John 18:7-9 • The Power of His Promise

Have you ever misplaced the TV remote because you laid it down somewhere without thinking, stored something away for safekeeping and later forgot where you put it, or inadvertently left your credit card at a restaurant? Sure, you have. We all know what it feels like to lose something. But there are some of us who also know the other side of that emotion. They know what it’s like to feel lost. And that’s what John 18:7-9 speaks to.

The troops dispatched by the religious leaders to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane were picking themselves up off the ground. They’d stumbled backward in an involuntary response to the majesty on display in the Lord’s fearless acknowledgment that HE was the one they were looking for. And as they were getting back to their feet, verses 7-8 quote him giving them a second chance to identify the subject of their arrest warrant before once again confirming that HE was their target.

After that, referring to his disciples, he said, “If you seek me, let these go their way.” That selfless sentence reveals the depth of his concern for his followers, but it also reveals something else. The Greek word translated as let is a forceful verb and makes clear Jesus wasn’t PLEADING for their safety. He was DEMANDING it. And the power behind his directive was so great the soldiers complied even after Peter drew a sword and attacked a representative of the high priest.

Then, verse 9 describes why Jesus was so emphatic with that mandate by reminding us of something he’d just prayed on the way to the Garden. He’d told his Father, “Of those whom you gave me I have lost none” (see John 17:12). That night in Gethsemane, the Lord wasn’t negotiating the terms of his surrender. He was keeping a promise.

And although that promise directly applied to his first disciples, he’s also quoted in the prayer that contains it as saying, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (John 17:20). So, he clearly included all of us following in the footsteps of their faith under the canopy of its provisions.

It’s also evident he meant it to encompass more than just physical safety. The word translated as lost is a word expansive enough to accommodate every form of loss including emotional, relational, vocational, financial, and spiritual. Regardless of the conditions or circumstances that may cause any of us to feel otherwise, in Jesus, we are always found. He has promised to keep us in the firm but tender grip of his steadfast love.

This passage reveals the intensity of our Lord’s commitment to keep those the Father has given him. And a reflection of that intensity is familiar to every parent who’s ever experienced losing their child in a crowd. It’s as though everything else in the universe fades to black, and there’s one – and only one – thing that remains: the desire to find your baby. And Christ’s parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son in Luke 15 make clear he pursues and preserves those he loves with the same type of consuming focus.

So, if you’re feeling lost – misplaced, forgotten, left behind, adrift, or hidden – in any area of our life, Jesus had you mind when he spoke these words. Make the choice to reject the false narrative of your lostness and trust instead in the power of his promise.

John 18:1-6 • Lanterns, Torches, and Weapons

My wife and I recently vacationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, and I went for a walk one morning along the Ala Wai Canal. As I strolled under the canopy of the trees that line the pathway, I suddenly came upon two men wielding swords – real, metal swords – the kind that belong in a movie not the hands of strangers just ahead of you on the footpath. And I instantly experienced a shot of adrenaline along with an urge to run away. Two-swords-to-none are not good odds.

But after taking a second glance, I realized that these men weren’t a threat after all. They were just using that public space to practice a form of martial arts. So, I kept on walking, my heart rate began returning to normal, and I watched them with fascination. But my initial reaction to that surprise encounter got me thinking about the first six verses of John 18.

After celebrating Passover together in an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples had been on the move heading toward the northeast corner of the city as he taught them and prayed to his Father. Once outside the city walls, he led them across the Kidron Valley and into a garden called Gethsemane. The text describes it as a place they’d visited often, one where Judas would have expected them to go.

I'll get back to that in a minute. But before going any further, I need to note that at this point in the narrative of Christ’s passion, all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) provide accounts of his raw and intense supplication to the Father. Often described as the 𝘢𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯, this blood-sweating episode of intense prayer regarding the coming suffering of the cross concluded with an expression of his fresh and deep surrender as he cried out, “Not my will, but yours, be done.”

The significance of that aspect of the story of our redemption can't be overstated. But for reasons that are guided by its unique, Spirit-purposed perspective on the life and ministry of Jesus, John’s Gospel doesn't record that part of what happened at Gethsemane. It focuses instead on the Lord’s arrest that took place there on the same night. And the account of that event is what came to mind when I encountered the swordsmen.

Unlike the benign intensions of those two guys, the Roman troops, temple security forces, and Jewish leaders Judas led to the garden were armed with lethal weapons – which Matthew’s account describes as including swords – that were brandished in the harsh light of their lanterns and torches for the express purpose of intimidation. But even with full knowledge of where it would ultimately lead, Jesus didn’t attempt to avoid the confrontation. Instead, verse 4 tells us he, “went forward” to meet them head on. And when he boldly confirmed that he was the one they were seeking, they were the ones who verse 6 says, “drew back and fell to the ground.”

This bold, confident, and forceful turning of the tables on his adversaries was, like everything else Jesus said and did, purposeful. It demonstrated at least two things crucial to our faith.

First, Jesus was not a victim of the brutality he suffered. Out of love for us, he freely offered his life. It wasn’t taken from him. The events that led to and included the cross were never outside his control.

Second, whenever it feels like the devil has arrived on the scene of our lives to intimidate us with “lanterns, torches, and weapons,” we needn’t fear. The Lord has gone before us to provide the courage to face any assault head on and see the tables turned through the power of his consummate victory. As Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

John 17:20-26 • Relational Wrong-Heartedness

Confession alert!

I’ve nursed a serious animosity toward the pastor of one of the mega-churches in the region where I live. He’s well-known, and I’m obviously not, so we don’t run in the same circles. I only know him from news reports and his public statements. But I don’t like him. No, it’s more than that. I’m disgusted by him. And although I’m tempted to list all the reasons why, that would just be an attempt to justify the unjustifiable. My attitude has been sinful. Full stop.

Regardless of anything else he’s said or done, that man openly confesses Jesus as Savior. And that means we’re brothers in the faith and will spend eternity together in the presence of the Lord. How then can I possibly imagine it’s remotely acceptable to hold onto these feelings. I can’t. There will be no room for my judgmentalism when we stand side by side before and face to face with the one whose perfect love drove him to the cross for the sins of us both. I’ve been giving myself permission to hold one of the Lord’s precious ones in contempt, and I choose to repent.

My sin was laid bare as I was preparing this commentary on the final section of Christ’s High Priestly Prayer recorded in John 17. After praying for himself and then for the disciples, verses 20-26 record the Lord’s final two requests, and they’re specifically for all future believers. That includes me. So, when he began by asking that his followers would exhibit a unity among themselves so striking it would serve as a testimony to his divinity, the ugliness of the disunity I was harboring in my heart was exposed.

