John 17:11-19 (b)

            Jesus makes one request for His disciples: that they may be one as He and the Father are one.  This one request, however, leads to two other requests.

1.      In vs.11-15 Jesus prays for their protection.

            He prays that the Father will keep them.  The point is, of course, that they are in the world which is the domain of Satan or the evil one as he is called in v15.  Jesus has protected them while with them but now He is leaving and so He asks the Father to continue this protection.  Note that Jesus does not pray that the Father would keep them from difficulties.  He has already promised His disciples that their will be a difficult road.  But he prays that Satan will not be able to take them from Christ.

            It is this spiritual protection that is behind such wonderful promises as…

P Rom. 8:28:  all things work together for good to those who love God.

P Phil. 1:6:  God will continue the process He begins.

P Jude 24:  Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory.

P Rom. 8:31-39:  Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

2.      In vs.16-19 Jesus prays for their sanctification.

            Sanctification refers to the process of producing holiness in the life of the believer.  The root idea is to be set apart.  Jesus is praying that God will set them apart in holiness.  It is helpful to remember that Jesus addresses this request to His Holy Father (v11).  Sanctification, therefore, is the process of becoming more like God.  And is that not therefore related to the overall request of oneness?  Jesus is praying that His disciples will not merely be one in name but one in character.

            Jesus reveals in this prayer how this sanctification takes place.  First, in v17 He says, sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.  The word of God which Jesus gave to His disciples and which they have passed on to us is the means by which believers are set apart.  As Peter himself said, “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby”  (1 Peter 2:2).  Paul stressed this time and again.

P 2 Tim. 2:16-17:  the word of God teaches, reproves, corrects, and instructs in righteousness that the man of God may be mature.

P Col. 1:9-10:  being filled with the knowledge of His will is fundamental to walking worthy of the Lord.

P Acts. 20:28:  the word of grace can sanctify or build up believers.

            The second revelation is in v19 where Jesus says that He sanctifies Himself so that the disciples may also be sanctified.  Here sanctification is tied to the prefect life of Christ.  We are identified with Christ.  Our holiness is not the result of our effort but of His life in us.

            The principle was clearly stated by Paul in his stern but loving words to the Galatians Christians:  My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you (Gal. 4:19).  Likewise his words to the Romans are what we need to hear:  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lust (Rom. 13:14).