Jesus' Last PrayerSample

Set Apart

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (v. 17)

One of our favorite family games was Mario Kart from Nintendo. My kids always won, but I loved learning how to withstand the chaos of characters like Princess Peach tossing hazards in my way. I learned that by collecting “tokens,” I could be shielded from attacks. The world Jesus has us in can be full of all kinds of chaos, obstacles tossed our way, temptations luring us, and the like. He knew what lay in store, so he prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (v. 17).

To be “sanctified” is to be set apart, different from what surrounds us, both in our nature and in our mission. This means we are not to be “of the world” (v. 16). Sanctification is the lifelong process of separating from evil and delighting more and more in the love of God. This process isn’t meant to form Christians into a holy country club somewhere off by ourselves. We are “sent . . . into the world” (v. 18), the very world corrupted by the forces of evil.

How can we navigate this pilgrim road? What will protect us from evil and propel us in mission? God’s Word. When Jesus prayed, “Your word is truth” (v. 17), he didn’t use an adjective, but a noun—God’s Word is itself the embodiment of truth. There is no teaching or authority greater than God’s Word. By meditating on it right now, you are growing in strength. No attack of the Prince of Darkness will stand against you.

As you pray, ask God to fill you with his Word.