This is not an excuse in any way, but I don’t think I’m the only guilty one here. As the log is being pulled from my own eye, I think I spot some splinters in others’. It’s evident that oneness is not the first word that comes to mind when describing the current state of the U.S. church. We more often seem to reflect the polarization, distrust, and animosity of the world around us than the harmony Jesus prayed for.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for an anything-goes, sloppy agapē. We exercise godly wisdom when we assess others’ behaviors with humility in light of Scripture to avoid sin ourselves and be useful to the Holy Spirit in helping redirect those who’ve drifted off course spiritually. But we cross a line we should never trespass when we set ourselves up as the holiness or theology police and pass judgment on other believers. That’s because it disallows the second thing Jesus prayed for us.

In addition to requesting that his followers be one, he asked the Father to make it possible for them to one day be with him in heaven and experience his unfiltered glory. And there’s no way for that to happen if we insist on dragging our unholy discord into that holy place. We need to deal with it on this side of heaven and as aggressively as possible.

No one individual’s repentance can clean up the church’s relational mess. But if all of us who’ve contributed to it deal with our own, the impact will be profound. It’ll align us with our Savior’s desires and enable us to better serve as his witnesses.

I’m determined to do my part. I’m dealing with the specific iniquity I’ve already confessed, but I’m also inviting the Holy Spirit’s conviction regarding any other wrong-heartedness I’ve allowed to take root in my soul toward fellow believers. I want to be among those who become the answer to Jesus’ prayer not the reason for it, and I bet you do too.

John 17:17-19 • Positional and Progressive

While establishing a new church in Silicon Valley years ago, the Lord provided me a job with what was then the highest-valued technology company in the world. But I was not a computer scientist, engineer, or coder. I barely knew how to send an email. I was in way over my head. And one day in a meeting, I came VERY close to exposing my ignorance and losing my job.

I was clueless about nearly all the terminology being thrown around in the discussion that day. So as usual, I just kept my head down and mouth shut. But then, someone used the acronym ATM. And suddenly, I imagined I might be able to contribute to the conversation. But thankfully, before I made the mistake of talking about the Automated Teller Machine at my bank, I quickly Googled ATM and discovered they were actually discussing something called Asynchronous Transfer Mode – whatever that means.

It's easy to get sidelined by unfamiliar terminology, and sanctification can fall into that category. It’s one of those stained-glass words that tend to only be used and understood by theologians. And it can get even more opaque when preceded by the term positional or progressive. But there are few things more important for every Jesus-follower to comprehend. In fact, it’s so essential to the Christian life that Jesus made it the climax of the second movement in his High Priestly Prayer.

Before expanding the scope of his intercession in John 17 to specifically include all those who would follow in their footsteps, Jesus concluded the section focused on his original disciples with one final request to the Father on their behalf in verses 17-19. He prayed, “Sanctify them.”

The Greek word translated as sanctify means to render, declare, or set something apart as sacred. Jesus was asking that his followers be marked as standouts because of their holiness. It would be the basis of their testimony for him in this world. But that was an awfully big ask considering that these men were just as unholy as anyone else. They would need to undergo a transformation, and that transformation would be two-fold.

First, the Lord requested that this sanctification be accomplished by the impact of the Father’s truth on their lives in the form of his word, a term that means the entirety of the message. Jesus had spent the previous three years infusing the whole of the environment surrounding the disciples with the message of God. And it was THAT truth he was asking the Father to use in changing them as they embraced it daily, lived it out, and progressed toward holiness.

But a progressive sanctification is insufficient to produce the result Jesus prayed for. If you start with a sinner, the shaping influence of God’s word alone can’t produce a saint. That requires something else, a different starting point. The position from which the progression begins must be changed. And this positional sanctification can only be accomplished through the saving work the sinless Savior accomplished on the cross.

But when you start with a sinless Savior, sinners CAN become saints. And it’s why Jesus went on to say in verse 19, “I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified.” He set HIMSELF apart as a holy sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin, remove its stain from repentant sinners’ lives, and make it possible for them to be set apart unto holiness both positionally and progressively.

As believers, it’s our high privilege to be part of the answer to the Savior’s prayer for our sanctification. Let’s dedicate ourselves to steadily allowing God’s word to progressively shape us into the saints his sacrifice has already positionally made us to be.

John 17:13-16 • Joy-filled and Undevourable

Having already asked that they be preserved in their understanding of the fatherhood of God and that in their relationships with each other they would display the unity of his family, John 17:13-16 continues the record of the Lord’s petitions on behalf of his disciples.

He prayed, “I come to you…that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” And with those beautiful words, he invited his Father to bless them with the gift of joy. But he wasn’t referring to the shallow and superficial variety the world offers. He specifically requested that they experience HIS joy, the kind that fulfills or satisfies completely, a joy so totally unaffected by and independent of circumstances he could continue his request with this startling statement: “I do NOT pray that you should take them out of the world.”

This is so profound and contrary to our lived experience it’s hard to describe in a way that conveys its weightiness and elicits anything approaching an appropriate response because he was describing a joy that can STAND up to whatever life SERVES up. In other words, living within its blessing doesn’t require exiting the world’s realities. They can be faced without flinching when secure in the joy described in 1 Peter 1:8 as, “inexpressible and full of glory.”

The disciples didn’t deserve such a gift, and we certainly don’t either. Yet, within hours of being nailed to a cross, Jesus amplified his loving grace by expressing this desire for us and asking his Father to fulfill it.

But hold on a minute. There’s even more here to fuel our gratitude. As if the requests he’d made up to this point weren’t already awe-producing, there was more to come, including this: Jesus prayed, “Keep them from the evil one.”

1 Peter 5:8 describes this evil one, the devil, “like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” And anyone who chooses to become a follower of Christ will be pursued by an enemy probing for vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a relentless attempt to undermine God’s good plans for their life. But there’s no need to fear. Our redeemer has already covered us with his prayer that the Father would enable us to be undevourable.

And it’s his joy that makes that possible. The two requests from Jesus in this section of his prayer go hand in hand. It’s when our hearts are filled with joy that we have the power to withstand the devil’s attempts to devour. That’s why we’re told in Nehemiah 8:10 that, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I’ve heard experts say that when communicators tell their audiences how to feel about what they’ve presented, they haven’t done their job very well. The response should be obvious. But just in case it’s not, this is me admitting my communication failure by saying I think the fact God the Son interceded before God the Father on our behalf that we might be joy-filled and undevourable should stir our hearts to sustained worship. It should evoke humble but unbridled praise filled with reverent amazement for the goodness of our Savior.

