 17.
The only way we are going to be 'set apart for sacred use' is if we are
immersed in the truth of God, which is God's revealed Word, the Bible. 'Sanctify
them by the truth' might be better translated, 'Sanctify them in
the truth'. It is only as we are steeped in the Word of God that the Lord
both protects and uses us for his glory. The reason you have become careless and
worldly is because you have not believed that daily communion with God's Word
was essential for your spiritual safety. The reason you have not been used to
bring others closer to the
But there is one verse in this passage which we, have so far ignored. And we've ignored it because it doesn't seem to fit. Read verse 13. During the whole of this potentially very sombre last evening with his disciples, Jesus has been preoccupied with the desire that they should be joyful. Read 15:11. 16:24. And now, 17:13. Being an active agent behind enemy lines, trying to keep safe while still waging war, is usually a grim and miserable business. But that is not the case for the Christian. True soldiers of Christ are never happier than when they are fighting for the Kingdom. But notice it is his joy that Jesus wants his disciples to share. The joy of the world is fleeting. (It often also proves a major distraction.) But, if you are a believer, 'the joy of the Lord is your strength' (Nehemiah 8: 1 0). And this abiding joy is ours by faith. Paul says: 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy as you trust in him' (Romans 15:13). And Peter writes: 'You believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy' (1 Peter 1 :8). May that be our experience, as the Lord sanctifies us - sets us apart for sacred use - in the week to come.