Good afternoon and welcome to all. Our text for this Sunday is still in the book of John but jumps from chapter 15 to chapter 17. This is still occurring in the upper room after their meal. In chapter 18 they will leave the upper room and go out to the Mount of Olives. In the gospel of John, Jesus doesn’t pray on the Mount of Olives, he prays in the upper room. In these verses he is praying for his disciples.
V6 “Your name” is a veiled reference to I AM. The Father has already chosen those who received Jesus.
V7 He has taught his disciples all they need to know about God.
V8 All the words God gave to Jesus he has taught his disciples. They now realize that Jesus came from his Father and was sent by his father.
V9 Jesus prays on behalf of those whom God sent to him. He is praying to the Father for this small group.
V10 Jesus and his Father are in unity and share all, even the disciples.
V11 Now Jesus is about to leave them and return to God so he asks for protection for them from his Father.
V12 While Jesus was on the earth he was able to protect them now he asks that their protection be continued
V13 Jesus is leaving them but wants his joy to remain in the disciples.
V14 Jesus has taught them all that God wanted and because of their choice to follow Jesus the world will hate them. They will not conform to the ways of the world. To follow Jesus means to walk out of step with the world, to live for others instead of self.
V15-16 He asks his Father to protect them from Satan. Satan will continue to try to manipulate the disciples to give up following Jesus and follow him (the world) instead.
He doesn’t want the message of Jesus to get out.
V17-19 The disciples are to be the New Israel going out into the world to bring people to God. They are to be what some of the Jewish leaders failed to be – priests between humanity and God, pointing the way to God for all. As God sent Jesus into the world, he now will send the disciples to continue their (Jesus’ and Gods’) work. To be sanctified means to be made holy, to be holy means to be set apart for God. They are now set apart (sanctified) and Jesus is sending them out on a divine mission: to proclaim God to the world.
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. Thank you to those who have sacrificed for the freedom we can enjoy. Kim
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