Sanctified by Truth, Sent in Love
On the eve of His suffering, Jesus prays—not to be delivered from the cross, but for those He will leave behind. “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name… so that they may be one as we are one” (v.11). Jesus had guarded His disciples, and now He entrusts them to the Father’s keeping. His concern is not removal from the world but preservation within it.
William Barclay observes, “It is not withdrawal from the world but victory over it that Jesus desires for His disciples.” Jesus doesn’t pray for escape from hardship but for protection from the evil one. We are called to remain in the world—engaged, not entangled.
Jesus prays for our sanctification: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (v.17). Holiness isn’t self-made. Richard Foster writes, “Holiness is not a condition we manufacture by our own strength. It is a gift received through submission to the truth and love of Christ.” God’s Word, alive and active, sets us apart for His purpose.
Alexander Maclaren reminds us that “Christ’s sanctification of Himself is both the pledge and the pattern of ours.” Jesus sets Himself apart so that we, too, may be made holy—formed in truth and sent with love.
Jesus’ prayer echoes through time: Keep them. Fill them with joy. Sanctify them. Send them.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for praying for us. Keep us in Your name, sanctify us in Your truth, and send us into the world with courage and love. Amen.
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