March 7
Lesson 1 (KJV)
PROPHET OF DELIVERANCE
DEVOTIONAL READING: Psalm 77: 11–20
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Exodus 12: 28–50; Deuteronomy 18: 15–22
DEUTERONOMY 18: 15–22
15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
KEY VERSE
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.—Deuteronomy 18: 15
PROPHETS FAITHFUL TO GOD’S COVENANT
Unit 1: Faithful Prophets LESSONS 1–4
LESSON AIMS
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
1. Summarize what God said about the prophet and message to come.
2. Explain how Moses’ words were intended to guide Israel as God’s covenant people.
3. Prepare a set of guidelines for distinguishing true from false teaching today.
HOW TO SAY IT
Asherah Uh-she-ruh.
Baal Bay-ul.
Balaam Bay-lum.
Balak Bay-lack.
Deuteronomy Due-ter-ahn-uh-me.
Horeb Ho-reb.
Moabites Mo-ub-ites.
Pentateuch Pen-ta-teuk.
Septuagint Sep-too-ih-jent.
Sinai Sigh-nye or Sigh-nay-eye.
Torah Tor-uh.
Introduction A.
Time to Step Aside
In January 2019, fans of the Cincinnati Reds baseball team received a shock: Marty Brennaman, the popular radio voice of the Reds, announced that he was retiring from broadcasting following the 2019 season. That season marked the 46th year that Brennaman brought the play-by-play action of the Reds to countless fans.
Brennaman became somewhat emotional as he announced his retirement. And who wouldn’t understand that? To be at any job for 46 years is an admirable accomplishment. Brennaman had seen the Reds at their best (watching “the Big Red Machine” in the 1970s) and at their weaker moments (the 1980s, when the team did not make it to the post season).
He expressed his gratitude to the fans for their support through the years, acknowledging that he could never have achieved what he had without their backing. At the time of Brennaman’s announcement, it was not yet clear who would succeed him as the primary radio voice of the Reds. But there was no doubt that the individual would have some extremely large shoes to fill.
Moses had led the children of Israel for 40 years, guiding them through such triumphant moments as the parting of the Red Sea. But he also led as he wandered with them in the wilderness as he shared their consequence (but not their guilt, except for the incident described in Deuteronomy 32: 51) of unbelief and failure to trust God. Then it was time for a transition in leadership. What respective roles would God and the people have in this transition?
B. Lesson Context
Today’s lesson begins a new quarter of studies titled “Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant.” Often when people think of the prophets, they think of prophetic books of the Old Testament. These are frequently divided into Major Prophets (5 books) and Minor Prophets (12 books), based on the length of these books (except Lamentations, which is “major” by association with the prophet Jeremiah).
There were, however, many other prophets besides those who wrote books that are part of the Bible. Today’s study comes from the book of Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of what is often called the Pentateuch, the Torah, or the five books of Law. (See the Lesson Context of lesson 2 for a discussion of the 5-12-5-5-12 arrangement of the Old Testament books. Moses spoke the contents of the book (Deuteronomy 1: 1) and recorded it (31: 9, 22, 24). This same book concludes with the declaration that since the book’s writing, “there arose not a prophet … in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (34: 10). Thus Moses was a prophet of the Lord as well as the lawgiver to God’s covenant people.
The title “Deuteronomy” comes from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It means “second [giving of the] law.” This is fitting because the book witnesses to Moses’ farewell speech to the second generation of Israelites. He was preparing them to cross the Jordan River and enter the promised land, and they needed to hear the law for the context of their generation (Deuteronomy 1: 1–8).
In its function as “second [giving of the] law,” Deuteronomy repeats contents from previous instruction to the people (compare Exodus 20: 1–17; Deuteronomy 5: 1–21). At the same time, some of the material had special relevance to those who were to enter the promised land and drive out its inhabitants (see chapter 20).
Deuteronomy 18, from which today’s lesson is drawn, is the climax of a series of instructions concerning various leadership positions that would offer guidance to God’s people. Reading the directives for a king gives a sense of how different a king in Israel was to act compared to those who ruled other nations (17: 14–20).
