| John 17:13-19
But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
“These Things”
What things did Jesus have in mind when He told the Father that He had spoken “these things” in the world? Certainly they are the same “things” He spoke of in John 15:11. Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” What were those “things?” We have another clue in John 15:3 when Jesus told them, “You are already clean (pruned and prepared to bear fruit) because of the word which I have spoken to you.” So let’s look at some things that were previously spoken by Jesus that would prepare them to bear fruit for the glory of God. Here are the highlights.
Serve one another. John 13:14. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Love like Jesus loves. John 13:34-35. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Believe Jesus is God. John 14:1. “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
The Father and the Son are one. John 14:9-10. He who has seen Me has seen the Father…Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.”
You will do greater works than I. John 14:12. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”
I will do the works in you. John 14:13-14. “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”
The Father will give you the Holy Spirit to live in you. John 14:16-17. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth…He abides with you and will be in you.”
The presence of the Holy Spirit is proof of union of the Father, Son, and you. John 14:19-20. “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will abide in the ones who love Jesus and obey His word. John 14:23. “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.’”
These things are the “things.” John 14:25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.”
Jesus spoke these things above in the world so our joy might be made full. They prepare us to glorify God and bear or display the fruit of the Spirit, which is love. I want to encourage you through some of the key phrases in Jesus’ prayer. His prayer is being answered.
“Your word”
First, the things above were the words of God. “I have given them Your word.” Jesus told them in John 14:10 that He didn’t speak to them on His own initiative, but they were given to Him by the Father. In Jesus’ prayer, He reaffirmed that the words He had given to His disciples (and passed on to us through John’s gospel) were from His Father, God. As we review the words above, we should understand that these words are absolutely vital if we are going to glorify God in our daily walk with Jesus.
“Sanctify them”
“These things” which Jesus spoke, have a purpose. Jesus asked the Father to use them to set His disciples (and all believers) apart from everyone else in the world. In John 17:20, Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.” This draws all of us who are God’s children into this prayer of sanctification. We are sanctified, set apart for God’s purpose through “these things” above. To the degree that we know them and practice them, we are more conformed to His image and more glorifying to Him as we display His life.
Jesus lives in us to love with the Father and reveal the glory of God in this world. We are sent into the world by Him with the truth in the same way God sent Him into the world with the truth. He lived to love with His Father when He was on the earth. Since His resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, the followers of Jesus Christ separate themselves to the Lord by living to love with Him. If this isn’t the purpose for which you live in this world, I hope you’ll examine yourself to see if indeed you have been set apart to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus to live with His purpose.
“Your word is truth”
There is a reason we should renew our minds and be filled with “these things” which Jesus gave to His disciples. The reason is that it is the truth. Jesus didn’t give them one “word.” We often use the singular form, word, to signify a singular, specific message. For instance, when someone says, “I have a word for you,” they rarely only say one word. Both speaker and hearer understand there’s an important message being communicated. I believe the singular, specific message Jesus had in mind when He referred to “Your word” is this: Because I live in you, you will glorify My Father by living to love with Me. Apart from Me, you can do nothing, but with Me, you will display much fruit and prove to the world that I live. The truth is that Jesus lives in believers so they can glorify God. That profound truth has been given to us!
I hope you will review “these things” which Jesus spoke in this world and ask yourselves, “Do I believe these things? Am I practicing the truth? Can the world I live in testify that I am not like them and am filled with the presence and power of Jesus Christ? May we all be encouraged to love and practice the truth so that the world may see that Jesus lives. May the Holy Spirit set us apart by the way we love, and may He draw many to the Lord Jesus Christ to find eternal life and fullness of joy.
Would you pray for Elijah Ministries and me?
If you have a heart to pray and would like to be a part of the working of the Holy Spirit in turning the hearts of men and women to the Lord and furthering the kingdom of God by calling the church to live to love with Jesus, then please email us at prayerteam@livetolovewithjesus.com and give us your name and phone number. We are going to organize a WhatsApp prayer string that I can communicate up-to-the-moment requests and Praise the Lord! answers. I’m grateful for Andrea Denner who has volunteered to be the organizer and facilitator for this very needful and important ministry. I’m convinced that the key to effective ministry is anointed prayer. Please contact Andrea at prayerteam@livetolovewithjesus.com. We would love to partner with you!
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