The Gospel of John: John 16.17.1-26

Read and meditate on John 17.13-17.
Jesus understood the hard road that lay ahead for His friends and followers. But He not only did not seek to spare them the hatred of the world, He deliberately sent them into it, for the cause of truth and holiness.

                                                                    ¹³“But now
I come to You, and all these things, and how
I speak them in the world, is so that they
may have My joy fulfilled by what I say.
¹⁴And I have given them Your Word; therefore,
the world has hated them, because they are
not of the world, as I am not. ¹⁵I do
not pray for them, that they from this world You
should take, but that You should protect them from
the evil one. ¹⁶Like Me, they are not from
the world. ¹⁷So sanctify them, Father, by
Your truth. Your Word is truth.”

- John 16.25-28

Reflect
1.  Jesus warned His disciples that the world would hate them. Yet in the midst of that hatred, whatever form it might take, He indicated that we can know His joy (v. 13). What is Jesus’ joy? What is its source? How does He experience it? How strong is that joy (cf. Heb. 12.1, 2)? Complete the following prayer: Lord Jesus, let Your joy be mine today, and I will…

2.  Something about Jesus’ leaving to go to the Father would make it possible for them to know His joy. What was that (cf. Jn. 15.26, 27; Gal. 5.22)? How does this make it possible for us to have Jesus’ joy fulfilled in us? Father, let Your Spirit bear full fruit in me, so that…

3.  In the world, Jesus’ friends and followers will be hated, but they will know fullness of joy because of the Spirit Who dwells in them. What defines us as different from the world – not from it, even though we are in it – is that we possess the Word of Christ (v. 14), and we keep it (vv. 6-8). Should we expect that receiving, believing, and keeping the Word of Jesus will make us stand out in some way? What way? Why does this seem to be happening so little in our day? Lord, You have called us light and salt and leaven, because You expect us to…

4.  The real danger that confronts us in this world is not the world itself, but the evil one, who yet exercises power in the world (v. 15, cf. 1 Pet. 5.8, 9). Explain. How can we know when the evil one is exerting power over us? Give me grace today, Father, that I may not fall under the sway of the evil one, and thus…

5.  The reason Jesus has given us His truth is that we might be sanctified by it (v. 17). What does that mean? How does that sanctification come to pass in us? Is it ever complete in this life? Explain. Bring together your prayers from questions 1-4 into one prayer.

Summary
“‘I pray not,’ he adds, ‘that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil.’ For they still thought it was necessary to be in the world, although they were no longer of it. Then he repeats the same statement: ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth.’ For they are kept from the evil, as he had previously prayed that they might be. But it may be inquired how they were no longer of the world if they were not yet sanctified in the truth. Or, if they already were, why does he request that they should be sanctified? Isn’t it because even those who are sanctified still continue to make progress in the same sanctification and grow in holiness? And they do not do so without the aid of God’s grace but by his sanctifying of their progress, even as he sanctified them at the outset [of their sanctification].” Augustine (354-430 AD)

In the world, but not from it, our calling is to receive the truth which is Jesus, be sanctified by it, and show that truth to the world. This is every believer’s calling. What would you say are the key components to fulfilling this calling?

Closing Prayer
Show me Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalm 25.4-10

Psalm 25.4-10 (Festal Song: Revive Thy Work, O Lord)
Make me to know Your ways, teach me Your paths, O Lord!
My Savior, all day long I wait and seek You in Your Word.

Remember mercy, Lord, and steadfast love to me!
And all my sins before You let them not remembered be!

My sins have been of old, Your love is new each day;
According to Your goodness, Lord, regard my sinful way.

Upright and good are You, You lead us in Your way;
The humble You instruct in truth and guide him day by day.

The paths of God are all of love and faithfulness;
All they who keep His covenant the Lord will surely bless.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.