I. Authority
(DEUTERONOMY 18: 15–18)
A. Raised Up by the Lord (v. 15)
15. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.
While Moses did not specifically identify this Prophet, he did offer some distinguishing characteristics. First, the prophet would be from the midst of the Israelites, a member of the covenant people. For this reason, the one to come could be expected to be faithful to God’s law and not attempt to lead the people into idolatry (see Deuteronomy 18: 20, below).
Second, the prophet would be like Moses in certain respects; this characterization is clarified later (see Deuteronomy 18: 18, below). The command ye shall hearken implies the third characteristic: that the prophet would be someone who had authority (compare Mark 1: 22), someone to whom the people needed to listen to and obey.
What Do You Think?
In what ways can you improve guardrails in terms of whom you will listen to and whom you won’t?
Digging Deeper
How do passages such as Jeremiah 27: 9–15 and 2 Timothy 4: 3–4 help you answer this?
The capitalization of the word Prophet is not reflected in the Hebrew text, which does not have separate upper-and lower-case letters. But capitalizing the designation reflects the fact that Moses’ words had not lost their significance by the time of Jesus. For instance, a question directed at John the Baptist was, “Art thou that prophet?” (John 1: 21), which John promptly denied before pointing to Christ (1: 26–27; compare 1: 24). Peter and Stephen quoted Deuteronomy 18: 15 in Acts 3: 22 and 7: 37, respectively, in declaring its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
An earlier fulfillment, closer at hand for Moses’ audience, was found in the man Joshua. He was the one who became the leader of Israel after Moses’ death (Deuteronomy 3: 28; 31: 1–8). When the people listened to him, things went well (example: Joshua 6; see lesson 2). But when they trusted their own human nature, unpleasant consequences followed (example: Joshua 7). The names Joshua and Jesus both mean “the Lord is salvation” (see Lesson Context for lesson 2).
WHAT CAN AND CAN’T CHANGE
When I was a child, refrigerators and stoves were white. In the 1960s when my wife and I purchased appliances for our new house, avocado green and harvest gold were the favored colors. We chose harvest gold, then replaced them in the 1990s with a lighter shade called bisque.
In the current century, black and stainless steel are popular, along with a nostalgic resurgence of white. For the last few years, “slate”—gray, in other words—has been the color in home decorating, from floors to walls, cabinets, and now appliances. Regarding matters of cultural taste, change seems to be the only constant.
Cultural change affects the church. Changing leadership styles, worship formats, and architectural preferences are evidence of this. But what never changes is the word of God. To put it succinctly, methods change but the message doesn’t. Moses’ successor was to be like him in the sense that their messages from God would be 100 percent in unison. But the successor may or may not have a personal style like that of Moses. How can we do better in the church at distinguishing changeable methods from the unchangeable message? Perhaps 1 Corinthians 9: 20–22; 2 Peter 2: 1; and 1 John 4: 1 are good places to start.—C. R. B.
B. Requested by the People (vv. 16–18)
16. According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
This promise of a coming prophet was rooted in a request made by the Israelites when God spoke to them at Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai; compare Exodus 19: 11; Malachi 4: 4). After God spoke, the people expressed extreme fear and trepidation at hearing the voice of God in that terrifying setting. They pleaded with Moses to speak to them instead of having the Lord do so, lest they die (Exodus 20: 19–21).
They had good reasons to be afraid. God had commanded the people to gather at the foot of that mountain and had given strict commandments regarding how close they could get to it—with dire consequences for disobedience (Exodus 19: 12–13, 20–24). The scene had been marked by a mighty display of thunder, lightning, fire, smoke, the deafening sound of a trumpet, and the shaking of the mountain itself (19: 16–18). God then spoke to the people what we call the Ten Commandments (20: 1–17).
17. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
This further summarizes what the Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai (Deuteronomy 5: 27–28). Because of the people’s legitimate fear of the Lord, Moses continued to serve as the mediator between God and the people.
