The Prayer and Sending of Jesus

Welcome – let’s pray.

PRAY

And now the word set to music then some silent time, then to finish John 17 by picking it back up at verse 18.

MUSIC SILENCE

John 17.end

Alright we left off last week with a fantastic verse – John 17:17 where Jesus prays to the Father and says: “Sanctify them with the truth; thy word is truth.” We talked about this quite a bit. So let’s read through to the end of the chapter noting that after this Jesus literally utters only _____ sentences in the next four chapters.

So continuing in prayer he says, speaking of the Apostles still:

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21 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. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Jesus Sends His Apostles

Okay back to 18 Jesus says: “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” We know from the other Gospels He has, in fact, sent them into the land (and then they came back and reported how things went) and then in John 20:21 we will read that when Jesus appears to them in a closed room He will say:

(Joh 20:21) Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

We have covered the parallel of the Father sending the Son and the Son sending His apostles out into the word to speak of Him. (verse 19 Jesus adds)

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Last week we pointed out that when Jesus asked the Father to sanctify the Apostles that the word for sanctify means a couple of things. First it means to make holy or righteous (by cleansing or washing) and secondly it could mean to set apart or to consecrate. Here, when Jesus says that for their sakes “I sanctify myself” it could not possibly mean to cleansed to make pure or righteous or holy as He was without sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace.. We therefore know He was saying that He had kept Himself from the world, consecrated and dedicated His life.

Jesus' Purpose in Sanctification

Why? Why did Jesus consecrate Himself apart from the World as our great high priest? He tells us in verse 18, saying: “That they also might be sanctified through the truth.” In other words He lived a sinless life so they could also live a life separate and consecrated to Him.

There are two ways to see what Jesus says here as having application to these men. First of all, and least of all in my estimation, Jesus (to use an LDS phrase I shutter repeating but it does hold water) Jesus set an example for them. It’s one of the great benefits of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. Don’t get this wrong now. His example was for these men to see and immolate. He taught them directly and for a really Good reason – they were going to take the Good News out to the world (as sent) and as His disciples it was important that they had first hand training of what He was like, what He did, said, and how He did it. We tend to teach and suggest that we need to follow Jesus material example and while this is true

Principles of Jesus' Life

It is only partially possible for a few good reasons: First, we do NOT know all He did nor do we live in the culture or times in which He did them. Secondly, the information we do have about Him can be taken and demanded of ourselves and others a thousand ways to Sunday. Literalism does NOT work when it comes to following Jesus – if you think it does I think you have made an error in judgment. Nevertheless, the PRINCIPLES by which He lived are very much for us and are applicable, principles like love, mercy, truth-bearing, compassion, etc.

So one reason He separated Himself was so the first-hand witnesses could actually see and adopt His ways. The second reason is far more important because it was by and through His sanctified life that we believers are made holy, righteous, and are able to live consecrated lives. See the pure shed blood spilt not only cleanses us from sin and the life lived that makes us holy and righteous. In other words, had Jesus chosen to join the world rather than set Himself apart from it none of us would have a shot – apostles included – at being sanctified.

Righteousness and Sanctification

Speaking of Abraham having righteousness imputed to His account due to faith Paul adds:

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

In 1st Corinthians 1:2 we read:

“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

Listen to the all familiar verses in 1st Corinthians 1:27-31

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

See, if we think that Jesus merely saved us from the implications of sin but that we are responsible for our own righteousness we will boast and become arrogant. So God so situated it that human beings are not only FORGIVEN for sin by Jesus shed blood but we are also made righteous by His perfectly lived (sanctified and consecrated) life.

Jesus as Our Righteousness

When we read in Jeremiah that Jesus is called, “The Lord, our Righteousness,” this means exactly what it says – He is our righteousness (our sanctification) which is the result of Him living His life devout, consecrated and separate from the sin of the world. When the writer of Hebrews says 12:14:

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord,” the holiness, the sanctification, the righteousness can only come from Him – never of ourselves.

So to follow peace is to follow the Prince of Peace, and to follow Righteousness is to pursue the Lord OUR Righteousness.

Earlier the writer of Hebrews says in 10:10:

“we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Again, we note that the writer did not use the term justified by hagios – made clean and holy and righteous.

At this point, Jesus leaves the part of the prayer the High priest would make on behalf of the Sons of Aaron (which Jesus has made on behalf of his apostles) and now begins to pray for the rest of the world (as the High Priest would have finally prayed for all the house of Israel). And He says (verse 20)

20 Neither pray I for these alone (the apostles) but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

Now, there are again two applications for us here and in my estimation they are important. First of all, we note that Jesus is now praying for all who believe on Him and He says, “through their word.” The mode and model Jesus gave to these special witnesses for sharing the word was preaching – teaching – sharing. So the first way this first applies is that the early

The Power of Preaching and Unity in Faith

Church would get legs by the preaching of the Apostles. In fact, God established that it is by the hearing of the Word of God that people come to faith – not the reading. I would suggest that this in part is owed to the fact that the most humble and meek are often illiterate and when those who are seekers hear the truth they recognize it. Paul clearly laid the formula out in Romans 10:13, saying:

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The Role of Hearing in Building Faith

Jesus has been speaking of sending these men out – which is what He did. He has made parallels to His having been sent from the Father. When He got here did He write anything? Nothing. He taught verbally. And then what He taught and illustrated to His eleven was taken out in the same fashion. Note that the epistles that the apostles later wrote were not to unbelievers but to believers in the church – people who had, by the preaching of the Word, come to believe on the preaching of others.