John 17:11-12 • A Family Trait

Sue and I have three kids who are now in their forties with families of their own. But when they were young and under our roof, our primary goal was to lovingly watch over, care for, train, and guide their lives in ways that would one day reproduce the values of our family in theirs, especially regarding our faith. We prayed that it would become a family trait. And it’s a delight beyond expression to now witness our seven grandkids growing in their own relationships with Jesus as a result.

John 17:11-12 marks the point in his High Priestly Prayer when Jesus began to make several specific appeals for his disciples, and these verses contain the first two. After clarifying that the reason for his supplication was that he would no longer be physically present with his disciples in the world, he highlighted the significance of the requests he was about to make by using an expression found nowhere else in Scripture. He prayed, “Holy Father,” and proceeded to ask that the disciples be kept or preserved in that name, and that they would experience the kind of unity among themselves that would echo the oneness of the Godhead.

The Bible employs several names for God but none more frequently than Father. And John’s Gospel quotes Jesus using that term more than a hundred times to refer to the one who’d sent him. So, even though no single word in any language can begin to adequately communicate the magnificence of who he is, it’s clear he at least wants us to understand him in the light of what THAT word conveys and the kind of relationship it’s meant to describe. Our God is a father.

So, when Jesus asked that his followers be kept in that name, he was requesting that they be held close, protected, and nurtured within that aspect of who God is. He’d carefully introduced them to the fatherhood of God and said that except for the son of perdition, Judas, he’d preserved all of them within the embrace of its truth. Now, as he was preparing to return to the Father, he was leaving that task to him.

In addition, he prayed that this relationship and understanding would produce among the disciples the kind of unity that characterizes God’s family, especially the oneness within the Trinity.

I think you’d agree that unity is not a characteristic of the human family in its sin-scarred state, but it certainly is of God’s. He models it himself and enables his kids to do the same in the power of his Spirit. It’s a family trait.

Ephesians 4:1-3 encourages us, “Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called...endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

This is one of the things that set believers apart from the world and identify us as God’s children. In fact, one of the key descriptors of the early church in the book of Acts is a word that is translated into English as accord or together.

But the togetherness experienced among those first believers couldn’t always be characterized as unanimity. Instead, they lived out a diversity that was harmonious. In music, harmony is achieved not by playing the same notes but different ones that together create a unique sound much richer than its components. And that’s what the family of God should sound like. Sadly, we don’t always, but that’s why Jesus prayed.

So, as we live out our faith in this world together as his kids, let’s daily shed the selfishness, insecurity, and spiritual immaturity that produces discord, and instead, yield to our Father as he harmonizes us by his Spirit into the accord that demonstrates what our Savior prayed for.

John 17:6-10 (5) • Not of this World

Jesus entered the climax of his earthly ministry through the portal of prayer. Between the Upper Room and Gethsemane on the way from the Last Supper to the Betrayal, he paused to intercede for himself, his disciples, and all future believers. The account of this exquisite supplication of Son to Father fills the whole of John chapter 17. And in the middle section focused on the first followers, after assessing the state of their spiritual development and just before making his requests on their behalf, he addressed a crucial distinction that would be at the heart of the rest of his prayer. He said, “I pray for THEM. I do NOT pray for the world.”

This wasn’t a statement of indifference toward those who weren’t numbered among the disciples or of preference for those who were, and he certainly wasn’t expressing a lack of compassion. In his response to the questioning of Nicodemus at the beginning of his ministry (John 3:16), he said he’d been sent by the Father precisely because, “God so loved the world.”

So, what did he mean?

The answer to that question requires a closer look at the Greek word kosmos translated here as world. Its meaning is primarily focused on the kind of order, design, and arrangement we see in nature. So, it can also be translated as earth or even as universe. John uses it a lot in his writings, including seventeen times in his account of this prayer alone. But his usage expands on the basic definition. This is evidenced in 1 John 5:19 where he said, “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” For John, kosmos clearly includes an understanding that it’s the realm currently, though temporarily, under the influence of the devil.

I won’t take the time now to develop the theology behind that viewpoint, but Jesus is quoted three times in John’s Gospel referring to Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and this certainly informs John’s use of the word kosmos to capture the Lord’s meaning in chapter 17 verse 9. This passage clarifies who Jesus was praying for. He was about to make requests to the Father on behalf of those who by their faith in him would no longer be identified as being under that satanic system. And in verse 10, he described them as those the Father had given him and in whom he was glorified. Although they would remain physically within the world, he was saying they would no longer be of it.

Not of this World is a successful line of Christian merchandise. And although Christian and merchandise are two words that probably never belong in the same sentence, this brand of clothing and accessories anchors its mission to this section of the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer. The point of their products is to underscore the message of Jesus in this passage, and the reason there’s a market for what they sell is that the power of this truth can’t be overstated.

As believers in Jesus, we are NOT OF THIS WORLD. So, it would have been radically inappropriate for Jesus to pray for the system supporting and facilitating the evil around us. That’s why he emphatically declared that the focus of his intercession was, as it continues to be, those his sacrifice liberates from its grasp.

And it’s vital we remember this because our adversary is intent on causing us to forget. He knows that when we do, we can become vulnerable again to “the sway of the wicked one.” But we don’t need to go online and buy a t-shirt to steady ourselves in this truth. We have these powerful words from our Savior’s prayer to return to anytime we need them.

John 17:6-10 (4) • Knowledge and Belief

Sue and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary this year, and I can hardly believe I just said that. It seems like only yesterday that we walked the aisle, stood before God with our friends and family as witnesses, and pledged our love to each other. But the reality is a lot of living has passed since that day. We’ve experienced all the highs and lows and twists and turns that a half-century can serve up, and by God’s grace, we are more in love now than ever.

I knew Sue was the one for me after our very first date. But it would be two years before I proposed and a year after that before we were married. Why? Because every relationship of significance, depth, and meaning must be built on two things that require time to develop: knowledge and belief. We first needed to invest in the process of getting to know each other beyond our surface-level acquaintance. Then, we needed to allow that knowing to develop into the believing that would enable us to place the full weight of our trust on each other.

And although this is an imperfect picture, I think it does illustrate something Jesus described about the disciples just before interceding for them in his High Priestly Prayer.