18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
While this verse clearly anticipates Joshua’s role in Israel (see Deuteronomy 18: 15, above), the Lord also pointed to spiritual leadership beyond both Moses and Joshua. God would ensure that the people did not have an excuse to imitate the nations as those nations sought to divine God’s desires by forbidden means (see 18: 9–14). Prophets chosen by God would provide access to the words of the Lord.
All legitimate prophets spoke only what the Lord told them (example: 1 Kings 22: 14; see lesson 9). They proclaimed the words of God boldly, often at the risk of their own lives. The Old Testament prophets foreshadowed the ultimate prophet, Jesus—the one who became “God with us” (Matthew 1: 22–23). Jesus conveyed God’s words as none of Jesus’ predecessors ever could. And since John the Baptist was “more than a prophet” (Luke 7: 26), how much greater in that sense was Jesus himself (Matthew 21: 11; 16: 13–16). Moses’ words foreshadowed the many prophets God would send, leading ultimately to Jesus’ own ministry.
What Do You Think?
What strategies can you implement to ensure that you speak words that have God’s approval?
Digging Deeper
Which of Job 42: 7; Luke 6: 45; Acts 19: 13–17; and Ephesians 4: 29 motivates you most to do so?
II. Accountability (DEUTERONOMY 18: 19–22)
A. To Listen and Obey (v. 19)
19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
To hearken to the words God speaks through His appointed messengers implies obedience to those words. If obedience does not follow, then one has not truly listened. The price for rejecting the Lord’s words is great: He will call the disobedient person to account. The most extreme example of God’s judgment for failing to hear and obey came in the form of the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles (see lessons 8, 11).
B. To Punish False Prophets (v. 20)
20a. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak.
Those who presume to speak for God without being commanded to do so are false prophets (compare Matthew 7: 15). Moses gave God’s people two tests to use in determining whether a person’s claim to be a prophet of the Lord was legitimate.
The first criterion was to verify the content of the alleged prophet’s message. Was it consistent with the previously revealed word of the Lord? If it did not square with that divine standard, then the prophet’s teaching had to be rejected and the man himself judged as a false prophet. The prophet Isaiah later urged his audience to conduct this test (Isaiah 8: 19–20).
Closely related to this criterion was the nature of a person’s character. For example, the prophet who is “like unto” Moses (Deuteronomy 18: 15, above) will be characterized by humility (Numbers 12: 3). Those who were arrogant and self-serving did not exhibit this trait (compare Matthew 7: 15–19). The character of a prophet had to align with what God has revealed as good for His people (contrast Jonah 1). Thus we have two sides of the same coin: content of character had to match content of message.
20b. Or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
The second criterion is seen in the phrase speak in the name of other gods. To do so constituted a clear violation of the first commandment (Exodus 20: 3). This same test was outlined by Moses in Deuteronomy 13: 1–5. The test included the additional caution regarding an alleged prophet’s ability to perform impressive signs or wonders. Such a person was to be rejected if those wonders were accompanied by encouragement to worship other gods. Idolatry proved the person to be a false prophet, no matter how spectacular his sign or wonder may be. The direction of his leadership always trumped any kind of miraculous sign (compare Exodus 7: 11; Matthew 24: 24).
This is not to say that only Israelite prophets were empowered to speak the truth. Balaam is an example of a foreign prophet who was also a true prophet (see Numbers 22–24). He was called by the Moabite king Balak to curse the people of Israel. However, Balaam insisted that he would only speak what the Lord revealed to him. Because of this, Balaam blessed Israel repeatedly instead of cursing them even once.
What Do You Think?
How do the cautions of Matthew 24: 4–5; Ephesians 5: 6; and/ or 2 Timothy 3: 13–16. help you heed the warning of Deuteronomy 18: 20?
Digging Deeper
What other passages convict you in this regard?
How faithfully did Israel carry out the command to put false prophets to death? Apparently not very well since false prophets seem to have become more prevalent after the nation divided in 930 BC. Their number increased during the reign of wicked King Ahab of northern Israel (reigned 874–853 BC), who promoted the worship of the false god Baal and his consort Asherah. The king encouraged prophets who claimed to speak for these deities, and so those prophets and their idolatry flourished. Elijah ordered those prophets put to death after the Lord’s triumph over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18: 19, 40).
