The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus - Jesus Prays for His Disciples part 3

If you would, go ahead and take your Bible and turn to John 17. I'm sure most of you are there by now because of our scripture reading earlier. We're still in this high priestly prayer of Jesus. Of course, we are more than halfway through this prayer. We've been taking our time just verse by verse through this high priestly prayer. Now if we were to look back over what we have covered so far, we can see easily how we have divided these verses. We can see easily how we have categorized these verses. Now on Wednesday night in our Bible study, I said that dividing verses in the related groups, this is good for us.

This helps us, whether you know it or not, to understand scripture. This helps us to digest scripture. If we were to look at chapter 17 in its entirety, it would be hard for us to digest. But when we break it down portion by portion, it really, really does help us. This helps us get our hands and our minds around the scriptures. So if we look back at the beginning, if we look back at the beginning of this high priestly prayer, we saw that Jesus prayed for Himself. Verses 1 through 5. We saw that Jesus prayed for His glory, prayed for glory for Himself and glory for the Father.

I shared with you my struggle in titling this portion of the message. I really wanted to title it Jesus Prayed for His Glory. If I were to re-preach those verses, I might would change the title because I really saw His glory as preeminent in those verses. And then next we saw Jesus transition into praying for His disciples. This intercession for His disciples starts in verse 6 and it continues all the way to verse 19. This portion of scripture can be broken down even more. First, Jesus prays for those that the Father had given Him. There in verses 6 through 10, loaded with lots of theological truth.

Then Jesus prays that the Father would protect these men in verses 11 through 15. And then last, Jesus prays for the work of sanctification in these disciples. We will see this sanctification in our verses this morning, verses 16 and 19. And then if we jump ahead at the end of this high priestly prayer, we will see Jesus pray for the church. This is in verses 20 through 26. This prayer applies to all of the church, all of the church at all times in all of the world. And truthfully, I'm not really sure how many messages we will have in verses 20 to 26, but I know we'll cover them adequately.

We'll see how they unfold as we dive into those verses next week. Now I want to help us remember this breakdown. Again, this helps us understand scripture. Helps us get our mind and our heart and our hands around the verses. I'll use an illustration. I like illustrations. I like analogies. They help me. But if this prayer, the prayer here in John 17, if this were a freight train, then Jesus prayer for His glory for Himself and for the Father, it would be the locomotive. It would be the engine of this prayer. The cars behind the locomotive are these individual prayers for His disciples. They take up most of the train.

And then the caboose is this prayer for the church. The church everywhere at all times. Now this can help us remember the breakdown. And if we remember the breakdown, this will help us remember how these verses apply to us as individuals and as a church. Now as we turn our attention to our verses this morning, I want to start by examining the context. Well, if you've been paying attention, you might say, "Pastor, the context is the upper room." You've told us many times that most Bible commentators believe that they're still in the upper room. This is after the teaching and they're watching Him pray. Well, that is true. This is their context.

This is the case. But I'm speaking of a greater context than the upper room and the prayer. This greater context is the world that these men are in. Look back with me at verse 15. Now I didn't read this verse earlier, but notice what verse 15 says. "I did not ask you to take them out of the world." Jesus is praying to the Father. But He goes on to say, "Keep them from the evil one." So right here in verse 15, Jesus asked the Father not to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe in the world. And in verse 16, we see Jesus elevate these men in their proper place. Go back to verse 16.

"They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." These men were just like Jesus. They were not of this evil world system. So if I could simplify this greater context, these men were left in the world for a purpose, but more than a purpose for two purposes. First, for their personal work, this personal work of sanctification in them, and then second, to minister to the world.

I'm borrowing something that I shared from Leon Morris, the Bible commentator last week, and then I'm adding to what he said, and I'm quoting, "It would be bad for them and disastrous for the world to have them taken out of the world." Morris goes on to say, "They have a task, these disciples, to do in the world so it is important that they should be in the world." So that is what we get to in these verses. These men, these disciples, they are left in the world for the world, and they are left in the world for their personal sanctification. So let's read our verses together again. I'll start again with verse 16.

This greater context, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." And this is this deliberate prayer, "Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth, as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate or sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified in truth." Now that leads me to the title of the message. Most of you know what that is because this is a part three. Jesus prays for his disciples. Jesus is part of the high priestly prayer of Jesus. Jesus is praying to the Father. The disciples are witnessing this. He is praying for these disciples.