John 17:6-10 quotes him affirming that he’d revealed the Father to his disciples, that he considered each of them a divine gift, and that they were developing a holistic grip on God’s word that was enabling them to become responsive to his specific instructions. But he also assessed the nature of their relationship with himself when he described what they’d come to KNOW and what they’d come to BELIEVE.

In verse 7, he said they knew something about him now they hadn’t known before. They were beginning to comprehend the nature of his divinity. That’s why in verse 8, he could say they’d come to understand that he’d been sent from or, more literally, out of the Father.

But as important as it was for them to KNOW this about him, it’s clear the Lord’s primary desire was that this knowing would lead to believing. So, when verse 8 concludes with the affirmation that his disciples had crossed the threshold into faith, I can almost hear the pleasure in his voice when he announced to his Father, “They have BELIEVED that you sent me.”

The word translated as believed here points to more than mere credence. It’s not the word that would be used for simply agreeing that something is true. This word implies the believer has come to trust and rely on the truth believed. It describes a step beyond acknowledgment into dependence. It’s one thing to arrive at the place where you KNOW that Jesus is the son of God. It’s another to begin exercising BELIEF by choosing to build your life on the platform of that knowledge.

Knowledge that doesn’t grow into belief is just a theory, and belief that isn’t grounded in knowledge is just an emotion. And since Jesus assessed the quality of the relationship his first followers had with him based on these two things, I think it would be wise for all of us who claim faith in him to do the same. Let’s honestly consider whether we’re spending the kind of time with Jesus that insures we keep growing in our knowledge of who he is and informs a belief that results in the placement of the full weight of our trust on him.

John 17:6-10 (3) • The Vocabulary and the Message

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One of the most intimidating things in the world as far as I’m concerned is a blank greeting card, especially if it’s for my wife on our anniversary. It dares me to scour the English language in search of the relative handful of words that will adequately express my feelings. And sometimes I just freeze like a deer in the headlights. But when I accept the challenge, put pen to paper, and get them right, those few words unleash a force that deeply enriches our marriage.

A carefully chosen and articulated phrase can be very powerful. But conveying the right words in the moment requires the existence of the whole dictionary. Like a well-stocked stationary store with enough greeting cards to choose from that you can find the one that’s just right for the occasion, it’s the richness of a full vocabulary that empowers any individual message.

The relationship between those two things – the vocabulary and the message – is described by Jesus in his prayer recorded in John 17. As part of his assessment of the disciples’ readiness for the challenges ahead, he reported on how they had responded to what he described to his Father in verse 6 as “your word”, and in verse 8 as “the words.” But the distinction he was making was not just singular versus plural. His strategic meaning was captured using two different Greek words: logos and rhema.

Logos is defined as speech that embodies a concept or idea. And the New Testament often uses it when referring to Scripture as the definitive, written expression of God’s voice. But John made clear that he intended to expand its use when he employed it three times in the opening sentence of his gospel to identify Jesus as the word who was in the beginning, was with God, and was God. These are not references to what Jesus said. They describe who he is.

Rhema is a Greek synonym of logos, but the New Testament often distinguishes them in this way. Where logos refers to the full vocabulary of God, rhema describes specific messages composed from that vocabulary. For instance, logos could be used to identify the Bible as a whole, and rhema as an individual passage highlighted by the Spirit as he speaks through it to a specific person and applies it to their unique circumstances.

Jesus was affirming two separate aspects of the disciples’ spiritual development that should be true of ours as well when he said they had “kept” the logos and “received” the rhema. To keep means to hold on to something, and to receive means to welcome something being offered. It's only when we’re holding on to the logos of God that we can receive his rhema. Becoming sensitized to his timely messages that address our specific needs requires that we first have a firm grasp on the vocabulary he uses to deliver them.

We need both, but rhema is dependent on logos. So, let’s determine to develop a holy habit of regularly mining the depths of Scripture, God’s written word. And by doing so, we can’t help but enrich our relationship with Jesus, the personification of that word. He’s the embodiment of everything God is communicating. He’s the complete lexicon. He IS the logos.

John 17:6-10 (2) • A Divine Gift

A week ago, after playing my acoustic guitar to help lead worship at church, a man approached me to comment on the beautiful sound of my instrument. I don’t know what he thought of my playing. He didn’t say. But he was right about my guitar. It sounds great. It’s a blond, jumbo Guild I’ve had for fifty years. And like all well-made wooden instruments, it’s grown old very gracefully. As the wood has aged, it’s developed a wonderfully rich tone that I absolutely love.

But I value that guitar for another and more important reason. I didn’t buy it. It was a gift.

As a young man, I toured and recorded with one of the early Jesus Music bands. In those days, Christian music was not an industry like it is now, and artists barely survived financially. So, although my guitar desperately needed an upgrade, I just couldn’t afford it.

But then one day, someone I’d never met who’d been blessed by our music and believed in our ministry walked up and handed me a case containing that beautiful Guild. It had belonged to him, but he said he believed the Lord wanted me to have it. And as I stood there trying to find the right words to express my gratitude, I was also overwhelmed by the realization that I held in my hands a divine gift.

Before Jesus prayed FOR his disciples, he prayed ABOUT them. In John 17:6-10, he summarized the state of their spiritual preparedness while highlighting key elements of his disciple-making strategy. He began by praying, “I have manifested your name,” which referred to the ways he’d introduced the disciples to God as Father. And embracing the father-heart of God is foundational to a life of faith in part because understanding who he is makes it possible for us to comprehend who we are. I believe that’s why the Lord completed that sentence with a description of his disciples as, “the men you have GIVEN me.”

They weren’t just a random assortment of misfits he got stuck with. He viewed each of them as a gift from his Father. And this recognition of their value was profound in its implications. It provided them with the basis for a whole new identity. But if they were anything like the rest of us, it would have been a steep challenge for them to believe that it was true. I’m sure they were as deeply aware of their flawed histories, shortcomings, and sinfulness as we are and just as prone to self-doubt.

It’s my guess that it was exactly for that reason that Jesus went on to acknowledge several more times in his prayer that he considered THEM to have been divine GIFTS. The text makes clear that they could hear what he was saying. And although his words were addressed to the Father, it’s obvious that they were the intended audience as with each repetition of this stunning truth he pushed back against the lies of the Accuser and affirmed their worth.

But this High Priestly Prayer is not recorded in John’s gospel for the sake of the disciples. They were on-scene and heard it live. It’s in the Bible so we can be changed by the impact of these powerful words from the mouth of Jesus describing how he sees US. So, let’s reject shame and humbly choose to live within the new identity this astounding truth makes possible: He considers each of us a divine gift.