False prophets tried to counter the message of Micaiah (1 Kings 22: 5–28; see lesson 9) and stood in the way of prophets like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 28) and Micah (Micah 3: 5–8). False prophets were allowed not only to live but were encouraged to advise! Their messages resulted in great damage to the spiritual welfare of God’s covenant people (compare Matthew 24: 11).
DEADLY PROPHETS
The Bible witnesses to many who spoke at the genuine direction of God. These prophets spoke the truth and offered a clarion call to repentance. On the other hand, many self-anointed prophets throughout history have been little more than cult leaders who led unwitting admirers astray.
An extreme example is Jim Jones of the so-called People’s Temple. He led 918 of his followers to commit suicide in Guyana in 1978. Another example is David Koresh. He confused his followers with his grandiose messianic claims, telling them that only he could interpret the Bible correctly. He died with 75 followers in the fiery destruction of the Branch Davidian compound in 1993.
The followers of Jones and Koresh suffered greatly for having believed the instructions of their leaders. Neither of these false prophets had the best interests of their followers at heart.
Moses warned the people of Israel that they had to pay careful attention to what others would tell them. They were to discern whether what those purported prophets said was true. How do you guard yourself against falling prey to false teachers?—C. R. B. C.
To Test Any Claim (vv. 21–22)
21. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
The question posed here and the accompanying answer (see Deuteronomy 18: 22, below) addressed predictive prophecies by an alleged prophet. Of course, God could have openly, visibly identified a false prophet when such a charlatan came among the people. God could then have put the deceiver to death himself as God’s law required. But God has always desired that His people become spiritually mature and discerning. He wanted His people Israel to be able to “give the test” when necessary.
22. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Although it would take some time and patience, the people could always recognize a false prophet if the thing spoken in the name of the Lord did not come to pass. It is important to add that just because an individual’s prediction does come true does not in and of itself validate that person as a true prophet of the Lord. This issue was addressed earlier by Moses, in Deuteronomy 13: 1–5 (also see 18: 20b, above).
In the matter of predictive prophecy, the problem of course is when a prediction will not come to pass for many years. If the prophecy fails to come true at the appointed time, the so-called prophet may have already died before his word could be judged. Thus he may have been able to gather a large following during life and to avoid judgment as a deceiver.
In that case, we can look at the alleged prophets’ motives. Micah 3: 5, which notes such prophets declaring “peace” in one situation, then turning around and predicting “war”—whatever suits their agenda at the time. False prophets tend also to “go along with the crowds” in predicting what people want to hear (2 Kings 22: 12–13; Jeremiah 6: 14; 8: 11; etc.).
The verb be afraid occurs 10 times in the Old Testament. In 6 of those instances, it refers to fear of another human being (Numbers 22: 3; Deuteronomy 1: 17; 18: 22; 32: 27; 1 Samuel 18: 15; Job 19: 29); 1 time for fear shown by fictitious gods (Job 41: 25); 1 time for fear on behalf of a calf-idol (Hosea 10: 5); and 2 times as the reverence to be shown to the true God (Psalms 22: 23; 33: 8). It is somewhat paradoxical, but it is our fear (reverence) for the Lord that causes us not to fear (be terrified of) anything else—especially false prophets.
What Do You Think?
In what kinds of cases, if any, should you intercede on behalf of someone who has spoken for God presumptuously? Why?
Digging Deeper
Does 1 Samuel 25: 23–27 help you answer that question? Why, or why not?
Conclusion
A. Plan for the Future
The retirement of a trusted leader can be a time of great stress. If succession plans are not put into place or are not carried out with wisdom and integrity, the organization experiences undue stresses that can spell its demise. God did not want this for His people, and so Moses was given a word by which to reassure them that they would still be led by the Lord and His chosen prophets even after the 40-year tenure of Moses.
