May 12, 2024

“Sanctified in Christ”

Vicar Dylan Meyer

Seventh Sunday of Easter

             On the night of His Passion, Christ Jesus goes to His Father in heaven and intercedes for His disciples with a prayer—this prayer is known as the High Priestly Prayer (John 17:1-26). In this prayer, Jesus emphasizes that He has kept His disciples in the Truth and Word of His Father, which bears also the Name of the Father and stands apart from the world. Of course, one thing that John’s Gospel also reminds us of (even as early on as chapter one of his Gospel) is that Jesus Himself is the Word of God Incarnate! Him being among the disciples—teaching them, displaying miracles to them, calling them to discipleship, etc.—is, in essence, the very revelation of God’s Truth. Jesus Christ is the revelation of God’s character and His Kingdom! He prays to the Father, “Sanctify them [being the disciples] in the Truth; Your Word is Truth” (John 17:17). We also hear such an emphasis from the Apostle John in his first epistle. John emphasizes for us that the testimony of God is far greater than the testimony of men—that God’s Truth stands apart from the “truth” of men! This is because God’s Truth is Christ Jesus. God’s Truth is the Easter Story! And as far as John is concerned, “I write these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

 Questions:

1. What is the “testimony of God” and why is it greater than the “testimony of men”?
2. What does it mean that Christ has “fulfilled the Scriptures”?
3. What does Jesus mean when He says that His disciples (and us) “are not of the world”?