John 17:6-10 (1) • One Hundred and Thirteen Times

There’s a new coffee shop in my neighborhood, and I stop there most mornings to grab a cup on my way to spend a few minutes watching the surfers down at the pier. When it first opened, I would save time by ordering ahead using an app, step inside just long enough to pick up my drink, and then be on my way without having to interact with anyone. But a couple of months ago, during my morning prayer time, I sensed the Lord prompting me to change my routine and spend the extra time it would take to place my order in-store at the counter.

I’m an introvert and a bit of an efficiency freak. So, I dislike engaging in small talk with salespeople, and I hate taking longer to accomplish something than necessary. But as I yielded to the Spirit’s nudge, my attention was drawn to the name badge on the apron of the young man who took my order. And after leaving with my coffee, I caught myself reflexively curious about and praying for him randomly throughout the day. Once I knew his name, I couldn’t just dismiss him as the bearded barista wearing the newsboy hat.

That’s when I realized this was why God redirected my pattern that morning, and it’s why I’ve continued the practice ever since. As I’ve taken the time to learn the names of the partners at that store, I’ve become invested in their lives in a deeper way and can pray for them with true empathy. Names have a unique power to connect us with others. A person’s name is an invitation to a revelation of who they are.

And that illustrates something from John 17 where the longest of the Lord’s documented prayers is found. It’s known as the High Priestly Prayer and takes up the whole chapter. The first five verses allow us to listen in on Jesus praying for himself. Then in the next fourteen, the focus shifts to the disciples as he intercedes for them. But before making any requests on their behalf, verses 6-10 quote him reporting to his Father on their spiritual development. And since God is omniscient without needing to be informed about anything, this was clearly done for our sakes. Jesus was using this update to provide future believers who would read these words with a glimpse into his discipleship strategy for all of us.

According to this passage, his plan involves several specific goals with the first being identified when he prayed, “I have manifested your name.” This phrase describes what leads to the essential first step in every Jesus-follower’s journey. It’s what makes a life of faith possible. The Greek word rendered as manifested means revealed. And the word translated as name not only refers to what a person is called but to who that person is.

Get this. John’s gospel records one hundred and thirteen times when Jesus used the term Father to name the one who’d sent him. And every single time he did, he was purposefully revealing an important aspect of the nature of God and how he wants us to relate to him. That’s because until someone comprehends his father-heart, it’s impossible to place the full weight of their trust in him.

And maybe that’s what’s been holding you back. Perhaps your pursuit of God feels shallower than you’d like, more religious than relational. If so, Jesus made it clear – one hundred and thirteen times to be exact – he wants to introduce you to the one you can find complete rest in and know as, Father.

John 17:1-5 • I Love You, Jesus

John chapter 17 provides the opportunity for us to eavesdrop on Jesus praying to the Heavenly Father. His betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane were imminent; he’d completed his ministry among the people of Galilee, Samaria, and Judea; and he’d just concluded the final preparation of his disciples for the disorienting events that would surround his crucifixion. But before stepping into the final phase of his mission and fixing his gaze on Calvary, John described him lifting his eyes toward heaven.

The transcript of what flowed from his heart in that pivotal moment ripples out in concentric circles. He prayed for himself (verses 1-5), his original disciples (verses 6-19), and then for all those who would come to faith through their testimony (verses 20-26). As we consider his prayer, it calls for deep humility and a reverence for the undeserved privilege it invites us into. This is God, the Son, speaking to God, the Father!

The first section of the prayer begins with Jesus giving voice to what both Father and Son already knew. The hour had come. They’d arrived at the fulcrum of redemptive history. The plan for saving our lost race had reached its climax. But his next words were stunningly unexpected. He understood – more than any of us have the capacity to grasp – what was about to be required of him. And yet, there’s no complaint or expression of dread. Instead, he welcomed the coming suffering as that which would both glorify him and enable him to reflect glory back to the Father. Glory is the divine word for beauty. And he said this reflected glory would result from the exercise of his authority to provide eternal life to all those the Father would give him.

But then, he offered a surprising definition of eternal life. Instead of describing it in terms of duration – life without end – he described it in terms of relationship. He wasn’t denying that it continues forever as the word eternal implies, but he was saying it’s far more than that. The word translated here as life is not the one for biological or psychological life. It’s the one the New Testament uses to identify the life of the spirit, and Jesus said it would be characterized by a knowledge of God. The word translated as know carries the idea of a growing and experiential knowledge of what is known. In other words, he was talking about a knowing that is ongoing and developing – relational. His coming sacrifice would result in the availability of a never-ending and ever-expanding relationship with God for anyone who would receive it by placing their trust in his authority to offer it.

As he concluded this personal section of the prayer, Jesus circled back to the theme of glory. He said the accomplishment of his redemptive assignment would result in the Father being glorified on earth. But then, Jesus expressed his yearning to once again share in the glory that had always been his as the second person of the Trinity.

And that reveals another layer of the price Jesus paid so that we could have the eternal life he’d just defined. He willingly endured the abandonment of his disciples, suffered the horrific physical pain of his torture, and experienced the forsaking of the Father as he became sin for us on the cross. But he did all that while clothed with the indignities and limitations of human flesh. Although he remained fully divine, he chose to set aside his divine prerogatives to secure our salvation.

And that one-sentence disclosure of our Savior’s longing for a return to glory contained in verse 5 moves me to deeper worship as I consider afresh what he sacrificed. And my heart compels me to say, “I love you, Jesus.”

John 16:28-33 • Baby Talk

My wife and I raised three kids of our own, have seven grandchildren, and during our four decades of pastoral ministry, cared for many families with little ones. So, we’ve engaged in our share of baby talk. That’s when an adult attempts to communicate with a youngster by simplifying what they want to say and the vocabulary they use so they can better match the child’s maturity level. It can also involve bending down to make eye contact and sometimes even changing their tone of voice to sound more childlike. And something like that is what I see in John 16:28 where Jesus offered the disciples a simplified version of something he’d previously told them more than once but seemed hard for them to understand.

The disciples make an easy target, but I don’t mean to seem condescending. Those poor guys were being invited to comprehend and experience things WAY beyond their frame of reference. Jesus was preparing them to navigate the pivotal moment in human history when the Maker of the Universe clothed in human flesh would sacrifice himself to rescue a fallen race. I mean, come on. I’m prepared to cut them some slack.