So there is the primary application of what Jesus is saying here when He says:

Neither pray I for these alone (the apostles) but for them also which shall believe on me “through their word.” The secondary application is for those of us today (and all who have read the apostles written word since it became available) and have believed on Him as a result. That’s us. But I think these distinct applications need to be kept separate.

The hearing of the word is still (not always) but is still applicable in getting unbelievers to come to faith, and the reading of the word is for those who have come to faith and continue to grow thereby. I can justify this by the fact that the Word of God, until a person has eyes to see, typically means little and cannot be understood by those who have not first believed and been born-again.

So we don’t do much good supplying Bibles to the unbelievers – instead we ought to focus on supplying them with the hearing of the Word first and then supplying believers the written word.

Christ's Prayer for Unity

What is His prayer for the apostles and those – ALL OF THOSE – who believe on their words? (verse 21-23)

21 “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.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

That who would be one? Jesus, praying to the Father, first for Himself, then the Apostles, then those who believe on Him through their words, says:

That they “ALL may be one.”

All Christians – from the apostles to the lowliest believer on the face of the earth yesterday, today, and tomorrow are family. Instead of being united by blood (other than the shed blood of Christ) but instead of being brothers and sisters through Adam and man we are united by the same Spirit as Jesus and the father were absolutely one in spirit.

One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism

We are of one faith – no more – one Lord – no more than Jesus Christ – one baptism – the baptism of the Holy Spirit and if we include water baptism the singularity of it is shared among us all – it’s an outward expression of our inward faith in Him. There are no Catholic baptisms, Mormon baptisms, or CAMPUS baptisms. There is no faith called Presbyterianism, or Calvinism, or CAMPUS or Calvary Chapel.

It is one faith.
One Lord.
One Baptism.

All believers are headed to the same heaven. And when one member of this Body are hurt, or incarcerated, or diagnosed with cancer, or loses their job we all feel the pain – at least we should.

Christian Unity in Scripture

The fact that we have either been saved by SINGULAR JESUS (no other) and been reconciled to One Father (no other) or we haven’t.

If we have, we are a Body, a family. In the early church, the unity was so strong that they chose to live communally. The intricacies and legalities of this modern age make such things virtually untenable, but it is my opinion that the physical unity pictured in the early church might serve as a picture of how our hearts (at least) ought to be one toward another today. Listen to what it says in Acts 4:32-35:

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. Again, this was very unusual and in the end, because of the flesh didn’t last, but the point is the unity they had in heart allowed them to practice unity in all things material.

Christian Unity Through Scripture

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:18-22 the following, which describes Christian unity really well:

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Not spirits . . . we are not builded together for an habitation of God through the SPIRITS but the Spirit.

Romans 12:5 says: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

1st Corinthians 12:20 says “But now are they many members, yet but one body.”

Galatians 3:26-28 says plainly: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The Body of Christ

Of course, in the great chapter on the Body of Christ, Paul wrote:

1st Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Colossians 3:11-17 gives us further insight, saying:

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Paul gets really radical when he says in 1st Corinthians 9:19-23

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without

Unity in Faith

22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

God and Jesus were inextricably one – no dividing them – there is one God and they are one. But Jesus in the flesh was all about things utterly foreign to the invisible God of consuming fire. He ate food. He digested. He relieved Himself. He fished and put clothes on his body. . . . got dust in his eye. Had his feet bathed in tears by a broken follower. Hung on a cross. Bled. Struggled for air. Died.

The Unity of God and Jesus

And yet here Jesus says that He and the Father are one. I point out the things Jesus experienced versus the Father to show that if utter and absolute unity can exist between a man in flesh and God who is spirit (and all the differences that existed between them in these states) then utter unity could exist between these eleven men . . . and then between ALL others who are truly His.

(beat)

In other words, believers NEVER EVER have to or ought to divide over material or temporal differences. We are united in our faith, by the Spirit, in the singular Lord – nothing else ought to ever get in between us. Ever.

Why? Because God is a God of unity, and reconciliation, and oneness, which are all ways of saying that God is a God of love. But Satan, from the beginning, has been the author of division, disunity, disease, discomfiting anyone of whom he can get ahold.

Division from the Beginning

Go back to the Garden of Eden. God told Adam that in the day that he ate of the forbidden fruit he would surely DIE. What is deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God.? Separation. When Adam ate He was immediately separated from God, progressively separated from the clarity that embodied his mind, his will and His emotions, and ultimately – because of Satan – he would be separated from his body at the age of 930 years or so. He was also separated from The Garden of Eden, from the animals he once was in complete harmony with, and from the unity he intrinsically had with Eve (due to the Fall the oneness became competitive in marriage – a whole other topic). From that time forward everything about Satan – his realm, his reign, his purposes – are about dividing and conquering. Christ, the second Adam, came and in and through His sacrifice and life, brought the potential for unity in this world and I would suggest totally and utterly reconciled the world back to the Father.