You see how we will break these verses down? Very simple. Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth," verse 17. Jesus prays, "I sent them into the world," verse 18. And then Jesus offers himself for their sanctification in verse 19. Very easy for you to write down these truths. We encourage you to take notes as we continue through the message because we are studious here and we want to go back and learn all that the Lord wants us to learn. So let's look at our first major truth. Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth." Go back and look at verse 17. "Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth." Very simple verse.

Now we saw in last week's message that Jesus prayed the Father would keep them from the evil one. They were to be left in the world and that is obvious from what we've seen. Jesus would not be there any longer to protect him and so he has trusted these men to the Father for their protection. But now we see that protection is not enough. Jesus prays that the Father would sanctify them. Now remember what sanctification is. We should all understand what biblical sanctification is. Now there is simply sanctification. It is growing in Christ's likeness in this life. That's biblically accurate but very simple.

I will give you a deeper definition of this word sanctification. It comes from the Bible theologian Wayne Grudem and I like it. We will use this all through the remainder of the message. But notice what Grudem says and I'm quoting, "Sanctification is the progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives." Now this is important. Notice how these men were to be sanctified. Go back to the verse. Sanctify them in the truth. They were to be sanctified in the truth of God which is the word of God.

This is a simple statement but it says, "Oh so much." Now the three observations that I want to make here, they don't come out of this verse but they explain what this verse or this portion of this verse means. So first I want us to see God's truth. This truth spoken of in verse 17 is the Old Testament revelation. This truth is the Old Testament revelation. Now throughout Jesus' earthly ministry, Jesus taught that the Old Testament scriptures were the very word of God.

In Matthew 15, verses 5-6 read, "But you say, if anyone tells his father or mother, what you would have gained from me is given to God," verse 6, "he need not honor his father, so for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God." What's happening here is that the Jewish leadership, they were diminishing and disobeying the Old Testament word of God and Jesus was affirming the Old Testament word of God over their lives. He would not allow them to get away with his sin. So therefore he is affirming the Old Testament revelation as God's word.

Jesus also affirmed the inerrancy of the Old Testament scriptures all throughout his ministry. Matthew 5, verse 18 shows us this reality and I'm quoting, "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota or a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished." He is saying that not one portion of God's Old Testament law would pass away. Not one little verse would be overlooked until it is all accomplished. Then Jesus repeatedly affirmed the historical accuracy of the Old Testament. Jesus affirmed many of the Old Testament characters.

Jesus affirmed the historical accuracy of men like Jonah in Matthew 1240, men like Noah in Matthew 2438, men like Moses in Mark 1226, men like Abel in Luke 1151, men like Lot in Luke 1729 as well as Lot's wife in Luke 1732. So in the Old Testament revelation, it is God's truth and Jesus affirmed that all throughout his ministry. The second observation I want us to see is God's truth is Christ's words and his revelation. We see that God's truth is the Old Testament revelation and then now God's truth is Christ's words and his revelation. Now all throughout Jesus' ministry he saw his words as God's words. We saw that earlier back in verse 8.

Jesus prayed and he said, "For I have given them, the disciples, the words you have given me." Jesus said the same thing back in John 7 verse 6. He says, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me." This is the Father who gave these words to Christ. And not only did Jesus see his teaching as from God, but his actions were from God as well. John 1.18 says, "No one has ever seen God, the only God who is at the Father's side. He has made him known talking of Christ." And then we see this in Paul's writings as he's writing to the Colossian church.

Chapter 1 verse 15 reads, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." And then we see this in the Apostle Peter. The Apostle Peter testified that he believed that Jesus' words and actions were from God. This is a simple confession that back in John 6.69 Peter says, "And we have believed and we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God." So God's truth is found in Christ's words and his revelation, as well as the Old Testament revelation. And then this third observation, God's truth is the word revealed through the apostles.

Now as a part of the farewell discourses, Jesus teaches that the disciples, that through the disciples, that the remainder of his word would be revealed. Now if you're not careful, you won't see this. Let me read these verses, John 16 verses 12 through 15. Jesus says, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." Verse 13, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." What are the things that are to come?

That is his word being fleshed out through these men. Verse 14, "And he will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and will declare it to you." Again, that's an allusion to the word being fleshed out through them. Verse 15, "All that the Father has is mine, therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." So God's truth was completed in and through these men. These were no ordinary men. These were his appointed apostles. So what do we see right here in verse 17? Just this small verse, "Sanctify them in truth." Jesus prays and asks the Father to sanctify these men that he has given him.

