John 17:13

Because I have given them the words that you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me... I pray for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those you have given to me because they are yours. Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. (John 17:8-10)

In His final hours before the cross, Jesus prays for His disciples — and for us — that we would be one, and that our unity would show the world that God is real.

The Setting: Jesus Prays for His People

This is the last time Jesus is spending with His disciples before His arrest, before He goes to the cross, before He is put to death. It's the last time most of them will be with Him until He rises from the grave. Jesus has finished talking to His disciples, and now He is praying for them.

In verse 9, Jesus says He is not praying for the world but for those the Father has given Him. Why not pray for the world? Not because the world doesn't need Him — the world desperately needs Jesus. He is the solution to the world's problems. God revealed Himself first through the prophets who foretold Jesus, and then, in the weirdest turn of events, by showing up as a baby. He put Himself on our planet, under our care, submitting to the Father, knowing He would be mistreated, rejected, and killed by His own creation.

Our Value Comes From Belonging to God

The plan going forward is that God uses His disciples, and those who come after them, to reveal Himself to the world. So Jesus prays for His followers because they are the Father's people. He says, "I pray for them because they are yours."

Our value comes from the fact that we belong to God. Not from our abilities, our resources, how we look, how tall or short we are, or which football team we hope wins the playoffs. So often we lose sight of God's value system and start looking at people the way the world does — valuing them by whether they make us happy, provide for us, or like us. But our value is because we are God's.

Jesus Is Glorified When His People Are United

In verse 10 we see the perfect unity between Jesus and the Father: "Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them." This is the first point: Jesus is glorified when His people are in unity. This series is Life in Connection — connection with God, with one another, and now with the world. When His people are in unity, we are effective.

In verse 11, Jesus prays, "Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me so that they may be one as we are one." This is the first time the disciples will be truly separated from Jesus. We may not feel the weight of that, because we've never walked arm in arm with Him or shared a meal with Him. This will be a huge shock for them.

What do they need protection from? Not a physical threat — all but one of the apostles will be martyred. What Jesus asks the Father to protect is their unity. "Protect them so that they may be one as we are one." Keep them united together.

Predestination, Free Will, and the One Who Was Lost

This is ironic, because in verse 12 Jesus says, "Not one of them is lost except the son of destruction so the scriptures may be fulfilled." He protected all of them except Judas. This raises an argument that has gone on in the church for a very long time: Was Judas predestined to reject Jesus, or did Jesus simply know ahead of time and choose him anyway?

Am I going to answer that today? My answer is: I don't know. Scripture in some places teaches predestination, and in other places teaches free will. As humans, we don't have the capacity to truly grasp this, so we declare it's clearly one or the other — when the Bible teaches both. Then we build doctrine on these things, start separating from one another, and create disunity over what may be second- or third-tier matters. (Now I've angered people on both sides.)

Joy Completed in Them

In verse 13, Jesus says, "I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them." Miles taught a message a few years ago — and I'm paraphrasing — that we receive maximum joy when we bring God maximum glory. When Jesus glorified the Father, His joy was complete, and He wants that joy for us.

This is strange, because Jesus is about to walk out the door to Gethsemane, be greeted by Judas with a kiss, arrested, beaten, and crucified. If I knew what was coming in my life, I don't know if I'd have joy. But when we bring God glory, that's when we receive joy. And the best way to bring God glory is to do what He's called us to do.

What is the primary job of Christians? To glorify God. The very first instruction given to humans in the garden was "be fruitful and multiply." Important point: I'm not talking only about physical multiplication. If you're married, multiply like crazy — you have my blessing and God's. But more than that, God receives maximum glory when we do the work of an evangelist, bringing those who are far off close to Him. We bring Jesus maximum glory when we bring more people into the household of God.

The World Will Hate You — Don't Be Surprised

In verse 14, Jesus says, "I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

Three things to pull from this. First, when the world hates us, we should not be surprised. Jesus said earlier in this same conversation (John 15:18) that if the world hates you, it hated Him first; because you are not of the world but chosen out of it, the world hates you.

Second, don't allow the world's hatred to separate you from Jesus. John 16:1 says, "I have told you these things to keep you from stumbling." Sometimes we are so afraid of the world that it stops us from doing what we are called to do.

Third, the call is to go into the world and make disciples. When we do, we will face hostility — but we've been given a great gift. Ephesians 6 calls the Word of God the sword of the Spirit, used to battle the evil one. The Bible is where we go for comfort, for ammunition, for our marching orders, and for direction.

In the World, Not of It

Verse 15: "I am not praying that you take them out of the world, but that you would protect them from the evil one... Sanctify them by the word. Your word is truth." To be in the world but not of it means the world should not have a hold on us. Jesus wants us in the world, protected, and effective.

