Jesus Prays for His Disciples II

John 17:13-19

What are some of the biggest challenges disciples of Christ face today?

We have been studying the Lord’s Prayer in John 17. This prayer is often referred to as the High Priestly prayer of Jesus. We know this refers to Jesus being the fulfillment of the High Priest position in the Old Testament. Hebrews chapter 6-7 tell us that Jesus priest hood is better than the Old Testament because He is a high Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

In what ways is the Priesthood of Jesus different from the priests of the Old Testament? 3 ways that stand out to me.

The Old Testament priests had to offer a sacrifice for their own sin before they could offer a sacrifice for the people. But Jesus was sinless and needed no sacrifice.

The priest’s of the Old Testament would continually offer sacrifices for the people all day long, it was an endless job that was never finished, but Jesus is the one time sacrifice for the sin of the world, and now He is sat down at the right hand of the Father. The idea of a priest sitting down in the Old Testament was unheard of but Jesus work is finished.

The third way Jesus priesthood is different is in the Old Testament (and most important for our study tonight) the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year to make intercession for the people. They could only remain there for a short time, but Jesus has ascended into heaven to forever intercede on our behalf. Exodus 28:12.

The way Jesus intercedes for His disciples in this passage teach us a lot what His desire is for His followers.

John 17:13–19 KJV

And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Background and Context

Who is speaking?

Who is He speaking to?

Who is He speaking about?

When is He saying this?

Why is He saying this?

Jesus is going to the cross. His hour has come and He has turned His attention to His disciples and what their life is going to be like without Him.

The mission of caring the gospel to the world will rest on their shoulders, and they are going to face incredible hostility from the world as the church begins to grow.

Last week we saw Jesus begin to pray for their protection from the world, and that is the theme that continues throughout these next few verses.

Jesus is praying that the Father would protect them and guard them from the enemy but specifically through Joy and sanctification. The way He prays for them teaches us about His desire for us today.

I. The first thing He prays for Is Joy.

Vs. 13, “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

Where was Jesus speaking these things?

By “I come to thee” He means in Prayer. This is His approach to the Father. In other words, this is what I am asking, and I am asking for this now, while I am still in the world, because I represent them.

Whose Joy does Jesus pray they might have?

He prays they would have His joy in all it’s fulness.

What was the joy of Jesus according to Vs. 1? It was to bring glory to the Father. But He intended to do that specifically through obedience and sacrifice.

So, when Jesus is praying for the disciples to have His joy He is praying for them to find joy in serving God. He is praying for them to find joy in the midst of sacrifice. Why?

Because the disciples were going to face incredible persecution. And Jesus wanted them to have the same mind that was in Him. The Apostles would develop the creed we read in Phil. 2:5-11

Philippians 2:5–11 KJV

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Their are several things that need to be said about a believers joy.

It doesn’t depend on circumstances. It is a joy that comes from an inner peace and confidence in God, that results in a cheerful heart. A cheerful heart leads to cheerful behavior.

2. Joy is divine. It’s roots are in God not in material things of the world, or goals we can achieve. The things of the world can make us happy but they are temporary. The joy of the Lord is His joy, and it doesn’t depend on happiness. Happiness depends on happenings but Joy depends on what God is doing in a believers heart.

3. Joy comes from faith Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

4. Joy of a future reward keeps us faithful. Matthew 25:21 ““His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”

5. The commandments of Christ and the promises He made bring us Joy. John 15:11 ““These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

We could do an exhaustive study on joy alone tonight, but you get the idea. The joy of the Lord comes directly from obeying and serving God, growing in our faith and living for Him. It is different from the temporary joy of the world.

How can we as believers maintain an attitude of joy, in spite of our circumstances?

II. The second thing we see here is: Jesus prays for them because they are going to be persecuted by the world. Vs. 14-16

The world under the influence of Satan stand opposed to all that Jesus and His disciples proclaimed.

Why do you think the world is so opposed to Christ and His followers?

They are opposed to God’s love because God’s love is not based on self-indulgence but on obedience and truth.

They are opposed to God’s love because it is based on serving and sacrifice and the world doesn’t want to give anything to help someone, and even when they do they want recognition for it.

The world is opposed to the holiness and justice of God because it means they will one day be held accountable for their actions and deeds.

The world is opposed to Jesus because He claimed to be the Son of God and calls for total allegiance He is due, and the world doesn’t want to serve anyone but self.

John 17:14–16 , “ have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

What did Jesus give the disciples? Vs. 14

He had planted the Word of God in their heart. Specifically that He was the Messiah sent from God, and that salvation was through Him.

There were three primary reasons why God needed to protect the disciples from the world under the influence of Satan.

