With Dale Ratzlaff
John 17:17-21
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world
In this final recorded prayer of Jesus for the eleven, a number of important themes are woven together. In our last lesson, we saw how Jesus prayed that His men would be protected from the evil one. In our reference for this lesson, we learn that Jesus prays that His men may be sanctified through the truth. Near the end of this prayer, Jesus prays that they may behold His Glory that the Father has given to Him.
The basic meaning of sanctify is “set apart for a specific, holy use.” This is something which is done by God. In the next lesson, we will study the secondary meaning of “sanctify.”
Jesus asked the Father to “sanctify them in the truth.” Here “sanctify” is in the aorist tense, something that is done, finished. The Father is the sanctifying agent. How does the Father sanctify the disciples? The answer is through the truth, and the truth is defined as the Father’s word, and also Christ’s word which is the same. The context clarifies the meaning of “sanctify.” “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” As Jesus was set apart for a special, holy purpose, in a similar, but not identical way the eleven are set apart to carry on the ministry of Jesus to the world.
The mission of Jesus is the fundamental message of the Gospel of John. We have listed these references before, but we cannot move far from the fundamentals of Christian faith.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to udge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn. 3:16-17).
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (Jn. 5:24).
One of the main themes in Jesus’ last prayer for His disciples is to show the parallel between His mission and relationship to the Father with their mission and relationship to Christ. As they understand the similarities of the mission, the qualifications, the available power, and the assured success, then they will have the needed faith and courage to carry out the mission.
“As You sent Me into the world…” (Some of the following ideas are from, Marcus Rainsford, Our Lord Prayers for His Own, Thoughts from John 17, Kregel Publicaitons, Grand Rapids, MI, 1985.)
- Jesus pre-existed with the Father before coming into the world.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1).
- Jesus did not come on His initiative but was sent by the Father.
…I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me (Jn. 8:42).
- Jesus was sent and commissioned for a specific purpose.
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1 Jn. 4:14).
- Jesus was sent and qualified for His mission.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Col. 2:9).
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18).
- Jesus was sent into the world officially as the Prophet, the Priest, and the King.
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him (Deut. 18:15).
The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4).
But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain (Ps. 2:6).
- Jesus was responsible to carry out His mission.
We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work (Jn. 9:4).
I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd (Jn. 10:16).
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up (Jn. 3:14).
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44).
“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
“As” in the above sentence means “in the same way.” Therefore, we would expect that Christ’s eleven men were sent and qualified in a similar, but not identical way, for their mission.
- We, too, are sent with a mission to the same place.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19).
- As Christ was sent as the “beloved Son” in like manner we are sent and loved.
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (Jn. 15:9)
- As Christ was sent into the world as the light of the world so we are to “let our light shine.”
- As Christ was fully qualified as the divine Son and assured of success, so are His disciples.
“…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world (1 Jn. 4:17).
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (Rom. 8:37)
We understand now another aspect of Jesus’ last prayer for His disciples. He shows the parallel between His mission and relationship to the Father with their mission and relationship to Christ. As they understand the similarities of the mission, the qualifications, the available power, and the assured success, then they will have the needed faith and courage to carry out the mission.
Application
As we study more deeply into this profound prayer of Jesus, we keep coming back to the importance of the word. Success in every aspect of the Christian life is rooted here. It is here we find our mission, our qualifications, our power, and promised victory.
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17).
If we feel our faith is weak, could it be that we are not spending time in the word? If we lack direction in life, could it be that we are not reading the word of God?
Prayer
Father, help me to understand my special mission fully, how you have qualified me for that mission and given me the power to accomplish my mission. Help me see the victory of many people coming to understand and respond to the gospel of your Son.
In Jesus name.
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Thank you Dale for this very insightful and helpful study!