That leadership had spanned two generations. Moses had taught the Israelites what they needed to know in living as God’s covenant people. Moses wanted to make certain that the people would not engage in practices that would enslave them to the gods of the peoples around them. He wanted the people to be delivered from those influences and fully committed to the Lord as their only God.
This is no less true for Christians. The apostle John gave this warning in Revelation 22: 18–19:
Every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Although “this book” signifies Revelation, it’s easy to imagine that the warning applies to the Bible’s 65 other books as well. The Scriptures provide the standard by which we are to evaluate any teaching we hear or read.
What Do You Think?
What boundaries do Matthew 7: 1–5, 15–20, and 1 John 4: 1–6 establish for you in applying today’s lesson?
Digging Deeper
Where are you weakest in that regard?
B. Prayer
Father, may we ever be grateful for Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophet to follow Moses—and more! Empower us to remain faithful to Him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
C. Thought to Remember
God provides guidance for His people.
KID’S CORNER
The Father’s Answer to Jesus’ Prayers
Sunday, March 7, 2021
John 17:9-19
John 17:9-19
(John 17:9) “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours;
In His prayer, Jesus prayed for His devout followers, for followers who had committed themselves to living as His disciples, for those committed to obeying with God’s help all that He commanded them (see Matthew 18:18-20). He prayed for His followers to become His disciples—obedient students of His Word and Way. Jesus’ prayer included those who would become His disciples because former disciples had taught them about Jesus, so they had received Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus prayed for all those who read and study the Gospel of John and other portions of the Bible. Jesus knew what the future held and holds for each of His disciples. Jesus prayed for them because they were more than His disciples. His disciples also belonged to God the Father and God the Father had given them to Jesus while they also remained the Father’s precious possessions. Jesus prayed for what He knew the Father wanted for the disciples that He would leave behind after He ascended into heaven. He also prayed for those who would become His disciples throughout the coming centuries. His prayer did not focus on the world. Jesus prayed that the way His disciples lived and taught would have a saving effect on the lives of people in the world. In John 17:23, Jesus prayed “that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
(John 17:10) and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.
Because both the Father and the Son are the one true God, disciples of Jesus belong to both. What Jesus’ obedient followers do glorify or honor Jesus and the Father. Jesus’ disciples love Jesus and express that fact by their obedience as His friend. Their love for Jesus explains their actions and words. When Peter and John faced the Sanhedrin that investigated them for preaching about Jesus, in Act 4:13, Luke wrote about the impression they made because of Jesus, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.” Even when they faced persecution for doing so, Peter and John glorified Jesus by bravely teaching the truth about Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Disciples of Jesus have done the same for almost 2,000 years. When you sing the hymn, Now I Belong to Jesus, written by Norman John Clayton, remember that as a disciple of Jesus Christ you belong to God the Father and to Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit indwells you too. Because you are their precious possession, nothing “will be able to separate us (you) from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:19—see the words to Now I Belong to Jesus below).
(John 17:11) “I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.
