In but Not Of: Living in the Tension of Hope to ComeSample

Day 2

Think About It

While Jesus is praying, He repeatedly and fervently asks the Father to protect His disciples. Although Jesus is about to depart from them, He prays that the disciples would be united and sanctified, evidently as part of this protection.

It’s interesting, then, that the NIV translation provides a footnote after John 17:11 about this word, “protect.” It turns out that this word could just as easily be translated as “keep”—as in, “keep the commandments,” for example. This same word appears in verse 12, and then again in verse 15! It seems to describe obedience as well as protection.

Jesus’ prayer is not that God would keep us safe, but that He would keep us faithful. The good news is that, in faithfulness, there is protection against the evil one. Rather than bubble-wrapping the disciples with safety, God provides them with armor, so that they are protected as they are sent out into the world. Kept by God’s power and armed with His truth, the disciples are equipped to enter the battlefield—not safe, but protected.

Live It Out

•  Read Ephesians 6:10-20, which describes the spiritual armor of God. Consider which piece of armor you might need to put on in order to persist in faithfulness to Jesus, and share it with a friend so you can encourage each other through prayer.

•  Pray John 17:17 for yourself: “Father, sanctify me by the truth; Your word is truth.” Jesus made the way for us to be truly sanctified, truly made clean. As a result, we can cling to God’s Word and trust His ability to mold our lives into alignment with His will.