Separation Unto God
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may truly be sanctified” John 17:17-19
Jesus’ John 17 prayer has three main sections and a conclusion: Jesus’ prayer for Himself (17:1-5), for His disciples (17:6-19), for all who will believe in Him (17:20-24) and the concluding comments (17:25,26). Our text is the final part of His prayer for His disciples.
“Sanctify them by the truth.” This is Jesus’ third petition for His disciples. The first was in 17:11 “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name” and the second “protect them from the evil one” (17:15). “Sanctify,” like ‘holy,’ comes from a Hebrew root meaning ‘to separate.’ Earlier Jesus had addressed God as “Holy Father” (17:11). In a very real way the Father’s holiness is the basis of the Son’s mission. That holiness, demonstrated by separation from sin and dedication to holiness, is what Jesus desires for His disciples. The mission is one of light confronting darkness so those who carry out the mission must be sons of light who don’t walk in darkness (8:12). They are to be “set apart for the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1).
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” The means of their sanctification is God’s Word. The disciples were separated from the world and its darkness by their acceptance of God’s Word (17:14). Jesus has conveyed that Word to them. He is the incarnate Word of God (1:14). He will soon send His Spirit to enable the continuing expression of that Word in them and others. From one perspective God’s Word separated the disciples from sin. From another perspective it set them apart to God.
Although the world is a threatening place for the disciples, Jesus doesn’t want them separated from it. They are to remain in the world because God has a purpose for them there. “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” Jesus is to leave the world and the disciples are to go into the world. Jesus’ entire mission into the world has in reality been the Father’s mission in and through Him (“As you sent me into the world …”). In the same way, the disciples’ mission into the world, having now been sent by Jesus, will be His continuing mission in and through them. The Church’s mission is the continuation of Jesus’ mission in and through us. Being sent meant for Jesus utter dedication to the claims and call of the Father. The disciples’ mission will mean for them (likewise for the Church) utter dedication to the claims and call of Christ.
“For them I sanctify myself, that they too may truly be sanctified.” Jesus sanctified Himself by setting Himself apart to do the Father’s will. This meant bringing the knowledge of God and eternal life to all who believed in Him and laying down His life for them. By laying down His life He also sanctified them. His atoning death cleansed them from their sin, separated them from the world, and set them apart to be His witnesses in the world.
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Living no longer for ourselves embraces living as those available to Jesus in the sharing of the gospel. Every true disciple is a missionary.
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