Because His time had come and these words were His final teachings and prayer with His disciples, Jesus prayed from the future perspective that He had already been arrested, killed, raised, and ascended to the Father. Spiritually speaking, Jesus did not live or abide in the world as a person of the world. Jesus maintained a godly perspective rather than a worldly perspective. Jesus lived on earth as the reigning King in the Kingdom of God, but He would soon die, rise again, ascend into heaven, and reign over all creation while seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven. Jesus prayed and still prays for His disciples to have spiritual protection and safety from the devil and his demons, because many of His obedient followers would die physically for their loving and faithful obedience to Him. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one in heart, mind, and purpose based on the Word of God, the Truth revealed in the Bible. He prayed His disciples would agree, even as the Father and He were one in perfect love and agreement in what they taught and did. From Matthew 1:21, we know the name that the Father gave Jesus when the angel told Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus (Savior), for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus saves repentant sinners who trust in Him, and He empowers them to live apart from worldliness. Jesus prayed to His Father and asked that His disciples might “be one, as we are one.” At the very least, the Father and the Son are one in perfect loving agreement in all things according to the Bible’s teachings in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus prayed for that type of loving and truthful agreement among His disciples based on the Bible’s teachings and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
(John 17:12) “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
The one destined to be lost among the disciples was the one who betrayed Jesus to fulfill Scripture. In Psalms 41:9, we read the Scripture that Jesus quoted, and Judas fulfilled: “Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.” Thus, we previously studied John 13:18, where Jesus told His disciples, “I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’” Because Jesus is God, the Son of God, He could and did protect all His committed disciples from demons, from those who acted like the devil, and from those of this world. Among other examples, Jesus’ prayer protected Simon Peter from losing his faith in Jesus even though he denied Jesus three times (see Luke 22:31-34). Because Judas decided to betray Jesus, Satan entered Judas and helped him betray Jesus (see Luke 22:1-6 and John 13:27). As we will soon learn in John 17:15, Jesus did not pray for His disciples to be taken out of the world, but that they would be protected from the evil one in the world. Jesus did not teach that His disciples would be protected from persecution and death, for He had already told them in John 16:2, “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.” Today, Jesus’ disciples face similar threats and suffering, and they receive the same protection from Jesus’ prayers and presence in their lives.
(John 17:13) “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
Jesus intended that His prayer would also give confidence and joy to His disciples as they heard Him pray. They knew that His Father always answered His prayers and fulfilled all His requests. Jesus wanted the truth to give them complete joy when they heard Him pray and remembered how He prayed for them to receive joy and protection from the Father. He was going to the Father, but He prayed that His joy, the joy that came from His presence with them through the Holy Spirit, would be complete in them. Remember what Jesus promised His disciples and His future disciples in John 16:22-24, “So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” We know Jesus imparts His joy completely through His gift of the Holy Spirit, as Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.”
(John 17:14) “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The world has hated and still hates Jesus’ disciples. Do not be surprised when those of this world hate you and want to hurt you because you love Jesus. Jesus distinguished between the Kingdom of God where He ruled as King and “the world” or “this world” that is the domain of devils. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth; so, depending on the context in the Bible, “the world” sometimes means the system or government that opposes Jesus and His followers. Jesus and His followers do not belong to the world as adherents of the world system and its impurities. They live in the Kingdom of God; therefore, the devil and those who belong to him in this world system hate Jesus and His disciples. Jesus’ obedient followers have the Word of God (the Word made flesh), the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the teachings of the Holy Scriptures to defeat the devil and demons spiritually.
(John 17:15) “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
To share the good news of Jesus Christ and to save some from the world, the flesh, the devil, sin, and slavery to sin, the followers of Jesus must remain in the world without becoming adherents of or members of the world system that hates God and His commandments. Jesus prayed for and continues to intercede from heaven for His disciples to be protected from the evil one. “Evil ones” can include the devil (the “devil” is “evil” with a “d” preceding “evil,” for it is not simply an impersonal evil power or dark force), demons, and those under the power of Satan to do the devil’s will. Jesus’ prayer in the Gospel of John and His continual praying at the right hand of God has protected millions of Christians for almost 2000 years (and will continue to protect them until the Lord Jesus returns as He promised). Though many Christians have suffered and died as martyrs, Jesus has protected them spiritually, blessed their work on earth, filled them with His joy, and granted them eternal life.
(John 17:16) “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Neither Jesus nor His followers belong to the world. His followers have left the world system and now belong to Jesus and He belongs to them. They live in the Kingdom of God and their membership or citizenship or stewardship is now in God’s Kingdom, where they pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus, the King of the universe, has committed himself to protecting all His subjects and He will always succeed in doing so spiritually to grant them eternal life as He promised. Someday, Jesus will raise them from the dead and give them resurrected glorified human bodies similar to His own.
