#DailyDevotion Jesus Sanctifies Us With His Word, The Word Of Truth
John 17:11b–19 11b Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You gave Me, so that they will be one as We are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them safe in Your name, which You gave Me. I watched over them, and none of them was lost except that lost one — what the Bible says had to come true. 13But now I am coming to You, and I say this while I am in the world so that they will have all My joy in their hearts. 14I gave them Your Word. But the world has hated them because they don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 15I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16They don’t belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. 17Make them holy by the truth; Your Word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I sent them into the world. 19In this holy way I give Myself for them to make them holy, too, by the truth.
What we have here is a part of Jesus’ high priestly prayer. While this took place in the garden before his crucifixion, we have it now in our Church year just before Pentecost and just after the Ascension. It is placed here probably because of verse 13, “But now I am coming to You, and I say this while I am in the world so that they will have all My joy in their hearts.” Jews was coming to the Father soon and he would no longer be visible to us. He is seated at the right hand of the Father as our constant intercessor and you can believe everything in this high priestly prayer he continues to pray for you and his Church on earth.
So what does Jesus pray for for us? One that we would be kept in the Father’s name, the name He gave to Jesus so that we will be one as the Father and the Son are one. That name is the name we have received in baptism, the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is in baptism God makes us one in Christ, one with one another, and in Christ, one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. While all we may see at times is divisions in the Church, at the instigation of Satan for certain, in and through the Spirit, all believers are one in Christ, on earth and in heaven. Not that differences don’t matter. Those differences can separate us from Christ and from one another. Jesus here prays for unity in heart, confession and Spirit.
Jesus’ Word, the Word he gave us separates us from the world and the world hates us because of it. That Word is Jesus is the only way to the Father. That Word that only through faith in Jesus and what he has done for us by his life, death and resurrection gives us eternal life. That Word that through faith in Jesus, even in his name, the Father no longer counts our sins against us and gives us the kingdom of heaven for Jesus’ name sake and not because of anything we have done. The world wants us to accept it as it is and give approval. The world wants us to acknowledge there are many ways to God and excuse and give approval to their idolatry. The world wants us to think of God as a tyrant and not as a merciful, kind, forgiving and faithful Father. Whatever deities the world worships, the think their idols demand sacrifices the Father never asked for.
What has God the Father asked for? That we trust and believe his Word. This Word is the Truth and this Truth sanctifies us and makes us holy, apart from what we have done. Jesus gave himself unto death to make us holy by his truth. Continue in this Truth, the Father loves and accepts you only on account of Jesus and his name.
Heavenly Father, continually keep your ear open to Jesus so we may be kept holy and one with you, the Son and one another and that we be kept safe in your Word and Truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.