But as the Lord wound down his pre-crucifixion instructions, it was essential that they at least grasped the main point. So, with careful and simple language he told them, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.” And that seems to have done the trick. I’m paraphrasing now, but in verses 29 and 30, they responded by basically saying, “Thank you. We finally get it, and our faith in who you are is now secure.”

But Jesus knew it wasn’t that simple, and in verses 31 and 32, beginning with a searing rhetorical question – “Do you now believe?” – he prophesied that they would all soon abandon him. And as harsh as that may seem, he didn’t leave them hanging there twisting in the wind. With what I can only imagine as the kind of loving words and warm tones someone would use to reassure a confused child, he went on to comfort them by saying he wouldn’t really be left alone. The Father would be with him.

Then, verse 33 records the Lord’s final two sentences before John’s narrative begins to steamroll toward the cross. They’re filled with rich compassion. He told his disciples that all the things he’d taught them were specifically designed to give them peace through the coming storm. He didn’t sugarcoat the impact of what they were about to experience. He said that in the world, they WOULD have tribulation which can also be translated as affliction or anguish. “But,” he said, “be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.”

What soul-securing words those were for them and are for us!

Have you ever found yourself out of your depth trying to process the minefield of this world’s tribulations and longing for a steadying hand to take hold of yours while calming your anxious heart with confident words of encouragement? These are those words and his is the hand that reaches toward you now as the Lord takes a knee, looks you in the eye, and speaks them with loving, uncluttered simplicity over you as his precious child.

John 16:23-27 • Name-Dropping

One of my lifelong mentors is a widely known and well-regarded Christian leader. During a conversation I had with him several months ago, he urged me to introduce myself to one of the teaching pastors on staff at a large church near my home. He’d met the young man, was impressed by his sincere devotion to Jesus, and thought it would be good for me to become acquainted with him too. So, I messaged that pastor to see if we could arrange to get together for lunch sometime.

But I knew cold-calling that busy leader with no idea who I was would probably not result in a response, at least not a timely one. So, I name-dropped. Name-dropping is when you allude to a famous or respected person you know for the purpose of impressing others or gaining their attention. In the email I sent requesting the meeting, I mentioned my mentor’s name and said I was reaching out at his suggestion. And that did the trick. Although we’ve since developed a friendship that stands on its own, our initial lunch appointment was made based on our mutual respect for my mentor. So, in a way, you could say our relationship was formed in his name.

In a similar way, John 16:23-27 quotes our Savior declaring that his name would become the foundation for his followers having a direct relationship with God, the Father. Using the phrase, "In that day," to describe the fast-approaching time when the barrier of sin would be removed through his cross and resurrection coupled with their love for and faith in him, Jesus said his figurative language would give way to plain speaking, they would no longer bring their requests TO him but THROUGH him to the Father, and they would experience the joy of answered prayer.

But he wasn’t saying this would be the result of simply annunciating the collection of vowels and consonants that make up the word spelled J-E-S-U-S as though it possesses some kind of power in itself that impresses Father God, invokes his loving response, and unlocks his blessing. Even in the story I told a moment ago, it wasn’t my mentor’s moniker that gave me entrée with the young pastor. It was the shared honor we have for the kind of man he is, what he stands for, and what he’s accomplished.

When Jesus told his disciples, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you,” he wasn’t describing some kind of spiritual incantation. He wasn’t saying that when they closed their prayers with the phrase, “In Jesus’ name,” it would guarantee a positive divine response. He wasn’t talking about the PHRASEOLOGY or how their requests were worded. He was talking about the PERONALITY or whose life was at the heart of their requests.

But this is not just about how we pray. It’s about all the ways we live as Jesus-followers. Scripture tells us we’re baptized in his name, receive the Holy Spirit who is sent in his name, gather together in his name, engage in acts of kindness in his name, minister to children in his name, speak and teach in his name, and cast out demons and work miracles in his name.

Doing so means positioning ourselves within the authority and standing made available to us by who Jesus IS and choosing to align ourselves with his will, not our own. It's only then that the potent promises revealed in this passage are realized.

So, my prayer for you today is that your life will be filled with the indescribable experience of direct access to Father God and the joys of answered prayer…in Jesus’ name.

John 16:16-22 • Right on Time

Last Christmas, instead of typical gifts, my wife and I gave our children and their families experiences we could enjoy with them. For instance, one of the families received a two-night stay at an indoor, waterpark resort near their home in the state of Oregon. But the trip wouldn’t take place for another six weeks. So, although our young grandkids were excited about the prospect of going there with us, helping them comprehend the time between the announcement of the gift as we gathered around the Christmas tree and its fulfillment a month and a half later proved a bit of a challenge.

When you’re as old as me, six weeks seems like no time at all. But for little ones, it can feel like forever. We often try to help them relate to the passage of time by describing it in terms of how many sleeps until a thing takes place. But if it’s any more than about three, their eyes usually glaze over, and they lose the thread. In this case, it would be forty-two sleeps, an unwieldy number for them to work out in their young minds.

So, along with their parents, we tried to find a way to explain it that would allow them to delight in a joyful anticipation while awaiting the arrival of the adventure, but they were just too young to see it in those terms. We had to satisfy ourselves with the knowledge that the eventual pleasure they would have when the day finally came would erase the disappointment of delay.

I don’t mean this to sound condescending, but John 16:16-22 describes an exchange between the disciples and Jesus that sounds similar. It was regarding an expression he used to help them measure the time between the announcement and fulfillment of two predictions he made. He told them a time was coming when he would depart from them and a time when they would see him again. He used the phrase, “a little while,” to describe how soon these events would take place, and the disciples wanted him to clarify how long that would be. But it was just not possible for them grasp it.

At first glance, it may seem he was being purposefully vague, but the Lord was being as precise as possible given the limitations of their understanding. He was speaking prophetically about two different departures (his death on the cross and his ascension) as well as two separate arrivals (his resurrection and his second coming) that would all be linked together in ways incomprehensible to them at the time. And to do so required using terminology from his timeless realm of eternity that went over their heads.

There was just no way to satisfy them. So instead, he turned their attention to the overwhelming joy they would ultimately experience when these things were fulfilled even if there was some short-term sorrow resulting from their lack of understanding. To do this, he used the illustration of a mother whose labor pains are completely erased when she gets to hold her baby. It’s as though she’s been emotionally transported directly from the promise of her pregnancy to its fulfillment, and in the happiness of that moment, every discomfort is forgotten.