(John 17:17) “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
To “sanctify” means “to set apart for holy use or God’s use.” When believers hear and receive the truth of God in Jesus Christ, Jesus sets them apart for holy use by God. Jesus forgives them and cleans them from all sin. As righteous believers in Christ Jesus, Jesus has made His disciples fit for God’s service. Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, is Truth. Following the truth revealed in the Bible and in the life, works, and commands of Jesus leads to loving holy service of God and others. A life set apart for the service of God in Jesus Christ requires active obedience to Jesus, obedience to the Truth that is Jesus, and involves far more than a simple intellectual acknowledgement that the teachings of the Bible are true. Believing the Bible is true is only the beginning of saving faith in Jesus and sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit. With the help of the Holy Spirit, true disciples of Jesus pray and seek Jesus’ guidance and power to live according to the Truth they say they believe. The Word of God written, the Bible, is the Truth of God revealed for us to read and study. Disciples pray that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will help them understand and apply the Bible’s teachings to their lives. When we begin our reading of the Bible as early in the day as possible and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us absorb the Truth so we can live holy for God, we will grow in grace and sanctification: we will be empowered and led to serve the Father and the Son more faithfully, lovingly, and purely.
(John 17:18) “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (see John 14:6). Jesus is the Word of God (see John 1:1-5). The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us (see John 1:14). God the Father sent Jesus into the world to save all who would believe in Him and to give them eternal life (see John 3:16). For centuries, Jesus has sent all His disciples into the world to teach about Him so some will believe in Him and receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The disciples of Jesus carry on the work the Father gave Jesus because Jesus has commanded them to do so and He has prayed for them to carry on the work of the Father and the Son that many might believe that the Father sent Him into the world.
(John 17:19) “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”
Jesus set himself apart from the world and spoke the truth to the world that those who believed in Him and His message would be set apart and set themselves apart from the world based on the truth He showed and taught. He went into the world and set himself apart from the world for holy use by God the Father that many might be saved from perishing. As He taught the truth in holiness of behavior and speech, Jesus cleansed and set apart for God’s holy use in truth those who believed His message and chose to follow Him. Jesus did not lie or manipulate people to follow Him as those in this world system too often do. Jesus gave His life by teaching, working, suffering, dying, and rising from the dead; by doing so, Jesus proved His love for the world and His special love for His disciples. Jesus’ disciples sanctify themselves by consecrating themselves to loving and obeying Jesus, and the Holy Spirit enables them to maintain their commitment.
Now I Belong to Jesus
By Norman John Clayton
Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow’r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;
Chorus
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.
Once I was lost in sin’s degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him;
Chorus
Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem,
Now I belong to Him;
Chorus
The Father’s Answer to Jesus’ Prayers
Sunday, March 7, 2021
John 17:9-19
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth (John 17:19—KJV).
For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth (John 17:19—NASB).
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth (John 17:19—NRSV).
Prior to His arrest, Jesus prayed for His disciples and for all who would become His disciples. When Jesus prayed, His Father answered Jesus’ prayers through Him. Jesus prayed; then, He worked, taught, and sacrificed for His disciples. In John 17:17, Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus prayed that His Father would use the truth to sanctify His disciples by setting them apart or consecrating them for holy use in God’s service. The Father still sanctifies Jesus’ disciples through Jesus. In John 1:14, John taught, “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the Father’s Word made human. Jesus prayed the Father would use Him to sanctify His disciples. In John 14:6, Jesus taught His disciples that He is the truth. Jesus prayed that the Father would use the truth to make disciples who would do His will and show the world that the Father had sent Him into the world so believers in Him might not perish but have eternal life. Jesus prayed and then consecrated himself to answering His prayers in truth according to His Father’s will. With Jesus as their example, Jesus’ disciples consecrate themselves to God, for God to do His will through them. Consequently, Jesus’ disciples grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. They experience the joy of Jesus being made complete within them as Jesus prayed in John 17:13. Eventually, as Jesus prayed in John 17:23, some will see that the Father loves all Jesus’ disciples even as He loves Jesus.
Thinking Further
The Father’s Answer to Jesus’ Prayers
Sunday, March 7, 2021
John 17:9-19
Name ___________________________________
1. In His prayer, why do you think Jesus did not pray directly on behalf of the world?
2. What do you think was the “name” the Holy Father gave Jesus? And what did Jesus want the Holy Father to do in His name?
