SANTIFY THEM BY THE TRUTH 

John 17:6-19 / Keywords 17:17

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

 

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

17:6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Footnotes

a. John 17:6 Greek your name

b. John 17:11 Or Father, keep them faithful to

c. John 17:12 Or kept them faithful to

d. John 17:17 Or them to live in accordance with

1. Jesus prayed for his disciples. During his messianic ministry, Jesus revealed God to them—God’s love, righteousness, holiness, power, and hope through his teaching and life. Jesus discipled them in three ways.

 

2. He ministered the word of God to them and called them to a life of obedience. He showed them, by example, his perfect obedience to God’s word. Through God’s word, they knew that Jesus came from God and that his words were the very words of God.

 

3. He prayed that God might protect them. The world hates Jesus’ disciples just as it hated Jesus. The disciples needed God’s protection from the evil one so that they would be one.

 

4. Jesus sent them into the world to serve to advance His kingdom. Jesus was leaving his disciples who would remain in the world to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19-20). To serve this mission, they needed to be sanctified by the truth, the word of God. To sanctify means to be set apart and devoted in holiness for sacred use for God. True disciples are those who obey God’s words, pray for God’s protection, and have God’s mission as they are sanctified by the truth.

 

Prayer Sanctify me by your word so that I may serve you and advance your kingdom.

One Word Jesus sent us into the world