We always think we can comprehend God’s timing. But the truth is his eternal perspective is more in every way than any of us can grasp. So, we often find ourselves insisting God provide us with greater clarity than we can actually handle. Instead, let’s be people who rest in the assurance of his faithfulness, refuse to be overtaken by the disappointment of delay, and live in the delight of the joyful anticipation that all God has promised us will come to pass right on time.

John 16:12-15 • The One Who Communicates

Communication is not easy.

When I have a thought, feeling, or message I want to convey to someone else, I first have to internally process it to the point where it’s coherent to me and I know what it is I actually want to say. Then, I have to wrap that up in some form of mutually understood expression – speech, text, sign language, braille, morse code, smoke signals – all of which have very deep insufficiencies. Then, when I attempt to communicate it, I have to find a way to make sure it carries the appropriate emotion and context so I’m not misunderstood. And that doesn’t even begin to outline the challenges faced on the listening side of the equation. The fact that any of us can accomplish this with any degree of effectiveness is truly miraculous.

So, pardon the pun, but I'm grateful beyond words that the Holy Spirit is a master communicator.

In John 16:12-15, after acknowledging his disciples were reaching a saturation point regarding all he wanted them to understand, Jesus said he’d be passing the baton to the Spirit who was coming to communicate three things in his absence. The Lord said to them, he will “guide you into all truth,” “tell you things to come,” and “glorify me.” And those phrases express a set of promises he was making not only to his original hearers but to all of us who’ve come after them.

The first of these describes the Spirit’s assignment to draw from the vast resources of what the Son possesses in his relationship with the Father to help us comprehend spiritual truth. That process clearly includes his role of interpreting and applying what has been embedded for us in the words of Scripture. And according to Jesus in this passage, we can count on the Spirit to reveal ALL of it. That means he will insure we have ALL the understanding we need to live as God intends. So, whenever we find ourselves puzzled or confused by something we’ve encountered in the Bible, we can confidently invite the one Jesus called the Spirit of truth to guide us to clarity just as he promised.

Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit would tell us about what’s coming. But that doesn’t mean he intends to turn us into fortune-tellers. It means that as we develop careful habits of listening for the voice of the Spirit, we never need to fear the future. He will supply the awareness and sensitivity we need to avoid the obstacles ahead and be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves.

Finally, the Lord said he is glorified when the Spirit gathers these riches of understanding and offers them to us. Everything he communicates will always honor Jesus. And that means the best way to build a life of worship is to learn to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. All expressions of praise are ultimately sourced in the reverence that results from what he reveals to our souls.

So, let’s open that place in our hearts that holds the treasures deposited there by the one who communicates to us the words, will, and wonder of Jesus. And from there, let’s give full voice to the exaltation we long to communicate to him.

John 16:8-11 • The One Who Convinces

Having told the disciples his return to the Father would facilitate sending them the Holy Spirit, Jesus began to describe two aspects of the Spirit’s mission: convincing and communicating. John 16:8-11 contains the Lord’s description of the first of these.

Most English New Testament versions translate the Greek verb used to quote his description of this world-facing part of the Spirit’s work by using the word convict. But it can also be translated as convince, and I think that helps clarify its use in this context. The Lord said the Holy Spirit convinces the world of three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment.

He said the Spirit would convince the world of sin because of their unbelief. Saving faith must first be preceded by the moment when a person acknowledges their iniquity. And as someone who has benefited from this part of the Spirit’s mission, I’m extremely grateful for it but also thankful that the job of convincing others of their sinfulness is not up to me. It’s clear that as believers we have a role to play in the process, but it’s deeply comforting to be able to trust that work to him. He’s the only one who can expose the depth of someone’s spiritual depravity without condemnation and escort them over the threshold of faith through confession and repentance into the waiting arms of Christ’s redemption.

Next, the Lord taught the disciples that the Holy Spirit is the one who convinces the world of righteousness. That word means the character or quality of being right or just. He told them this part of the Spirit’s mission would be necessary because he was returning to the Father. And that meant he would no longer be visibly present to demonstrate by his holy life what righteousness looks like. The world is so severely corrupted by sin, all the cultural signposts pointing toward the path of right living have been torn down. It’s an unholy mess that can only be navigated by means of the convincing work of the Spirit. But he’s so good at it! He’s exceedingly able not only to illuminate the way of righteousness but to enable us to walk it with an increasingly confident stride.

And finally, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would convince the world of judgment. He told his followers this was needed because Satan, described as the ruler of this world, is judged. That means the case against him is closed, a verdict has been rendered, and a sentence has been handed down. As much as he may try to pretend otherwise, the devil has been utterly defeated.

It’s part of the Spirit’s mission to convince the world of the thoroughness of that judgment to dissuade those tempted to live in disobedience to God, but also to redirect every attempt of the adversary to cause believers to live under the weight of their own guilt. Those who willingly follow in Satan’s footsteps will come under the same judgement he has. But those who have repented of sin and placed their trust in the forgiveness of Jesus have been set free from judgment. Revelation 12:10 refers to the devil as the accuser of the brethren, and I think a lot of us know what it’s like to find ourselves sidelined in our faith because of the weight of shame resulting from his accusations. But it’s in those times, the voice of the Holy Spirit pierces that darkness to convince us of the liberty purchased for us in our Savior’s victory over Satan.

Hear him speaking to you today from Colossians 2:15-16. “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He <Jesus> made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you...”

John 16:5-7 • The Other Side of the Coin

Jesus had told his disciples he’d soon be leaving them and that his departure would expose them to persecution. These two things – anticipation of the loss of his physical presence along with the prospect of their personal suffering – had caused them to experience sorrow of heart according to Jesus in John 16:6.

But the previous verse quotes him scolding them for not asking where he was going. That was because answering that question, if sincerely asked, would have given him the opportunity to answer the more important question of why he was going there, and that would have allowed him to directly address the roots of their sadness.

It’s certain he remembered that both Peter and Thomas had previously asked the “where” question. But those queries were all about determining how they could go with him. None of them had bothered to ask the “why” question. They were so consumed with concern for how his departure would negatively impact their lives they hadn’t even considered there might be another side to the coin.

That’s why in verse 7, he told them that even though they weren’t asking, he wanted them to know the reason he would be departing. He said it was so he could send the Holy Spirit to them. His leaving would facilitate the Spirit’s coming, and he told them that was to their advantage.

But their context for relating to God had been completely centered in the living, breathing, touchable, fully human person of Jesus. So, the concept of an invisible Spirit being even a suitable substitute for their Master’s presence, let alone a far more valuable one, would have been hard for them to understand. Of course, that would dramatically change once they experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. But until then, all of this remained a mystery they didn’t appear to be too anxious to pursue.

