John 17:13-19

John 17:13-19

“But now I come to you and I say these things in the world in order that they should have my joy having been made complete in them.  I have given Your Word to them and the world hated them because they are not out of the world just as I am not out of the world.  I do not ask in order that You should take them away out of the world but in order that You should keep them out of the evil one.  They are not out of the world just as I am not out of the world.  Make them holy in truth.  Your Word is truth.  Just as You sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world.  And for the sake of them I make myself holy in order that they themselves should be having been made holy in truth.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As Jesus begins this passage we have two really cool perfect tense verbs: “my joy having been made complete” and “I have given your Word.”  Again, remember that the perfect tense is used when an action is completed in the past but the effects of that action are occurring in the present and expected to continue into the future for some time.  So what Jesus is telling His disciples in His prayer is that His joy is already complete.  It’s already done.  It can be counted on.  It’s not still up in the air.  Jesus’ joy is already a guarantee and because Jesus says “in them” He is telling the disciples that they have it too.  It’s already been transferred to them!  That’s cool.  But then we immediately hear Jesus say, “I have given your Word.”  Jesus clues them in to why His joy is complete.  They have the Word of God within them.  They have life-giving testimony of the character and nature of God already within them.  They have access to the Father.  That’s an awesome thing indeed.  And both of these things are expected to have continuing effects!

Would you consider that Christ’s joy has been made complete within you?  If so, what does that mean?  If not, how can you get there?  Do you believe you have been given God’s Word to live and dwell within you?  If so, what does that mean?  If not, do you want it?

Second Thought:

However, there is a consequence to having Christ’s joy made complete in us and having been given God’s Word.  The world hates us.  The world hates us because we are not like the world.  The world wants to serve its own passions, its own pleasures, and its own desires.  But that is not the model of Christ.  Christ came to serve others through obedience of the Father and denying Himself.  The world hates that.  The world rebels against and rejects the denial of the self.  The world rejects and rebels against all who live and teach in a similar manner.  Furthermore, even knowing this truth, Jesus does not ask God to take His disciples away from it!  Jesus knows that even though we are to be rejected we are needed here.

How do you feel knowing that if you are truly following Christ that the world will hate you?  How does this impact the way that you see scripture and your need for God and His Word?

Third Thought:

Remember that the word holy really means “separate.”  When Jesus prays for us to be holy, He is not praying for us to be “holier than thou” or “capable of being more religious than other people.”  He is asking the Father to make His disciples separate from the world.  Christ’s prayer for us is that when it comes to choosing between the Father and the world that we choose the Father.  We are not to choose the world.  We are not even to be some crazy half-breed.  We are called to be separate from the world, choosing the ways of the Father instead of the ways of the world.

Have you been made holy under this definition?  How has God done this in your life?  How is the Father continuing to do this?

Fourth Thought

We also see a really neat expression from Jesus.  “As You sent me, I sent them.”  Jesus is showing us that imitation is the key to discipleship.  The Father acted.  The Son imitated the Father so the disciples could see what it looks like when the Father acts.  As we make disciples, this is the same process.  We need a mentor to show us what the action of the Father looks like.  When we’re ready, we need to imitate our own mentor so we can show others what it looks like when the Father acts.  If Jesus was willing to imitate and be imitated, we should be willing to imitate and be imitated as well.

Who do you imitate in your spiritual walk?  To whom are you willing to give a look into your life so they can imitate you?  Are you capable of being imitated?

Passage for Tomorrow: John 17:20-26