Introduction: 

This morning we look at the second part of Jesus’ prayer in chapter 17. In verses 9-19 Jesus’ prayers for the eleven men who would change the world. He prays for them because they belong to him: He prays that they may be kept in the world and, from the evil one, or the devil; and finally he prays that they may be sanctified by the Word of God. 

This portion of the prayer opens with words of compassion: 

John 17:9-11 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the (NIV) 

Jesus gives two reasons for this prayer. First, because these disciples are His, and what’s His is the Fathers. He had spent about 3 - 3-1/2 years with them. He knows them intimately; and they are precious to him. There is a pattern here we can use in our own prayer life. 

As we saw last week, Jesus prayed first for Himself, that God be glorified in the circumstances of His own life, and we said that should be our aim as we pray, that God be glorified in and through whatever situation we find ourselves. Then just as Jesus did we can then pray for those we love. Now, that doesn’t mean this is “the” pattern to follow, there are many patterns for prayer found in the Bible, but it is a pattern the Lord used that we can use as well. 

Jesus saw the apostles as a gift from the Father. When He says He "does not pray for the world." He means the world, i.e., secular society as a whole, has not been given to him in the same intimate fashion by the Father, thus he makes the distinction about who He is praying for. Obviously, this doesn’t mean, Jesus had no concern for the world; after all, it was for the world and the sin of the world, that He was to die. It was the world that drew him from glories if heaven to earth. If you want to hear Him pray for the world, you don’t have to look any further than the words from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," {Luke 23:34}. 

The second reason Jesus prayed for these men was He was conscious that He was leaving them behind, and he is concerned for them. Verse 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-- the name you gave me-- so that they may be one as we are one. (NIV) 

Knowing what is about to take place, Jesus commends them to the Father's care. It was, after all, in the Father's name that they were kept when He was with them. I read of a preacher who was leaving for mission trip and was going to be gone awhile, as he was preparing to leave he said to his wife, “ I pray the Lord keep you while I am away.” He was kind of stunned when his wife replied, “and who do you think kept when you were here.” 

Jesus knew and understood, whether they did or not, that it wasn’t His physical presence alone that kept them safe during His earthly ministry, that’s what He said in verse 12. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. (NIV)  He was conscious that the Father was at work with Him and was able to supply through Him the power to keep. He desires now they be guarded and kept in His absence just as they were in His presence by the Father's authority and by His activity. The name, as we have seen before in connection with praying in Jesus name, stands for all God's resources, power, ability and will. Jesus added, this name had been given to Him. 

I want to point out here again is an affirmation of His divine nature. Jesus is in a sense asking God the Father to assume responsibility for these men directly, so that while He is physically absent from them they might be continually kept by the fullness of God. Jesus’ words might seem a bit contradictory or confusing, but only if  removed from the context of the complete message of the gospel.  We saw in chapter 14, when Jesus spoke of His departure, He said afterwards, after He had returned to the Father, He would come to them. He went on to explain that His coming to them would be through the presence of the Holy Spirit, whom God would send in His name. He wasn’t talking about the second advent, but was referring to his spiritual return and presence with them. The same thing is true here where we see the three persons of the Triune Godhead working in unity and harmony. 

For what does Jesus say they are to be kept? First Jesus desires an extension of that unbroken unity He has with the Father. "Keep them that they may be one even as we are one." We will talk more about this unity when we look at verse 21 in the last section of the prayer. Second, Jesus points out they were kept by his word and his gift of inner joy: "These things I speak in the world" (the revelation of truth which he came to give), "that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves."  Jesus points out they were kept by His word and His gift of inner joy: “I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy.”  He gave them the truth (His Word), and as they believed the truth and grew in faith, this truth which is embodied in Jesus led them to experience true joy. We talked about this last Sunday night, the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances, joy doesn’t and through the truth of God’s Word, these men would discover joy even when they eventually had to as the Bible says, drink from the same cup as Jesus. 

