Spiritual Protection
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We are continuing on with our examination of the Prayer of Jesus found in the 17th chapter of John’s gospel. Jesus is praying to His Father out loud for his disciples to hear and He is praying for them. They belonged to the Father before they had ever met Jesus and responded to His invitation to follow Him. Jesus revealed the Father to them and they received His word. While they followed Jesus, He protected them like a Shepherd watches over His flock of sheep - but now that he is returning to the Father, He hands them back to His Father’s for safekeeping.
Having received Jesus, and believing he is the Son of God, the disciples are now at great risk. They are no longer part of the world - and so now the world will hate them.
NT Wright in his book John for Everyone defines the “world” this way:
John for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 11–21 Jesus Prays for His People (John 17:9–19)
‘The world’, remember, in this gospel doesn’t mean simply the physical universe as we know it. It means the world insofar as it has rebelled against God, has chosen darkness rather than light, and has organized itself to oppose the creator
With Jesus no longer present, who will keep the disciples from being pulled back into the world with all of its evil and corruption? Who will strengthen them, encourage them, correct them when He is absent?
There is only One whom Jesus could trust to do this - His Father. They will need His spiritual protection.
We all need spiritual protection. The battle is real. There are forces - here on earth and in the spiritual realm that work against those whom God has declared His children.
We are provided an example of the danger we face in the verse that precedes today’s passage.
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
One of Jesus’ disciples was not like the others. Judas Iscariot is identified in all four gospels and in the book of Acts as one of Jesus’ inner circle of 12 disciples. His name is always placed last when listing the disciples and he is identified as Jesus’ betrayer.
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Jesus invited Judas in to this circle of close friends who would learn from him and then go and put into practice what they learned and spreading the gospel. Judas was present throughout his earthly ministry. He walked with Jesus, he saw the miracles, listened to the teachings, enjoyed the fellowship. He would have had one on one conversations with our Lord. He was entrusted with the finances of the group. And in the end, he would betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
To him was revealed the Son of God, but instead of believing and following, he chose to remain in the world. In doing so, he opened himself up to the enemy of our souls.
During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
...Jesus got up and began to wash their feet. Jesus then mentions that one of them would betray him and as they ate dinner, a disciple (likely John) asked Jesus who it is. Jesus replies it is the one who I give this morsel of bread to and he proceed to break off a piece of bread and give it to Judas.
Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
It is important to note, Judas had already set things in motion. He already had determined to betray Jesus - we do not know what his main motivation was - maybe greed, maybe to force Jesus into action, maybe he disagreed with Jesus’ mission - but his meeting with the chief priests and the organizing of guards to follow him and arrest Jesus was not a spur of the moment deal. This was planned. He made a choice, and as a result, he opened himself up to the tempter.
Jesus allowed it to happen - he did not stop Judas from walking this path, we all have choices we make. God gives us the freedom to follow or turn away.
When it was all done, Judas showed remorse for what he had done and tried to return the silver, but it was too late. Matt 27:4-5
Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
This is a tragic story for all parties involved.
Betrayal is probably one of the most painful acts in a fallen world. It is a gross violation of trust as any spouse who has experienced infidelity from their partner can attest.
Jesus felt the pain of betrayal, even though he knew Judas had chosen this path.
I’m reminded of the Psalms where David speaks of the betrayal he experienced from one close to him.
For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.
And I think about how Satan himself once was once one of angels created to worship God and be his messenger.
You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.
and also in Isaiah 14:12-17
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
Betrayal is woven throughout the story of God and his people. It started with Satan, an angel of the Lord - the one some versions call morning star or day star, in the Latin the name is Lucifer. The Hebrew meaning of the word is shining one or bright one. He was an angel of light, until he betrayed His loyalty to His Creator. He sought to be worshipped.
It is safe to argue that Satan has sought to deceive all of humanity into betraying their Creator, rebelling from his rule, and to choose darkness over light.
Jesus calls us out of darkness.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
We are God’s children, and every good parent protects their children. The children of God are to live holy lives, which will be difficult to do in a world where Satan is always seeking to destroy.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
I have stated before that this prayer in John 17 is commonly referred to as the High Priestly Prayer.
This is because Jesus is serving as our High Priest as He prays to the Father. Let me return to the words of NT Wright and what he describes happening in this prayer.
John for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 11–21 Jesus Prays for His People (John 17:9–19)
In first-century Judaism, ‘holiness’ called to mind the Temple in particular. It was the holy place, the place where the holy God had promised to live. It referred particularly to the Holy of Holies, the innermost shrine, where the high priest would go once a year to make atonement for the people. The high priest had to go through special ceremonies of ‘consecration’, to be ‘set apart’ so that he could enter into the presence of the holy God, and pray there for his people. In exactly the same way, Jesus is declaring that he has been, all along, ‘set apart’, ‘consecrated’ for God’s exclusive service. Now, like the high priest, he is asking the father to preserve his people from evil, from the tricks and traps of ‘the world’. He wants them to be his holy people in the best and fullest sense.
Hear the Good News. If you have received Jesus and believe He is Lord, and you are following Him, then you are protected from the Evil One. Satan cannot condemn you, your sin has been paid for. Your high priest, Jesus, did that for you. Satan cannot make you sin, you have the power to resist evil. That power comes from the Holy Spirit living in you. This does not mean that Satan will not work to sideline you, to deceive you into believing you are not God’s child and that you are not, nor could you ever be, forgiven. That is just what he does - that is his M.O. He is a liar.
But you are a beautiful child of God and Jesus is praying for God’s protection over you. You are free to live and operate under His protection. And as a child of God who still has the gift of free will, we are given instruction on how to repel the attacks of the enemy.
We put on the armor of God as described in Ephesians.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Equip yourself with truth, with righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, your salvation and the word of God. And prayer.
In other words, intentionally decide every day to follow Jesus, to know his teachings, to read his Word, to live a good life, to hold onto the faith that you have received, and to pray continually. You belong to Him and God is protecting you. Don’t lose sight of that.
The longer I walk this journey with Jesus, the more I realize what a true gift Jesus has given to everyone who receives Him. When I first started out, there was a sense of peace knowing that my sins were forgiven. But I had no idea how hard it would be to walk with Him. It doesn’t have to be hard, but I often make it hard. I believe some of you can relate.
There have been many times when I thought I had let him down, that I had failed to live up to my end of the bargain, that I had to prove myself yet again that I was worthy of his grace.
That was just the enemy at work in my life.
I’ve now come to truly appreciate what it means that Jesus is my high priest. He paid for all my sins - past, present and future. He took my punishment on himself, and in exchange, gave me his perfect life. When I believed and gave him my allegiance, my old self died on the cross with him. My new life is found in Him - as He walked out of the grave, so did I. Because of this Great Exchange - when God looks at me, He sees His perfect Son - no condemnation, no shame. That is the hard to believe exchange that occurs - this gift of God’s abundant grace. I am covered under the greatest life insurance and protection policy ever created. And it cost me nothing - but it cost Jesus everything.
Are you covered? If you trust in Jesus with all your heart, mind and soul - you are protected.
Let’s pray.