But we see that Jesus knows the only means for this sanctification. This comes through the Word of God, the Old Testament writings, the words and actions, and revelations of Christ, and then the revelation of the Holy Spirit in them to complete his Word. Now, remember this definition that we got from Wayne Grudem. Now, I'm going to personalize it to these disciples. I'm going to alter it and you'll see how it works out. There, the disciples, their sanctification was this progressive work of God and their works.

See, they had a responsibility as well to make them, the disciples, more and more free from sin and like Christ in their actual lives. And what is the tool that he uses? The Word of God. I like what John MacArthur says here. He says it was not enough that they be safeguarded from the outside evils. They must also be internally conformed more and more to the Son. And how is this done? Through the Word of Truth. Now, let's continue. Let's look at our second major truth in our outline. This comes out of verse 18. Number two, Jesus prays, "I sent them into the world." I sent them into the world.

Verse 18, "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." Now here in verse 18, we have similar language to what we saw in verses 15 and 16. This is this greater context that I spoke of earlier. This is the context of the world. Jesus nor the Father wants to take these men out of the world. In the world is where we see their purpose. Now there are two observations out of verse 18 I want us to see. First I want us to see Jesus was sent into the world. Jesus he was sent into the world.

The first part of verse 18, "As you sent me into the world." Now we have seen this all throughout John's gospel that Jesus was sent into the world by the Father. He was sent to die as the atoning sacrifice for sin. First John 2, 2 says, "He is the propitiation or this atoning sacrifice for our sins." We see this taught earlier in John, John 3, 17. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." If we go back to the beginning of the verse, we can skip over it, "For God did not sin." This is the sinning of God the Father of the Son.

Again John 5 verse 30, "I can do nothing on my own as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me." And not only do we see this in the gospels, we see it in Paul's writings. There's Paul's writing to the Galatian church. Chapter 4 verse 4, Paul says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent." God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. So Jesus was sent into the world by the Father, and this was determined forever ago. And then our second observation, Jesus sent the disciples into the world.

Go to the second part of verse 18, part of this prayer, "So I have sent them into the world." Here we see that these men were given a definite commission from Christ. Is that the case? So I have sent them into the world. John MacArthur calls these words, and I quote, "a preview of the Great Commission." Isn't that so true? Now chronologically, we see that the Great Commission is given later. This command to go into all the world is given in Matthew 28, 18 to 20. I'll read this verse.

Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Go therefore, he's talking to the disciples, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Verse 20, "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age." And this command is also repeated in Acts, Acts chapter 1, verses 7 and 8. So here we see that these men were set apart through this commission for their future purpose, their future task. So what do we see? Just in verse 18, we see two parallel missions.

Christ was sent into the world by the Father, and the disciples were sent into the world by Christ. We see this stated back in or ahead of us in John 20, verse 21. This is the first of his post-resurrection appearances to the disciples. What does Jesus say? "Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." Just as Jesus was expected to obey his mission, the disciples were expected to obey theirs. And he was the greatest example of total obedience for these disciples. Morris goes on to say, "The mission of Christ forms the pattern for the mission of the apostles." So we see that Jesus sent them into the world.

And then our third major truth, Jesus offers himself for their sanctification. Jesus offers himself for their sanctification, verse 19. And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. Here in verse 19, we return to the theme of sanctification. We started that theme in verse 17. Now this is not just the disciples' sanctification, but Christ's sanctification as well. Now notice in the verse, Jesus says, "I consecrate myself." This is the English Standard Version. Now the King James uses the word sanctify. Now this speaks of his personal sanctification.

But this raises a question, a very interesting question, and a question that I will answer in just a moment. Now two observations I want to make out of verse 19. First, Christ consecrates himself unto death. Christ consecrates himself unto death, the beginning of verse 19. And for their sake, I sanctify myself. Now this is where the question arises. How can Christ be sanctified if sanctification involves dealing with sin? We need to think about that question. How can Christ be sanctified if this definition of sanctification involves dealing with sin?

I'll go back and read again Wayne Grudem's definition, and I quote, "Sanctification is the progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin." Christ's sanctification, we need to see, was a unique sanctification. Unlike man, Christ had no sin to be sanctified from. Christ's sanctification was a work of setting himself apart for God's plan of redemption, and he did this perfectly. Here we see that this work was for these men. Go back to the verse. And for their sake, I sanctify myself. This speaks to the fact that he will die for these men on the cross. This was always Jesus' heart.