This caused Paul to say in Romans 5:18:

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

Unity in the Body of Believers

Of course, Satan is still at work bringing division and therefore alienation, despair, disaffection in the world but one place division cannot cannot cannot exist is among the Body of Believers. Cannot. Must not.

One of the “issues” that has plagued the church/body for years and created all sorts of divisions is sin. What I mean by this is not sin itself (though that too has the potential to divide groups when it proliferates) but more to the point I am speaking about when some people believe it is in their purview to not only expose the sins of others but to condemn them over it. Notice how Paul phrased the passage we just read (listen to it again):

First, speaking of Adam he writes:

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (not the righteousness of many or any other but by the righteousness of one) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

Because we all have sin, and are in sin at some point or another in our Christian lives, no human has the right to point out the failure of anyone unless his eyes are beamless. Since none of our eyes are beamless believers could go a long way to endorsing peace and unity by loving the sinner, forgiving the sinner, accepting the sinner, welcoming the sinner, and holding their damn tongues.

Unity in Faith

when they think they are in a position to condemn, gossip or ostracize a sinner. We might do well to remember that the name Satan means accuser and adversary. In the book of Jude we read a strange little insight into an event where Michael the archangel and Satan were in a war over the body of Moses and Jude wrote the following:

Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke thee.”

It’s perhaps the best practice Christians can take toward others – love and forgive and if rebuking is in order maybe leave it up to the Lord.

Sources of Division

Legalisms – or the demand to impose rules and laws within the Body are another cause of great division in the body. In many ways it would be like the hand complaining that the hair has chosen to go uncovered and the hair complaining that the left hand has actually let the right hand know what it was doing. Or the heart telling the eyes they are wearing too much eye shadow.

We are all different. We live life, and see life, and experience life differently. For some, there is great liberty before God. Let them have it. For others, there is great restriction – leave them be. We all – all – go to God alone – stand before Him alone, and are judged of Him alone. May we err on the side of how love is described in scripture rather than by elements of Law.

Finally, and perhaps the greatest divider in the history of the faith, we have doctrinal division. Splitting over what men call essential, dividing over disputable points of doctrine and let me tell you – almost all of it – almost all of it, is disputable. You want to see the power of the Holy Spirit in action? Look at these eleven men as they are about to go out and teach. Jesus here in John 17 prays that they would be one, as He and the Father are one. And then He prays that ALL who come to believe in Jesus will be one too.

The Good News

All who believe the apostles and their preaching of the Gospel. The Good News that says: Jesus came from the Father, He lived a sinless life, He was crucified and on the third Day He rose up from the grave having victory over sin and death. If a person believe this . . . NEVER EVER EVER divide with them. Never let them divide with you. Love them as your own, love them, give them the benefit of the doubt on questionable issues, provide soft answers when they have offended you, pray for them, serve them, and let them believe whatever the heck they want. Because we all do . . . in the end . . . believe what we want.

We can’t believe something we don’t want to believe. We are only really believing what we think is true. Jesus reiterates the point toward unity when He says in verse 22:

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

The word glory here might best be translated as the honor – the honor thou hast given me I have given them – that (again) they may be one as we are one.

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one (totally united, fully integrated) and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

The Unity of Love

At this point Jesus introduces to us, after all He has said, to the Love word.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

When Jesus says, “Father, I will,” it is more of a request than a command. And his request is that they (the apostles) that He has given him would also be “with me where I am.” The expression probably means where I will be – which will be in the bosom of the Father in heaven. That they may behold my glory which thou has given me (and he reiterates) for thou didst love me before the foundation of the World. Can you imagine the frustration Jesus felt knowing His true identity and

Origins of Jesus' Prayer

(He was with the Father before the foundations of the World). I mean here He continues to pray that these apostles would also go where He is going and part of the reason Jesus mentions is so they can behold the glory or honor he had with God before the world was. Again a reiteration (verse 25)

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

Jesus' Final Words

Then Jesus wraps the prayer up with these final words:

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

His final words to all of them collectively was all about doctrine, right? Oh no, no . . . about sin? Nope.

He says that in His relation to these men and His ministry He has declared the ways and means of God (His Name) to them, that in what He about to do, and where He is about to go He will continue to declare it – WHY? FOR WHAT PURPOSE?

Purpose of Jesus' Declaration

“That the LOVE wherewith thou has loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

This is a very interesting combination of words in my estimation because Jesus not ONLY prays that “the love with which the Father has loved Him” will be in them BUT that “He Himself was in them too.”

Why both?

I don’t know because to me to have the Love of God in them is synonymous with having Jesus in them. Commentators and the Greek were not of any help.

I understand the idea that to have Jesus in them they may more perfectly have an example of how to exhibit the Love the Father gives them. And that is as close as I can get to an answer. But maybe I’m missing something.

Thoughts?

Prayer?

Include Leon.