3. What did Jesus do on behalf of His disciples, with one exception? Who was and why was there one exception?
4. What did Jesus want made complete in His disciples?
5. What did Jesus mean by sanctify? Who was sanctified and what is necessary for someone to be sanctified?
Discussion and Thinking Further
1. In His prayer, why do you think Jesus did not pray directly on behalf of the world? Jesus was praying with His disciples and for His disciples and for all those who would become disciples through their preaching and teaching about Him after He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Jesus prayed indirectly for the world because He prayed that through His disciples the world might know and believe that the Father sent Jesus into the world. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commanded us (His disciples) to make disciples of all nations.
2. What do you think was the “name” the Holy Father gave Jesus? And what did Jesus want the Holy Father to do in His name? I think the “name” was “Jesus.” In Matthew 1:21, the angel said, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The “name” also represents the character and nature of a person, whether a person has a “good name” or a good reputation based on their words and deeds or not. The “name” of Jesus represents the character and nature of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They have a good reputation in the world, especially after the ministry of Jesus. In John 17:11, Jesus prayed, “protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
3. What did Jesus do on behalf of His disciples, with one exception? Who was and why was there one exception? Jesus protected and guarded them. Judas was the exception that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
4. What did Jesus want made complete in His disciples? His joy.
5. What did Jesus mean by sanctify? Who was sanctified and what is necessary for someone to be sanctified? Sanctify or consecrate means to set aside or set apart for holy use. Jesus sanctified or consecrated himself for His disciples, that they might be sanctified in truth—set apart or set aside for holy use in the name of Jesus. Truth (knowing and believing and acting on the truth) is necessary to be sanctified or to consecrate oneself. Disciples of Jesus Christ consecrate themselves to loving and serving Jesus Christ supremely because God’s Word (Jesus) and God’s Word Written (the Bible) are true, and because Jesus prayed in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” The truth directs us how to live holy and wholly for the Lord Jesus Christ
Word Search
The Father’s Answer to Jesus’ Prayers
Sunday, March 7, 2021
John 17:9-19
Name __________________________________
E A R B W G H U W X V Y D C O
D T O E E T N S P G L C S V S
W E E N H H K O V J Q K F K X
Y N Z L Z T A R L Y H A T E D
U I J N P G A L W E X C Y X O
M M F O C M C F F Q B D G T S
W E K P Y Y O K O D V L S V F
N O H B S L Q C E W O Z G I J
V A R T V O N D S R F C N O R
T N O L E H R Y I V J S K E X
I S T K D A O F X O E X U J B
R V I Y U U I N Z W S Q Y P Y
L M C G R E S E A D U X R N X
A O Q S D X D G J W S B Q H P
C E V I L J P R O T E C T E D
Behalf
World
Mine
Yours
Them
Glorified
Holy
Father
Protected
Guarded
Joy
Complete
Hated
Belong
Evil
True and False Test
The Father’s Answer to Jesus’ Prayers
Sunday, March 7, 2021
John 17:9-19
Name _________________________________
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
1. In Jesus prayer, He prayed only for the world that He came to save. True or False
2. Jesus’ disciples belonged to the Father and the Father gave them to Jesus. True or False
3. Jesus told His Father all mine are yours, and yours are mine. True or False
4. While Jesus was in the world with them, He protected His disciples in the name that His Father had given Him. True or False
5. Jesus fulfilled the Scripture when He guarded His disciples and none of them were lost. True or False
6. Jesus wanted His joy to be complete in His disciples. True or False
7. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be protected and taken out of the world as soon as possible. True or False
8. The world hates Jesus and His disciples because they do not belong to the world. True or False
9. The word of God is truth, and in answer to Jesus’ prayer the Father will sanctify or consecrate Jesus’ disciples in the truth. True or False
10. Jesus sanctified himself so His disciples could be sanctified in truth. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
Prayer
Father, may we ever be grateful for Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophet to follow Moses—and more! Empower us to remain faithful to Him. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.