What were they to be kept from? Stated simply it is the world's revulsion and the devil's deep-seated hatred and animosity. Jesus clearly saw the danger they would face after He was physically gone. He understood that the world would detest them, oppose them, and undermine them in every way it could. Why? Because He had given them the Father's Word, the truth, the Word of God which they would teach and produce in written form. Heb 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (NIV) 

It’s easy to see why the world would be so antagonistic. In Rev 6:9 we see the result of that antagonism when John wrote, “I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.” Dr. Ray Steadman said, it is the primary object of Satan’s hatred. If he cannot destroy it, which we know he can’t, he seeks to dilute its impact, and I think we can certainly see evidence that at work in the world and the church today. 

Jesus prays they will be kept in the midst of this worldly system in verse 15. This means we are not to isolate ourselves from the world. The Bible says in 2 Cor 6:17 "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. That’s doesn’t mean we are to be isolated, it means we are to separate ourselves from the values, and ideals of the world. That’s what Jesus meant in verse 16 when He said, They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (NIV) 

Jesus didn’t isolate Himself from the world, but proclaimed the truth in the world and yet separated Himself from the world. When He sent the disciples out to preach, He said to them. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves," {Matt 10:16}. They were going into the world, but not joining themselves with the world. 

We must never forget that the world is a dangerous place physically and spiritually, but we are not to hide nor are we to be afraid. The safeguard is the provision Jesus made to be with us, and in us. Maintaining that relationship with him is what enables Christians to in fact be in the world, but not of the world -- to make contact with the world, to establish friendships in the world, and yet to be kept from the dangers of the world. 

Behind the world's hatred, Jesus recognized was the god of this world, the devil. "Protect them from the evil one." "The evil one" of course is the roaring lion of 1 Pet 5:8, that seeks to devour. He can’t destroy God’s Word, he seeks to dilute it, He can’t take your salvation so he seeks to destroy your relationship and joy. He does it through compromise, temptation and deceit. He tells you it’s ok to compromise with the world, he temps you to follow and adopt the ways of the world, then he seeks to convince you that you can’t turn back, you’ve gone to far, God doesn’t want you back, and you buy into his lies and you lose the joy of your salvation and the joy of your relationship with God through Christ Jesus.  In the midst of victory, you live defeated. 

We see from Jesus prayer the reality that it doesn’t have to be that way. The disciples were no longer of the world, just as Jesus was not of the world, and neither are we who trust in Him. We are kept, not by our own strength and wisdom, but by His.  When we stubble and fall He is there to pick us up.  When we come face to face with the roaring lion and the bear, He is the Shepherd who defends us and who is faithful and just to forgive us. 

The Lord's final request is that they be sanctified: The Greek word translated "sanctification" is from the same root as the word holy. To sanctify means "to make holy." It means to separate, or set apart to a specific purpose; to put to an intended use.   What are we intended for? What purpose did God have in mind in creating mankind?  That He might use us as the instrument of His will and to manifest His character. 

When you come to Christ by faith, you are sanctified, you are set apart as God’s own. As you mature in faith you continue the process of sanctification by moving closer to God’s intended purpose for you life.  One day you will be ultimately sanctified when you are united with the Lord in Glory. 

These disciples had been sanctified by their relationship to Jesus, here He prays they be personally, willingly committed to the task of being used of God. He models this himself. "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (NIV) verse 18. Just as He was God's chosen instrument, living among people ministering to the weak, the hurting, and the broken, and the lost, so He sends the disciples to do the same.  

He calls us to the same task, sends us with the same resources, and we continue the work of Jesus in the world. That is sanctification. This sanctification process for the disciples, and for us, will be made possible by his impending death on the cross: " For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” verse 19. Dr. Ray Steadman also said " Love was willingly determined to go to the cross "that they also may be sanctified in truth." As the outcome of the death of Jesus on the cross these men received the power of the Spirit of God by which they became instruments in the Kingdom of God and turned the world upside down. 

We are included in this prayer for the disciples, as we will see in the next few verses. All Jesus asked for them, He asks for us, all that was given to them, is given to us. Like these men may we also be sanctified by the truth through the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ, and the written Word of God, that we too would become instruments in the Kingdom of God, for the glory of God.

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