John 17:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

NIV: For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

NASB: And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

CSB: I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

NLT: And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

KJV: And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

NKJV: And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus has used the term "sanctify," from the Greek hagiazō, in reference to His followers being "set apart" from the world, even as they remain in it (John 17:16–17). This is part of the High Priestly Prayer in which Christ asks God the Father to maintain the faith of those who will follow Jesus (John 17:1–11). Those who have accepted the message Jesus proclaimed—the "word" of God—have been saved and made clean through that faith (John 15:3; 17:8).

The ESV translates the same term—hagiazō—as "consecrate" here, while most other translations maintain the English word "sanctify." There is a difference, however, in how Jesus now "consecrates / sanctifies" Himself, and the way in which His followers are set apart from the world. The separation about which Jesus now prays refers to Him being taken by His enemies to be killed (John 13:36).

An integral part of the gospel is that the Messiah will suffer and die for the sins of mankind (Mark 8:31; John 12:31–33; 1 Corinthians 15:3–5). This is a role only Jesus can fulfill (Matthew 26:53–54; John 3:16–18). While the truths of God can be spoken by others (John 14:26), and even some of the works Jesus did can be repeated by others (John 14:12), only the sinless Son of Man can become the means by which mankind is saved (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

Appropriately, Jesus will pivot after this statement into an explicit prayer for all Christian believers. To this point, He has prayed for Himself (John 17:1–5) and most specifically for His closest followers (John 17:6–18). The broad strokes of His prayer for the apostles extend to other believers, but what comes next is directly addressed to the experience of those who come to faith because of the Apostles' efforts (John 17:20).

John 17:6–19 continues the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, prior to crossing into the garden of Gethsemane. After asking God the Father to glorify Him, so He may glorify the Father, Jesus now prays for His disciples. Earlier passages included Jesus' warnings about persecution (John 16:1–4). His plea, here, is for the apostles' continued faith in the face of that hardship. While this passage has application for all Christians, the immediate subject is Jesus' immediate circle of closest disciples. After this, Jesus' prayer will continue with an emphasis on all future believers.

In this passage, known as the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus speaks to God about three main topics. First is Christ Himself, asking God the Father to glorify Him so He can glorify the Father. Next, Jesus prays for the faith and courage in His closest disciples. Finally, He prays for those who will come to faith because of the apostles' writing and teaching. This moment occurs before Jesus enters Gethsemane, where the other Gospels will record His final anguished prayers before being arrested (Matthew 26:36–46; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39–46).

Over the last several chapters (John 13—16), Jesus has been giving last-minute instruction to His closest disciples. These lessons composed a large part of the Last Supper. Among those teachings were several warnings about persecution, with the encouragement of knowing the Holy Spirit would come. In chapter 17, we read Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, making requests on behalf of Himself, the apostles, and future believers. After this, Jesus will go into Gethsemane where Judas will turn Him over for arrest and His eventual execution.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.