The Gospel According to John: "The High Priestly Prayer" part 2

Series Introduction:

The theme verse for our series is John 20:31

John 20:31 – “…these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

The “these” John is referring to are the seven recorded SIGNS/miracles and the seven recoded “I Am” STATEMENTS of Jesus. John focused on those 14 key SIGNS and STATEMENTS in order to show us that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World because He’s God’s only begotten Son. God had John write these things so that we would believe and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that by the grace of God we would be FREED from the penalty of our sin and given life to the FULL here on earth and life FOREVER in heaven.

Recap/review/summary:

Sign 1: Water into wine (John 2)

Sign 2: Royal officer’s won healed (John 2)

Sing 3: Lame man healed on Sabbath (John 5)

Sign 4: Feeding the 5 thousand (John 6)

Sign 5: Man born blind given sight (John 9)

Sign 6: Lazarus raised from the dead (John 11)

Sign 7: *(John 20)

I Am Statement 1: The Bread of Life (John 6)

I Am Statement 2: The Light of the World (John 8 & John 9)

I Am Statement 3: The Door (John 10)

I Am Statement 4: The Good Shepherd (John 10)

I Am Statement 5: The Resurrection and the Life (John 11)

I Am Statement 6: The Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14)

I Am Statement 7: The Vine (John 15)

The text from last week:

John 17:1–12 (NASB)

1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 “Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. 12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

The text for this week:

John 17:13–21 (NASB)

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The saving work of the word.

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

1 Timothy 2:3–4 (NASB)

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Justification):

Justification is the biblical teaching about how believers are declared to be right before God even though they are not actually righteous in themselves. Given that Greek language does not strictly differentiate “righteousness” and “justice” as in English,

Saved through the word.

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.

Saved in the world.

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

Sent into the world.

18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

Sent with the word.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

The sanctifying work of the word.

13 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NASB)

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification...

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Sanctification)

This idea that Christians have been made holy before God through their faith in Christ is related to justification. In Christian theology, a distinction is sometimes made between justification and sanctification where justification refers to having saving faith and sanctification refers to the process of gradual purification from sin and progressive spiritual growth that should mark the life of the believer. This doctrine of sanctification draws on New Testament passages that emphasize a move toward holy and righteous living that characterizes following Christ in faith (1 Thess 4:3–8; Rom 6:19–22).

Set apart by the word. (It in us.)

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

Set apart from the world. (In it, not of it.)

14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one

Set apart like the Word that became flesh. (Him in us)

6 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus prayed for our salvation and our sanctification. It is God’s desire for you that you be saved and sanctified for your good and His glory.

Memory Verse of the Week:

3 John 2 (NASB)

2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

Discussion Questions: (John 17:13-21)

What does the word of God have to do with the joy of Jesus Christ? (v. 13)

In what ways does the word of God keep us from being of the world? (v. 14)

Why didn’t Jesus pray for His disciples to be taken out of the world? (v. 15)

What does it mean to be in the world but not of the world? (v. 16) In what ways can we do a better job of living that out in our lives?

How does God use His word to bring sanctification in our lives? (v. 17)

What does it mean to be sent like Jesus was sent? (v. 18)

In what way(s) was Jesus sanctified? (v. 19) Why is this important to remember?

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus prayed for you? (v. 20)

What is the ultimate purpose for salvation? (v. 21) Does this change your perspective about the lost or your motivation to reach them? How/Why?

What else were you taught about God in this passage?

What else did the text teach you about yourself?

Did anything else in these verses stick out to you?

How do you believe God is leading you to respond to His word?