Why "in" the world? Because so often we want to call people out of things — out of a lifestyle, a behavior, a belief system. But Jesus came to pull us in to His family. When we bring people into the family of God, that's when the Holy Spirit does the work of cleaning and rejuvenation, pulling all the junk out. We get it backwards when we try to pull people out of a behavior without ever bringing them in.

A Picture From Foster Care

It's a little like foster care. My wife and I are foster parents. Foster care removes a child from a dangerous situation and provides temporary care, with the goal of reunification — the family gets whatever needs taking care of taken care of, and the child returns. Does it always work? No. But that's the goal.

We Christians have been placed in this world to find the children who have been removed from the family of God. We all came from Adam and Eve, out of the garden; we all started as God's people, and now we're scattered. Our job is to find the kids who are hurting and separated from their Father, and bring them back into the family.

That's why we need protection — because we are a threat to the evil one. Do you feel like a threat? Most days I don't feel like Satan is quaking in his boots over Jason — and he shouldn't be, because Jason isn't a great person in himself. But when we step out in the authority of Christ, doing what He's called us to do, we are a threat, and that's why we receive opposition.

Sanctified by the Truth

Verse 17: "Sanctify them by truth. Your word is truth." To be sanctified means to be set apart for a purpose. The best illustration I have comes from my very brief relationship with ultralight hiking. (I got as far as buying the stuff.) The goal is to get your base weight as low as possible, because carrying things is hard. Ironically, last week we talked about forgiveness being too heavy to carry — get rid of the weight.

But there are two things every ultralight hiker carries that do similar functions yet are never substituted for each other: the titanium spork, for eating, and the trowel, for exactly the opposite. The two are both set apart — both sanctified — for different purposes. Sometimes we want someone else's gift. Think of that as eating from your trowel, and it helps us keep the right perspective.

The second point: the Word of God is the truth that gives us purpose. It says "sanctify them by the truth," not for the truth. Our purpose as the people of God is found exclusively in the Word of God — not in a sports team, an occupation, a political party, or a relationship. It's found solely in Christ.

Why is this important? Unity. If we are beholden to anything else above our relationship with God, that is damaging. It's okay to be a Packers fan and okay to be a Seahawks fan — the problem comes when those loyalties supersede our loyalty to Jesus. As soon as something rises past its place and becomes more important than our unity with Jesus, we break relationship, our unity is cut off, and we become weak. We need to guard our unity, because when we are united in Christ, we can draw others into the family of God.

Sent As Jesus Was Sent

Verse 18: "As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify myself for them, so that they may also be sanctified by the truth." We are sent into the world by Jesus the same way Jesus was sent by the Father. We are sent to reflect Jesus as the way to the Father. He fulfilled His purpose — went to the cross, paid our debt — so that we could stand up forgiven and then turn around and offer that forgiveness to the world.

In verse 20, Jesus says, "I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you." That includes us. We are both the answer to Jesus' prayer and the continued fulfillment of it as we bring others to Christ. It blows me away to think Jesus was there praying, perhaps even thinking of a kid named Jason who would one day hear and come into the family — and rejoicing about it.

Unity as a Supernatural Sign

"May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you sent me." We live in a world so broken, divided, and shattered that Jesus says the unity His people share — the unity He and the Father share — will be a supernatural sign that there is a real God. It says a lot about our world when simply getting along with each other counts as the miracle that points people to Him.

Verse 23: "I am in them and you are in me so that we may be made completely one that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them as you have loved me." He wants us given the same glory God gave Jesus. That blows me away, until I remember what glory Jesus had — He went from here to be beaten, mocked, scourged, crucified, and killed. But the glory is that we get to be called children of God; we who were far off were drawn close and get to see the glory of God as we serve the Father.

The Father's Desire: Make Him Known

Verse 25: "Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you and they have known that you sent me. I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them."

Third point: God the Father's desire is that we continue to make Him known through Jesus. These are our marching orders. So the question arose to me: why don't we?

Why We Fail to Make Him Known

Sometimes it's fear — afraid to step out, afraid it might harm our position at work or a relationship, afraid because we've never done it. Sometimes it's apathy — "I did all that when I was younger; I already ticked that box." That's a dangerous spot, and it happens when we forget that we were once outside the family. Sometimes it's flat-out rebellion — "I'm mad at God; I just don't want to."

And even when we do step out, why don't we have more success? Sometimes because we lead compromised lives — it's hard to represent God when you act like the devil. Sometimes it's a flat-out lack of love and hard hearts. Confession: I have an extremely hard time with our local homeless population because we deal with it constantly, and pretty soon I stop seeing those people. Then it's like — wait, those people are loved by God, and Jesus died for them too.