We can go back in John, John 4, 34, and we see the heart of Jesus here. And Jesus said to his disciples, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." So Christ sanctifies himself for the work of the cross, the redemption of these men. And then the second observation, Christ provides their sanctification in truth. In the verse 19, "That they also may be sanctified in truth." Here we see that as Christ is sanctifying himself to the cross, he is also seeing the disciples' sanctification as well. Only because Jesus purchases these men on the cross can they be sanctified.

Because they are in a saving relationship with Jesus, they would be able to be conformed more and more into the image of Christ and to deal with or sin. Because of the Holy Spirit working within them, they could have victory over sin. So this sanctification in the truth is possible only, only because of Christ's death and their relationship to him. So what do we see in verse 19? Christ, he consecrates himself. He sanctifies himself to obey fully the Father's plans for redemption. Because Christ purchased them, they were able to be sanctified in this truth.

Now as we move away from the verses, only a few this morning, I want to move to some wonderful application. Now I've done this all through this high priestly prayer. I do this from time to time, but it just seems like this has been the way to go as we have studied and I have developed these messages to make application at the end. And I've saved our application for the last this morning. Now these applications this morning are very practical. I know that much of what we've seen in this prayer has been theological, but what we see in these passages this morning is very practical.

I would encourage you to write this application down because we need to have this for our prayer life to apply these verses into our lives. First we must see that our sanctification comes in the truth of God's Word. Let me repeat that. We must see that our personal sanctification comes in the truth of God's Word. Again, let's look at Wayne Grudem's definition. I told you we would ride this horse all the way through the message. And I quote, "Sanctification is the progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.

And this sanctification comes in through the Word of God." And we must see the importance of all of God's Word. Can we not see that as we fleshed out that part of verse 17? All of God's Word is important for our sanctification. The Old Testament, the Gospels, the pastoral epistles, even the mysterious book of Revelation. No matter where you may find yourself, all of God's Word is important for our sanctification. But let me flesh this out a little more. This work of sanctification can only take place if you are studious, if you are responsible to study the Word of God personally.

Yes, in your own life, no matter if you study in the morning or in the evening or in the middle of the day or all three. I've known people who wake up very early. I know people who stay up very late, but you are responsible to personally study God's Word. You're also responsible to be under the taught Word of God corporately. You're responsible to be faithful to attend the worship services, to be taught the wonderful Word of God. We teach the Word of God on Sunday morning. We are teaching the Word of God in our adult Bible studies on Sunday night. We are teaching the Word of God on Wednesday night.

I teach the Word of God on Wednesday night, although it's shorter than what we look at on Sunday morning. Our children and our teenagers are under the Word of God on Wednesday night, and we must be in the Word. Now a question. What is keeping you from personal Bible study? Some of you really need to examine your life. What is keeping you from personal Bible study? All of us are different, but there are things that distract you from your personal time of being in the Word. What's keeping you from being faithful to attend church and be under the taught Word of God?

Some of you are distracted by things in life that hinder you from coming to the taught Word of God faithfully from this pulpit and in this church. And when you are not in God's Word personally or corporately, when you are not under God's Word, then you are removing yourself from God's means of sanctification. Some of you need to hear that. That's why I'll repeat it. When you are not in God's Word as you should be personally, when you are not here to hear the taught Word of God corporately, then some of you need to see you are removing yourself from God's means of sanctification. Some of you are in sin. Some of you are in sin.

You need to examine your life. Your pastor loves you, and you need to examine your life. What keeps you from studying the Word faithfully in the privacy of your own home? What keeps you from being under the taught Word of God faithfully in the life of this church? I think you know me. I think you know Brother Keith by now. We are in this to teach you the Word of God and to be used of God, to bring about the truths of God's Word in your life. This is all for sanctification, people. In second, in our application, we must see that our sanctification is for the world. We must see that our sanctification is for the world.

Right in the heart of these two verses on sanctification, Jesus says, "I've sent them into the world." A preview, John MacArthur calls it, of the Great Commission. And we must see that our personal sanctification is for the world. Just as these disciples were sent, we are commanded to go into the world as well. We do not have to wait on a command, people. It's already been given. It has been given. Now, I want to flesh this out a little more, and I want to ask you a question. Would you minister and witness to the people that God has put in your life? Your sanctification is to do that. Some of you have family, co-workers, neighbors.