The world hated the disciples Vs. 14 have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them,

Notice why, Christ had given them the Word and the Word revealed the sin and depravity of Man. The Word revealed that men were accountable to a holy God, and the world rejects that. The world rejects Christ and those who serve Him because they are rebelling against God.

2. The disciples were not of the world even as Jesus was not of the world.

In the same way as Jesus came out from God, or out of heaven. The disciples of Christ are born again by the Spirit of God. We are given a new nature. And the world wants nothing to do with a new nature they want to enjoy their sin nature. and they want God to accept that.

Through the Word of God the disciple of Christ is made different from the world and the world doesn’t like different. They accuse us of thinking we are better than them because we don’t want the things they want out of the world.

But also, notice the disciples needed to be in the world. “ I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

The need was not for them to be removed but for them to be kept from evil. They were called to be in the world but not of the world. They were messengers and ambassadors to the world but not partakers of the sin.

God’s mission in the world depended on their faithfulness and loyalty. They had to be kept and protected by the armor of God. Eph. 6:10-18.

The point is the disciples were now of the same nature as Jesus, and that is the main reason they are under attack. Jesus emphasizes this and repeats it twice in this passage. Vs. 14, Vs. 16.

So, we have seen Jesus praying for the disciples to have His joy as they remained in the world, and for them to be protected during their persecution.

It is obvious we as believers are still facing these same issues today. It is safe to say Christ is interceding for us with these same requests from heaven.

What can help us as believers stand against the persecution we face in the world?

III. The third thing I want you to see is Jesus Praying for Sanctification. Vs. 17-19.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”

What were they to be sanctified through?

Note: there are two things said about a disciple here.

He is to be sanctified, and it is to come through the truth.

The Word “sanctify” is “Hagiazo” which means to purify, make holy, set apart. So, Jesus is asking for His disciples to be purified and set-apart through the truth, and then Jesus defines what truth is: “thy word is truth.”

There are two forms of Word given to man. We have the living Word and we have the written Word.

Jesus is the living Word of God, He is the Logos of God. The Word made flesh That dwelt among us.

The written Word are these 66 books of the bible we call the Word of God. We believe in the inerrancy, and sufficiency of scripture.

That everything this bible teaches us, written by men, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is the very Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

The disciples needed to be sanctified or set-apart to God through His truth for two reasons.

They are being sent into the world, just as Jesus had been sent into the world.

Why was Jesus sent into the world? Jesus had been sent into the world to reconcile man back to God and the disciples mission is the same. (we have been talking about the great commission as the mission and the mandate of all believers).

2. the second reason the disciples needed to be Sanctified. Sanctification is the way of salvation God choose to reach the world.

Jesus had set Himself apart to please the Father and He brought glory to God no matter the consequences. He teaches us obedience to God was the chosen way of salvation.

Being set apart to serve Him and worship Him is what salvation is all about. That’s why Jesus prayed for His disciples to be sanctified. 1 Peter 1:15–16 “but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

I think it is important we understand that it is through the study and practice of God’s Word that we are set apart to God. The more we come to understand the Word the more we come to understand how God wants us to live.

The Word is our daily instructions, and the more time we spend with the Word the more we grow in Christ-likeness.

I think it is also important we understand there are three stages of sanctification.

There is the initial stage. It is positional sanctification. When a person believes in Jesus they are immediately set-apart for God permanently, once and for all. Hebrews 10:10 “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

There is progressive sanctification. This is when we as believers make a determine and disciplined effort to allow the Holy Spirit to set us apart everyday, and conform us to the image of Christ. This is growth and maturity that takes place throughout the life of a believer. Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

3. There is eternal sanctification. There will come a day when every believer is perfectly set-apart to God and will serve Him without any sin whatsoever. That will be the day of eternal redemption. 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”

How can we as believers work toward our sanctification in the world?

Conclusion

The way Jesus intercedes for His disciples in this passage teach us a lot about what His desire is for His followers today.

His desire is that we have joy. But specifically His joy. It’s a joy that comes from serving God with all your heart. It is a divine joy that is different from the world. It is a joy we can have in spite of our circumstances.

His desire is that we be protected from the worldly influences of Satan. A disciple of Christ will be hated by the world because they stand on the Word of God. their life speaks of the depravity of man, the righteousness of God and that one day all men will stand in judgment for their deeds.

The believer will stand on the merits of Christ and His sacrifice. The unbeliever on his own merits without sacrifice.

His desire is that we be sanctified. Set-apart for the work of the Lord. That we would be growing and becoming more Christ-like everyday, and that one day we will be made perfect.

How can we ourselves, help achieve Christ prayer for our lives?