Lack of Unity, Tact, and Discipleship

Sometimes it's our lack of unity in the body of Christ. We pick one church apart and praise another, deciding ours is the best — and I think we are the best, but only because Jesus loves us more. (I'm absolutely kidding.) There are Bible-believing, Jesus-loving churches all through Escondido and all over the world. If someone finds a home there, praise God.

In 2014 we went to Mozambique. By Johannesburg it was clear I didn't fit in — I looked different, and there was palpable hostility. In Mozambique we ended up in places that had never seen a white person, with no plumbing, different food, different customs, and a different language. I thought, "Lord, how am I going to be effective here?" — and I can hear God chuckling in hindsight. We linked up with a local church. Different building, different worship, different language, but the same God. They even learned a song in English so we missionaries would feel a little more at home. We did amazing ministry together with nothing in common except Jesus — because as the church, the only thing we need in common is Jesus.

Sometimes it's a lack of tact. Pastor Mike Madigan from Julian told me about witnessing on the beach in Oceanside with a new convert, a Marine. He heard a ruckus, turned around, and the Marine had a man by the neck, screaming about how much he needed Jesus. That's not how we do it. And sometimes it's because we try to convert instead of disciple. Jesus calls us to make disciples, but we'd rather throw a tract and run. There's nothing wrong with tracts — but discipleship is ongoing and messy. And please, never use one of those money tracts to tip your waitress; as someone married to a former waitress, at least tip them with real money too.

We Are Called to Be Better

Fourth point: we are called to be better. The antidote to all of these reasons is exactly what Jesus did — He prayed. When He was afraid, He prayed. When He was tempted, He answered with the Word of God. We need to pray, and we need to go to the Word to answer our questions, weaknesses, and feelings.

If we're afraid, 2 Timothy 1:7 says God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound judgment. If we're apathetic, Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up." If our problem is rebellion, Ezekiel 2:8 calls us not to be rebellious but to open our mouths and eat what God gives. If we're compromised, James 4:4 warns that friendship with the world is hostility toward God. If there's a lack of love, Colossians 3 tells us to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, forgiving one another as the Lord forgave us. If the problem is unity, the next verse says, "Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." If we lack tact, Jesus says in Matthew 11:29 to take His yoke and learn from Him, for He is lowly and humble in heart.

Know, Pray, Obey

But it's not enough just to know the verses. We all know someone who has every verse memorized, yet something is still missing. We need to pray. And then we need to take the radical third step: obey. Too often we wait for something other than obedience — "Lord, give me a sign." It's in the Bible; that's enough sign. We need to know the Word, have unity with God in prayer, and submission to God in obedience.

Approaching the Throne With Boldness

In Hebrews 4:11, the author — speaking of Jesus as our rest — says, "Make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience." We tend to struggle the same way, with the same things, at the same time. Make an effort so you don't fall in the same place; alter things so you don't fall again.

Verse 12 says the Word of God is living and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart — something we cannot do for one another, since all we can see is actions. The Word cuts through our smokescreen. Verse 13 says everything is laid bare before God, and we will give an account. But verse 14 says, "Let us hold fast to our confession" — that Jesus is my Lord. When everything else falls apart, I can hold on to that and know nothing will snatch me out of His hand.

We have a Savior who understands temptation. He was tempted yet did not sin, so He gets us. Therefore, Hebrews says, let us approach the throne of grace boldly. Imagine being able to approach God's throne and say, "Yes, I belong here." I don't feel like I belong there, because I don't — but it's Christ in me that lets me find grace and approach boldly. It's the Christ in me that lets me walk up to a stranger and say, "Hey, how are you doing? I'm Jason. What's your name?"

Between services today, a man told me his daughter — about six — had been praying for Miles to feel better, and then said, "We should also pray that if he can't preach, whoever does would be bold." This girl hasn't finished grade school, hasn't read the whole Bible, hasn't been to seminary, holds no advanced degrees — but she loves Jesus. And that same Jesus is alive and working in us, so we can approach the throne of grace with boldness to find mercy and grace in our time of need.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, what an incredible privilege it is to approach Your throne, the throne of grace, and receive mercy — not because of anything in us, Jesus, but because of You. You told us we can approach with boldness, that we can receive mercy. You are the same God who speaks to a six-year-old with Your words and Your intentions, the same God who can unite people who don't speak the same language or live the same way, the same God who can take a church full of every kind of person, every background, every walk of life, with every difference imaginable, and give it unity. Lord Jesus, help us to guard that unity. Help us to celebrate it with each other. And Father God, help us to be ruthless with the things that divide us. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.