John 17:20–23Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may b...

John 17:18–19As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.Thought:Jesus said, “for their sakes I sanctify myself.” This does not mean that Jesus needed to be cleansed from sin, because He was holy, undefiled, and separate from sinners. But, it means He willingly set Him...

John 17:16–18They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.Thought:Jesus prayed that His people would be sanctified through the truth of God’s Word. Sanctification is not simply self improvement, better habits, or moral discipline. It is the holy work of...

John 17:14–15I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.Thought:Jesus reminds us that His people are marked by His Word. He said, “I have given them thy word,” and that Word separates the believer from the spiri...

John 17:13And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.Thought:Jesus spoke these words as He prayed to the Father before going to the cross. He knew His disciples would remain in a troubled world, but He did not pray that they would merely survive it. He prayed that His joy would be fulfilled in them. This joy was not rooted in ...