John 17:14–17
A few years ago, a comprehensive study was done in the U.S. by the American Bible Society titled, “The State of the Bible.” A bright spot in the findings: despite many aspects of society that devalue the scriptures, penetration of the scripture remains high, even among younger people. 79% of 18–28-year-olds own a Bible.
A negative finding: neutral or negative attitudes towards the Bible are more commonplace. The percentage of adults who believe that the Bible contains everything a person needs to live a meaningful life declined substantially in the two years between surveys.
Here’s my disclaimer as I begin this series: I hold to the authority of the scriptures for life and godliness. I believe that the scriptures are God’s eternal word for all people. I believe the Bible is reliable for us when it’s properly interpreted. I believe it contains everything I need to live for God now and then to gain eternal life when this life has ended.
Beginning in John 14 Jesus is preparing His disciples for the events that will unfold shortly. He was leaving them. He was going to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house. When he’s asked by Thomas how they can know the way to be with Jesus in heaven, he makes the definitive statement, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Your word
In Chapter 17 John records Jesus’ prayer. Twice Jesus uses the words “truth” and “word.”
Look again at verse 14, “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, …” In the opening verses of his gospel, John refers to Jesus as “the word.” He’s expressing that Jesus is the embodiment of who God is and what God has said. In John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God and the Word was God.”
It’s the Greek word “logos.” John was establishing that Jesus is God. Calling Jesus “the word” refers to the fact that Jesus came as the personification of the written and spoken word of God. The testimony that God revealed through the Old Testament was now made human in the coming of Jesus.
He is God, and because of that he is the embodiment of truth. So, when Jesus prays, “I have given them your word,” he was referring to the fact in his earthly life he had fully lived out the expression of who God is.
In verse 17 when he says, “your word is truth”, he was stating that he, Jesus is the truth. The scriptures reveal him. The scriptures are authoritative and reliable because they speak the truth about Him.
The Bible is not a book to be worshipped. The Bible is not a list of rules to be followed. Open the pages of the Bible and discover the wonder and the beauty and the glory of Jesus. Read it to discover how to live to glorify him.
Your word is truth
I want to circle back to Jesus’ words here. When Jesus says, “Your word is truth” it immediately raises the issue of defining truth.
We understand that the Bible is not a science book or a medical journal. It doesn’t answer every question about everything, but in matters of how to live life and how to follow Jesus, it is truth.
For so many today, there are many competing truths. Sometimes, your opinion is seen as your version of truth. In Jesus’ prayer he was letting us know that when you embrace Jesus as the ultimate truth and the scriptures as the testimony of ultimate truth, it’s going to step on people’s toes.
Few if any are ever argued into the kingdom. Most are loved into the kingdom. It’s God’s kindness that draws us to repentance. In 1 Peter 3:15 Peter admonishes us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” And then he adds this important proviso, “But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Jesus’ prayer for his disciples and for us is that we stay engaged in the world and that we enjoy a sense of God’s protection and favor as we are committed to truth.
Perhaps you are the odd person out in your workplace or in your family. You don’t stand on a soap box to preach in your lunchroom, but you live your life by the truth and directives of the Bible. You walk with integrity. Jesus’ prayer for you is not that you be taken out of that environment but that you would be protected from the evil one.
Sanctify them by the truth
Let’s look briefly at a phrase in verse 17, “Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is the truth.”
What does the word “sanctify” mean? “Sanctify” means, “to be set apart for God’s service.” In 1 Thess 5:23 Paul’s use of the word carries the idea of the progression of spiritual renewal and growth in the believer so that increasingly they become more and more like Jesus.
We often talk about “growing in faith” or “spiritual growth.” Here in John 17:17 the word, “sanctify” incorporates all of this. Jesus’ prayer for his disciples is that they be more and more committed to serving God and that they would become more and more like Jesus.
We grow our capacity for effective kingdom service through a number of things, but the primary way of growing is by the truth. That happens at least a couple of ways—through prayer as you connect with the God of truth and through regular engagement with the Scriptures.
In order to help our church family regularly engage with Scripture, we offer the Vista Bible Reading Plan. Together as a church we are reading through the New Testament in 2022. You spend about 5 minutes, 5 days a week and then take time to reflect on the passage. (Find the reading plan here)
The story is told of Sir Walter Scott the famed British novelist and poet. He was also a committed Christian. On his deathbed Scott is reported to have said to his secretary, “Bring me the book.” His secretary thought of the thousands of books in his library and asked him “which book?” “THE book—the Bible—the only book for a dying man.”
I would add that the Bible is not only the book for the dying. The scriptures are the authoritative revelation of God’s eternal truth.
— Notes from Pastor Marvin Wojda’s sermons on January 29th & 30th, 2022.
CLICK HERE to watch the sermon on YouTube.