The Seventh Sunday of Easter

May 12, 2024

John 17:11b-19

A Mother’s Day Perspective on

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name— the name you gave me— so that they may be one as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (NIV1984)

Dear fellow worshipers of our living Lord and Savior,

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

We live in a broken world. Yes, it is true that we see a tremendous amount of beauty in our world— especially here in northern California. Yes, it is true that God in His amazing unbounded grace gives us more “smile moments,” more happy times than we could ever possibly deserve. But that does not change the fact that we live in a world that is broken— by sin. Because this world is broken by sin this world is also a dangerous world— especially for the children of God. I can recall my Grandmother telling me that if I could go back and see the world she grew up in I would not recognize it. I never understood what she meant until I had children of my own. My children grew up in a world that was very different from the world I grew up in. That is even more true for my grandchildren. We do indeed live in a dangerous world that has been broken by sin.

It is for that reason that our living Lord and Savior has promised us that one day He will take us to a better world, a perfect world, a world that is not broken by sin, a world that holds no dangers for God’s dearly beloved children. It is for that reason that our living Lord and Savior has promised us that until He comes to take us Home His heavenly Father will protect us.

As we gather together to celebrate Mother’s Day our goal is to see how the promises that our Savior makes to us dovetail beautifully with what all Christian mothers want for their children. Since the portion of Scripture that we are studying is commonly referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer let’s approach this portion of Scripture from this perspective: A Mother’s Day Perspective on Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.

With these words God the Holy Spirit has the apostle John take us back to the night before Jesus was crucified. In the presence of His disciples Jesus has already prayed for Himself. With the certainty of successfully reaching His goal (Pointing to the cross) Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”

Realizing that He would soon return Home to heaven and realizing what His disciples would encounter after He was no longer visibly present among them— Jesus prayed! In full view of His disciples and in their hearing Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name— the name you gave me— so that they may be one as we are one.”

Notice how Jesus addresses His prayer to His “holy Father.” The “holiness” of the heavenly Father is beyond reproach. As the first Person of the Holy Trinity His “holiness” not only soars far beyond our comprehension, but it soars far beyond anything in this world— a world that is indeed broken by sin. Jesus also makes it very clear what He is asking His “holy Father” to do for His disciples. He asked His Father to “protect” His disciples— to protect them “by the power of your name— the name you gave me— so that they may be one as we are one.”

Notice how clearly Jesus brings out that the “protection” of the heavenly Father was bound together with the “power” of His “name.” What is Jesus talking about here? What is the Father’s “name”? It is the holy revealed Word of God! God’s Word has a “power” that is in a category all by itself. No other book, no other word, no other writing contains the “power” that is inherent in God’s Word. Think about it, my friends. God’s Word has the “power” to convict us of our sin. God’s Word has the “power” to console us with the guarantee of full and free forgiveness through faith in what Jesus has done for us. (Pointing to the cross) God’s Word has the “power” to protect us from the temptations and the threats and the power of the devil. Jesus’ goal, Jesus’ purpose for asking His heavenly Father to protect Jesus’ disciples with the “power” of God’s “name,” the “power” God’s Word is found in His words, “So that they may be one as we are one.”

Unity. True unity. A unity that is based on the teachings found in the Bible. When we as Jesus’ disciples believe, teach, and confess that the Bible is the Word of God, when we as Jesus’ disciples “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), when we as Jesus’ disciples refuse to subtract or add anything to God’s powerful Word— then we are “united.” We are “united” with each other. We are “united” with the God of heaven.

What a beautiful example Jesus sets for all of His disciples. And since this is Mother’s Day, let’s take a moment to highlight what a beautiful example Jesus sets here for Christian mothers and Christian grandmothers. As you offer up your daily prayers to your “holy Father” in heaven above, make sure that you include your children and your grandchildren in your prayers. No matter how old they are and no matter how young they are, take the time to pray for each of them by name. While there may be specific details of their lives (both blessings and challenges) that you feel compelled to bring before your heavenly Father, don’t say “Amen!” until you have asked the heavenly Father to “protect them by the power of (His) name,” by the “power” of His holy inspired Word.

This, of course, means that you need to teach them God’s Word and talk to them about what God says in His Word. This means that you show them how important God’s Word is to you by bringing them to church and Sunday school. This means that you impress upon them how important it is to stay faithful to God’s Word— even when their friends or their teachers or the world in which they live abandon the Truth of God’s holy Word. Our children and our grandchildren are living in a world that has been broken by sin. They are living in a world that is very dangerous for their souls. They are living in a world where they need your “holy Father” to protect them. Pray for His protection each and every day!

