The Last Night (John 13-17) – Sanctified in the Truth

Peter Barnes | John 17:17-19

SERMON  NOTES
SANCTIFIED IN THE TRUTH
Psalm 119:33-48; John 17:6-19

– Jesus turns from prayer for being kept to being sanctified.

1. Christ sanctified Himself that we would be sanctified.

– 17:19; note Deut.15:19-21. The word ‘sanctify’ has two meanings: ‘to be set apart’ (1 Peter 1:2) and ‘to be made holy’ (e.g. 1 Thess.4:3). Christ is sanctified in the first sense.

– hence Tit.2:14; 1 Pet.2:24.

2. We are sanctified by God’s truth.

– 17:17; Rom.12:2; Ps.119:9; 1 Pet.1:22-23.

– John 15:3; 2 Tim.3:16. The Word teaches us what to believe and what to do; to rebukes us when we are wrong; it corrects us and shows us the right way; and it trains us in righteousness.

3. We are sent out into the world.

– 17:18. He said this specifically to the apostles – John 20:21-23.

– but see John 4:25-26, 28-29. She does what she can. A Somali camel herder who challenged the Christians: ‘When you can put your church on the back of a camel, then I will believe that Christianity is for us.’

– On 25 March 2015 the Department of Education issued a directive for all ISCF bodies in schools: ‘students or members of religious persuasions do not engage in attempts to proselytise or convert non-adherents of their religion to their faith in the course of school authorised activities.’

It is reminiscent of what Lord Melbourne said of William Wilberforce: ‘Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade public life.’ But see 2 Tim.2:2.