Would you minister and witness to the people that God has put into your life? I'll get a little more personal. Would you minister to certain children that God has put in our church? God has brought people in the life of our church. If you look at how Jesus dealt with children, He always encouraged children to come to Him and we should always encourage children to be in these pews and to be in our classes and to be in our lives and to be what you know that some of you ladies, you might be the only Christian mother some of these children see. Men, some of these children might not ever see a Christian dad until they see you.

I'll change our application a little more. Would you forego family vacations to go on a mission trip to minister and witness to others? Would you? Would you make financial sacrifices so that you could go around the world? I'll never forget hearing my brother-in-law share how when he went to India with his nephew, my nephew, excuse me, his son, and he said all of the money and all of the time off and all of the bad food was worth it to watch my son share the gospel and minister to people in a foreign country and watch him witness and preach and teach, it was all worth it. Would you be willing to make that sacrifice?

I'll be a little more personal in a different way. If God were to call our church to make major changes, would you follow? I'd like you to write that down. If God were to lead and call our church to make major changes, would you follow? See church, this is where churches split. This is where infighting comes. This is where opinions parade down the center aisle. But if God were to call us in the life of our church to make major, major changes, would you follow? See, this is not our church. It's not your church. I'm so thankful this is not a family church. I'm thankful that this church is not governed by a particular group or this group.

We don't have that problem here. We learn in our study of the book of Revelation, these seven churches, the church belongs to Christ and he tells the church what to do and he wrote those letters to those angels, those ministers and he said, "You do what I say do. I'm Lord of the church." If God were to call our church to send our own around the world, would you lead the way? You might say, "Pastor, it's okay as long as it's not my son or daughter." If God were to call our church to send our own around the world, would you lead the way? See our sanctification is to be used to send us around the world, people. Our sanctification is not for us.

Oh, that's a trap that is sent by the devil. Our sanctification is so that we would be sent around the world and I don't know if you realize it but you can be selfish with your sanctification. You can want personal and corporate sanctification just for you. I was having a conversation with a man the other day, a good conversation, one of those spiritual conversations that you chew on and in the course of the conversation, there were some words said like this, "You know, I like our church. I like the size of our church.

I like how we can get to know each other." We were talking about certain things that we both liked about our church but then I steered the direction and I said, "You know it's really not about what I like and what you like. The church is not for us." And I steered the conversation and I said, "How many people are out there just like you and me and they need a church like this?" See, our sanctification is not for us. Our sanctification is that we would be sent around the world and that's the same way with the life of the church and we must be careful not to be selfish with our sanctification.

This is not church, the time to shrink back from the world. I know we look around the world and it's becoming increasingly wicked and increasingly hostile against Christianity but look, we're not to shrink back, we're to go. If God can't keep us safe on an airplane, He cannot keep us safe on a lawnmower in our yard. If God can't keep a missionary safe, He'll never keep our children safe as they go to college. Listen, God is bigger than all these things and it's not time for us to shrink back. We must see that our sanctification is for the world.

And then our third or last point of application, we must see that our sanctification comes through our circumstances. We must see that our sanctification comes through our circumstances. Now if we fast forward the lives of these men, these 11, we will see that they had great difficulties. Yes, they were protected from the evil one. God honored that prayer. What does Jesus say? He's going to keep them from the evil one but God allowed the evil one to touch their lives. If you look at their life, it's almost like God didn't honor the prayer. God protected them from temptation.

He protected them from sin, although they were not perfect because they were sinful men. But God allowed Satan to touch their lives where he desired and it was for his purpose. See their road of sanctification, there were a few potholes in it. And you know if you look at their life, you might say, "Pastor, they were more than potholes in their lives." I mean, it's as if they careened off the road and over and over passed. So what am I showing you? These men had great difficulties in their sanctification.

But we must see that God has ordained each of our circumstances for one ultimate purpose, for the greater work of sanctification in our lives. God has ordained everything for you. None of this is snuck up on God. It was for his work in you. And listen, ultimately your work of sanctification is to be used in the lives of others. Yes, even your pain, even your disappointments, even your circumstances that you feel so overwhelmed by, it is for others. So what are we looking at this morning? What's the title of the message? Jesus, this high priestly prayer, still interceding for these disciples.

He's praying for these disciples and he's praying for their sanctification. These are his chosen men. They're called out and he's praying for this work of sanctification as they are sent out into the world. May the Lord help us to be faithful to the journey of sanctification that he has marked out for us as individuals and as a church. Let's pray.