John 17:1-16: UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY
During these past few weeks, it is virtually impossible to not know what is going on with the war in Iraq. Never before, in world history, have reporters had this much access to soldiers what they are doing. On TV, you’re able to see what the desert is like – you can see it live. You’re able to hear the fighting. You’re able to watch and listen to the soldiers as they do the things they do. This access you have to the war helps you understand better what is going on over there, both the good and the bad.
The Gospel lesson for this morning gives us an amazing amount of access into the mind of Jesus Christ. These verses allow us to listen to him pray, and as we listen to him pray, we’re able to better understand different things about Christianity. The who and the why and the how of Christianity are all right here, as we are allowed access to the mind of Jesus Christ.
Today is the fourth Sunday of the Lenten season. Lent, as you know, is a time in the church year when you do two things. First of all, you look deep within yourself, and whatever sins you find, you identify what they are, and seek to get rid of them. Lent is also that time when you focus your eyes of faith on Jesus Christ. You focus on his words and his work in an effort to grow closer to him than you were before.
So far in our Lenten services, as we have focused on God’s Word, we have addressed doubt, dreariness, and confusion. Today, as we focus on this portion of the book of John, it is our goal to get rid of any misunderstandings you might have about Christianity. Many Christians don’t understand the answers to three important questions regarding Christianity - who, why, and how. Today, since we have amazing access to the mind of Christ, we are going to answer those questions.
First of all, who? Who are you, as a Christian? According to the Bible, you are a foreigner living in enemy territory. When you watch the coverage of the war in Iraq, you cannot help but see that Iraq is a very hostile place for an American soldier. 50 mile per hour winds create sandstorms that make the desert unbearable. The soldiers are constantly being ambushed, facing enemy fire.
In a spiritual way, this is you – a Christian – you are a foreigner living in enemy territory. In verse 14, Jesus says, “I 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.” The world has hated them, Jesus says, as he prays for his disciples. He’s not just talking about his 12 apostles. He’s talking about you. The world hates you.
The world might seem friendly. “It’s not such a bad place here,” you might say. What Jesus is talking about here, is spiritual hostility. The fact that you have faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world – the world hates that: “You’re supposed to have faith in yourself, not Christ. Jesus is one of many saviors in the world, not the only way to heaven!” The fact that you believe that you and all people are sinful, and that God forgives you for Jesus’ sake – the world hates that. “There’s no such thing as sin,” the world says. “You’re a good person. You don’t need God to forgive you! You don’t need Christ!”
The world is hostile toward Christians who truly believes in Jesus Christ. You are a foreigner living in enemy territory. Jesus describes you this way: “they (Christians) are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” You might live in this world, but that doesn’t mean that you’re of it. You may look the same. But you are different. And what makes you different is that you have different things in your life that drive you.
If you are of the world, then you are driven by four things: money, power, pleasure, and fame. “I will do anything for money,” is the theme of many TV shows today. “I will do whatever it takes to make me feel good," is the attitude that drives many people. “I want power. I want to control people.” “I want to be famous.” Money, power, pleasure, and fame.
But this isn’t you. You’re a foreigner living in enemy territory. Instead of these four things driving you, you have one thing that drives you. Verse 6: “You have given them to me and they have obeyed your Word.” Verse 8: For I gave them the words you gave me, and they accepted them.” Verse 14: “I have given them your word.” As a Christian, you are driven by the Word.
And the Word that Jesus gives you is not just a book of rules that teaches you how to be a nice person. The Word goes much deeper. It changes you with a message of joy. Verse 8: “They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” You become someone who is certain that Jesus Christ has taken all of your sins away. Verse 13: I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” The Word fills you with the full measure of joy, because you know that your sins have been paid for by the blood of Christ. You have the sure hope of eternal life when you die. You not that God is in control of this world, even when the world seems out of control. This is who you are, someone driven by the Word, someone filled with joy because of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be in the world, but not of he world.
But then, why are you here? This is the second question we must ask The war coverage on TV makes it very clear why our soldiers are on the other side of the world in a hostile land. Their mission is to topple a hostile regime.
Why has Jesus left you here, in this spiritually hostile world? He doesn’t pray to the Heavenly Father that you be taken from this world. Verse 15: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world.” Jesus has left you here to fulfill a distinct mission, one that is very different from the mission of the soldiers on TV. You see, Jesus has already toppled Satan’s regime – the battle has already been fought, and Jesus has already won. Your mission, then, is to get the word out that Jesus has won. All sins have been paid for! The gift of eternal life is yours! You will someday rise from the dead! Millions of people all over the world don’t know that Christ has set them free from the power of the Devil. Satan has lost the battle – his regime was toppled on Easter morning. Jesus has won. And he has left you here, in this hostile world, to carry out the greatest humanitarian aid project in the history of all mankind – to share with people the good news about what Jesus has done for the benefit of all mankind.
This is why you are here. But will you safely succeed? That is the third and final question we will seek to answer this morning.
The war coverage makes it very clear that Iraq is a dangerous place to be. Soldiers are killed, captured. People pretend to be civilians, and then take up arms and fire on soldiers. People dress up as American soldiers, but underneath their uniforms are bombs, revealing that they are really suicide bombers. Iraq is a very dangerous place to be, even if you are there only to hand out humanitarian aid. Apache helicopters and technology can protect soldiers, but those things can only go so far.
Jesus describes our world as a dangerous place to be. Even though Christ has already won the war, Satan is still here, trying to steal away as many of God’s people as he can. Jesus mentions Judas in his prayer, in verse 12: “None have been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.” Judas was lost, when Satan lured him away with money.
As you carry out your mission on this earth, Satan will try to lure you away as well. He has intelligence that is trying to determine your weaknesses, and once he determines that, he will use your weaknesses against you. Perhaps he will use money, or pleasure, or power, or fame. Satan has you in his crosshairs. How will you safely succeed in your mission to share with others the Gospel?
Jesus prays for you in these verses. Verse 1: “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name.” Verse 15: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.” Jesus prays that his Heavenly Father would protect you. This is a prayer that God promises to answer. He protected Jesus’ disciples time and again, and he will protect you as well. This is how you will succeed in your mission – you have the guaranteed protection of God the Heavenly Father.
The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s 13th birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.
You may not be able to see your Heavenly Father protecting you, but he is with you. Yes, as a Christian, you are a foreigner living in enemy territory. Satan will do everything he can to bring you down. But God guarantees that he will protect you from all the attacks of Satan.
Remembering who you are, why you’re here, and how you’ll survive, these are key pieces of knowledge every Christian needs to have. The key to understanding these things is spending time with Christ. Yes, you have amazing access to the war, with all the available television coverage. But the access you have to the mind of God is even more amazing. This morning, we have been allowed access to the thoughts and prayers of our Savior Jesus, and we have been blessed as we have spent time in his Word. I encourage you, this Lenten season, to open your Bibles, look into the Word – make use of the access to God available to you here. And you will be blessed. Amen.