Now look at verses thirteen to sixteen of our text. In the hearing of His disciples Jesus prays to His “holy Father,” “I am coming to you now, but I pray these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”

I see our Savior emphasizing two main points here. The first point centers on the heavenly Father enabling Jesus’ disciples to see that everything that was about to happen to Him— His betrayal, His arrest, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension— everything that was about to happen to Him was all part of the Father’s Plan, His Plan of Salvation for this world! Since it was all a part of the heavenly Father’s Plan Jesus asks His heavenly Father to see to it that the disciples would recognize that Plan so that they would receive “the full measure of (Jesus’) joy within them.”

This is something that Christian Moms and Christian Grandmas can also include in their daily prayers to their heavenly Father. Ask your heavenly Father to give to your children the “full measure” of joy that comes from knowing that their heavenly Father has a plan for them! Not only do you want them to have the joy of knowing that their heavenly Father has a plan for their eternal salvation (Pointing to the cross), but you also want them to have the joy of knowing that their heavenly Father has a plan for their life here on this earth! They may not always understand the heavenly Father’s plan for them. They may not always agree with the heavenly Father’s plan for them. That’s why it is important for you to do everything you can to keep them focused on the cross. That’s why it’s important for you to do everything you can to help them grow in their knowledge of God’s holy Word. The more they understand what their God has already done for them, the more they understand the promises that their God has given to them the more they will have the “full measure” of His (Pointing to the cross) joy within them!

The second point that I see Jesus emphasizing here centers on asking the heavenly Father to protect Jesus’ disciples— protect them from the “hatred” of the world, protect them from the “hatred” of the “evil one.” The “hatred” that this world has for Jesus’ disciples and the “hatred” that Satan, the “evil one,” has for Jesus’ disciples is based on the fact that everyone who believes and trusts in Jesus as their Savior is not “of the world” just as Jesus is not “of the world.” As disciples of Jesus we are different from the world. The way that we think is different. The way that we speak is different. The way that we act is different. The world recognizes that we are different and the world “hates” us for that difference. While that “hatred” may not openly show itself at work or at school or at the ball game, when the world sees that we will not join them in doing things that the Bible says are wrong, when the world sees that we will not support anything that God has declared to be sinful, that “hatred” can easily be displayed in ridicule or rejection.

The relevance of this part of Jesus’ prayer to Mother’s Day is clear. As a Christian Mom and as a Christian Grandma you know how much you need to teach and remind your children and your grandchildren to stay away from people and to avoid activities that could lead them away from Jesus. But since the “hatred” of the world can be so subtle and so strong your daily prayers to your heavenly Father need to include asking Him to protect and to strengthen your children and your grandchildren so that they do not fall prey to the “roaring lion” whose only goal is to devour them. And if— God forbid!— if they do fall into a trap that the devil or the world or their own sinful nature has set for them, take them by the hand, lead them to the cross (Pointing to the cross) and assure them of their Savior’s love and forgiveness!

That thought ties in quite well with the closing verses of our text. Jesus prays to His heavenly Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”

The word “sanctify” means to “set apart as holy.” Through the powerful Truth of God’s holy inspired Word we have been “set apart as holy” in God’s eyes. Not only has God’s powerful Word of truth “set us apart as holy,” but God’s powerful Word of Truth has “set us apart” for a purpose! While we are not “of the world” we are to go out into the world— to share the message of God’s amazing grace! We are to proclaim to the world how Jesus “sanctified” Himself, that is, how Jesus “set Himself apart” as the “holy sacrifice” that takes away the sins of the world.

This is something we all need to remember— especially our children and our grandchildren. We have all been “set apart as holy.” We have all been “set apart” for a purpose. Do not allow anyone or anything to convince you that you have no worth and no value. Do not allow anyone or anything to convince you that you do not have a glorious purpose in your life. Your worth and your value comes from your connection to Jesus. Your purpose in life is to share Him and what He has done (Pointing to the cross) with others!

We do indeed live in a world that has been broken by sin. Even with all of its beauty, even with all of the wonderful things that bring a smile to our face, on a spiritual level this world is a dangerous place— especially for our children and our grandchildren. May God grant that all of us— Moms and Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas— may God grant that all of us will follow the example that our Savior sets for us and daily reach out to our heavenly Father in prayer.

Happy Mother’s Day!

To God be the glory!

Amen