And sadly, that describes some Christ-followers today. They’ve placed their faith in Jesus as savior, experienced his forgiveness, become students of his word, and sincerely offered him their worship. But they hesitate in their pursuit of the power of his Spirit. And whether that’s due to a lack of exposure to what the Bible teaches about him, a negative reaction to how some people have misrepresented him, or an uncertainty regarding how to engage him, to the extent it’s true, they simply can’t experience all God intends for them. It’s the presence, power, and guidance of the Holy Spirit that animates our faith and makes it pulsate with the life of Jesus. Without that, all we’re left with is a dry theology, a moral philosophy, and religious practices.

I want more than that, and I’m sure you do too. But more importantly, that’s what the Lord wants for us. In fact, Ephesians 5:18 commands us to “Be filled with the Spirit.” It’s not a suggestion. And the original word translated there as filled literally means to be as full as possible.

It’s our Lord’s intention that we experience an on-going fullness of the Holy Spirit, and he made clear how we can. Luke 11:13 says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

So, let’s ask.

John 16:1-4 • A Light to My Path

It’s hard to stumble over something you can see. It’s the unknown, unexpected, hidden, and unobserved things that trip us up. When I was a kid at summer camp, our cabin leaders used to take us on flashlight hikes at night. And I learned that even in the dark on an unfamiliar trail with uneven terrain and many obstacles, I could maintain my footing if I just kept my light pointed straight ahead and my stride within its beam.

That’s the imagery that comes to mind when I consider the quote contained in verse 1 of John 16. Jesus had just been preparing his disciples for the inevitability of the persecution they would face. And that preparation included a reminder that they would not face it alone. The Holy Spirit would be with them. But then, before elaborating more fully on the power and scope of the Spirit’s ministry, he paused to give them another powerful promise. He said the things he’d spoken to them would keep them from stumbling.

He was assuring them that no matter how dark the circumstances, how treacherous the conditions, or how cleaver the strategies arranged against them, his words would be sufficient to enable them to keep their feet. The things he’d taught them over their three years together were not just a random assortment of nouns and verbs. Each syllable was strategically arranged to provide the bright light that would secure their steps over the path ahead.

In the next 2 verses, he reiterated the certainty and severity of the opposition they would face as well as why they would face it. But then in verse 4, he encouraged them once again that they had been fully prepared to deal it by all he’d taught them.

And this is true for all believers. The words of Jesus combined with the full array of divine commands, guidance, and wisdom contained in Holy Scripture – what the Apostle Paul described in Acts 20:27 as “the whole counsel of God” – provide all the light we need to illuminate and secure our way over, around, and through any demonic scheme to topple us.

The Bible is not just a collection of unrelated stories, sayings, and requirements. It’s a highly focused compilation of WORDS (plural) that become an incredibly powerful WORD (singular) irradiating the darkness around us. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” And as we carefully keep that light pointed straight ahead and our stride within its beam, the Lord’s promise to his disciples at the start of John 16 becomes ours too.

That’s why it’s critically important for Jesus-people to develop an ever-growing hunger for and knowledge of the Bible – the word of God. Our spiritual lives literally depend on it. So, please let this be a reminder not to allow another day to get away from you without spending some time in the book. Implementing a defined reading plan is a great way to approach it. But don’t allow your lack of one to intimidate you. Just open to any page, start absorbing what the Lord’s embedded there for you to discover, and ask him to reveal more of himself to you through it. He will!

Let me close by declaring over you Jude 24 to 25: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

John 15:18-27 • His Witness-Bearers

In my opinion, the word hate is the strongest in the English language for expressing negative emotion. There are others such as detest, abhor, and loathe, but these and similar terms are usually reserved to communicate an intensity a step or two below full-blown hatred. Once it reaches that level, the emotion dial has no more stops. And it can often erupt in extreme action. That’s what makes this word dangerous. So, when John quotes Jesus using its Greek equivalent seven times in the final ten verses of chapter 15, it grabs our attention.

Jesus NEVER exaggerated. He wasn’t being hyperbolic when he told his disciples in verse 19, “The world HATES you.” But he didn’t mean that every person on Earth would be their enemy. The word translated as world in this passage refers to the way it’s arranged or the system behind it like the way a reporter might use the word Washington to describe the U.S. government not all citizens of the District of Columbia. He wanted to make sure his followers weren’t surprised when the satanic system operating in the shadows of this sin-scarred world would burst out from behind the scenes and manifest itself in open hostility toward them as his representatives.

He explained that they would be targeted specifically because his words and works had exposed the sin at the heart of this system. And that’s what he was referring to in verse 21 when he said, “They do not KNOW him who sent me.” But the word translated as know is not the one that would be used for the beginning of a pursuit of knowledge. He wasn’t describing someone who hadn’t yet had a chance to get to know him. John captured his meaning by using a word that describes a fullness of knowledge that has already been gained. In other words, Jesus was making clear that at the core of the world’s hatred of him was a REJECTION of the knowledge of his Father. Romans 1:20-21 puts it this way: “They are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God.”

So, Jesus was warning the disciples to EXPECT fierce opposition. And I think it’s clear he was speaking beyond them to all of us who follow in their footsteps. Like that first group of Jesus-people, we’ve been called out of the world to reflect God’s glory back into it. And as we do, we WILL attract the hateful response of a system arrayed in purposeful opposition to HIM. And that response can manifest in many unpleasant ways. When life feels like you’re under attack, you probably are.

But it’s important for us to remain clear about where that opposition comes from. It’s the satanic structure behind the scenes of this world not its people. Our God is deeply in love with its people. They’re not our enemy. They’re our mission. Ephesians 6:12 says, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against...spiritual hosts of wickedness.” If we get confused about who we’re wrestling with, we can find ourselves at odds with our calling and attempting to confront a spiritual enemy using political, rhetorical, or material weaponry that targets the very people Jesus is seeking to save.

We need to confront our spiritual adversary with spiritual weaponry. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for...casting down...every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." That’s why when Jesus brought this passage to a climax, he reiterated his promise to send us the Helper – the Holy Spirit – who would lead the way in testifying of him in the face of the world’s hostility. And in the light of that glorious promise, he was able to make one more. And although addressed to his disciples, it’s one we can confidently claim as well. In the power of the Spirit, we will be enabled to withstand the world’s hate and become his witness-bearers.

Let’s trust him to fulfill that promise in and through our lives today.