17:17
Jesus then asks the Father to sanctify us. This involves a setting apart for His purposes, and a purifying, a cleaning out of the junk that is still within us. Now see here another hint of how predestination works. God has set us apart from before time began, yet Jesus is here at this point in history requesting that the Father do this. He did say earlier that He was asking these things now so we would know about it, but the events that happen in life, the decisions we make, the actions we take are real and they do matter. God is sanctifying us, and He does this by His word which is truth. We need to listen to His word, and to live His word. Then we will be purified.
17:18
“As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world”. As I have mentioned before, from about chapter 14 onwards the theme of His disciples being the continuation of His ministry on earth is a strong element in the latter part of John’s gospel. We need to give full force to Jesus’ words, instead of putting caveats on them. We are sent into the world in the same way as Jesus was sent into the world. Jesus was sent to fulfil the Father’s plans, we are sent to fulfil the Father’s plans.
17:19
Our fulfilling of this task in inextricably linked to the cross. Jesus set Himself apart so that we could be set apart for God. Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father, even to the extent of going to the cross to die on our behalf. The judgement that should have been ours was laid upon Him. We are sanctified in truth. It is a fundamental reality that we have been set apart for God, for His purposes. If we seek to find fulfilment in any other way we will find nothing but disappointment.
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