F. Praying to God to equip the disciples (John 17:18-19). 1. (vs. 18). Jesus goes on to pray “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Jesus told His Father that just as He was sent into the world by the Father, “even so have I also sent them into the world.” Jesus compared His sending or commissioning His disciples to spread the gospel to the Father sending Him into the world. Both Jesus and His disciples were sent with authority to take God’s message of salvation to a hostile world (see Matthew 28:28-20; Acts 1:8). The sanctified Christian is also sent to the world to reveal Christ through life and word, just as Christ revealed His Father (see John 1:18). 2. (vs. 19). In this verse Jesus continued to pray “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” Jesus said that it was for the disciples’ “sake” or on their behalf that “I sanctify myself.” The phrase “for their sakes” refers to Jesus’ obeying the Father’s will that brought salvation, and also set the pattern for His people’s obedience to His will. Jesus did sanctify Himself to God’s service as He set Himself apart through death (see Hebrews 13:12) giving His life so that His disciples could be “sanctified through the truth.” In other words, the disciples would be made holy as they obeyed God’s Word (see Ephesians 5:25-26; I John 2:20-21). V. PRAYER FOR FUTURE BELIEVERS (John 17:20-21) A. Jesus prays for you and me (John 17:20). Here Jesus says “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” After praying that the Eleven be sanctified or set apart to a mission of evangelism, He said “Neither pray I for these alone.” With this phrase Jesus was telling the Father that His prayer was not only for the Eleven who had been with Him for the past three years. He then declared who else His prayer included. He said that He was praying also “for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” In other words, Jesus prayed for those who would be converted to Him through the disciples’ preaching. Of course this would include believers today, you and me, as well as the original converts in the early church. It was through Jesus’ apostles and their personal ministries and writings that future believers would come to faith in Christ. Jesus was praying for all these future believers, including you and me. B. Jesus prayed for our unity (John 17:21). Our lesson ends with Jesus praying “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” This verse is a continuation of the previous verse where Jesus said that His prayer included not only His present disciples, but all those who would come to Him as a result of their message. He then says He was praying for them so “That they all may be one.” Jesus’ great desire for all His followers is that they become unified as one body (see Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 10:16-17; 12:13, 18-20; Colossians 3:15). The Lord likened this oneness or unity among believers to the unity between Himself and the Father as He continued to say “as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee.” This unity has to be demonstrated through a selfless love (see John 13:35). Christian unity is essential for a consistent witness. Jesus continued in His prayer saying “that they (His followers) also may be one in us.” As believers continue to be unified with each other, we are therefore one with the Son and the Father. Jesus then stated why unity among believers was so important. It was so “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” As we remain unified in love and purpose, many people in the world will believe in Jesus.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 23:29:42 +0000
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