John 17:6-10 (5) • Not of this World

The John Project

Jesus entered the climax of his earthly ministry through the portal of prayer. Between the Upper Room and Gethsemane on the way from the Last Supper to the Betrayal, he paused to intercede for himself, his disciples, and all future believers. The account of this exquisite supplication of Son to Father fills the whole of John chapter 17. And in the middle section focused on the first followers, after assessing the state of their spiritual development and just before making his requests on their behalf, he addressed a crucial distinction that would be at the heart of the rest of his prayer. He said, “I pray for THEM. I do NOT pray for the world.” This wasn’t a statement of indifference toward those who weren’t numbered among the disciples or of preference for those who were, and he certainly wasn’t expressing a lack of compassion. In his response to the questioning of Nicodemus at the beginning of his ministry (John 3:16), he said he’d been sent by the Father precisely because, “God so loved the world.” So, what did he mean? The answer to that question requires a closer look at the Greek word 𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘴 translated here as 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. Its meaning is primarily focused on the kind of order, design, and arrangement we see in nature. So, it can also be translated as 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 or even as 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦. John uses it a lot in his writings, including seventeen times in his account of this prayer alone. But his usage expands on the basic definition. This is evidenced in 1 John 5:19 where he said, “The whole 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 lies under the sway of the wicked one.” For John, 𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘴 clearly includes an understanding that it’s the realm currently, though temporarily, under the influence of the devil. I won’t take the time now to develop the theology behind that viewpoint, but Jesus is quoted three times in John’s Gospel referring to Satan as the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and this certainly informs John’s use of the word 𝘬𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘴 to capture the Lord’s meaning in chapter 17 verse 9. This passage clarifies who Jesus was praying for. He was about to make requests to the Father on behalf of those who by their faith in him would no longer be identified as being under that satanic system. And in verse 10, he described them as those the Father had given him and in whom he was glorified. Although they would remain physically within the world, he was saying they would no longer be of it. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 is a successful line of Christian merchandise. And although Christian and merchandise are two words that probably never belong in the same sentence, this brand of clothing and accessories anchors its mission to this section of the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer. The point of their products is to underscore the message of Jesus in this passage, and the reason there’s a market for what they sell is that the power of this truth can’t be overstated. As believers in Jesus, we are NOT OF THIS WORLD. So, it would have been radically inappropriate for Jesus to pray for the system supporting and facilitating the evil around us. That’s why he emphatically declared that the focus of his intercession was, as it continues to be, those his sacrifice liberates from its grasp. And it’s vital we remember this because our adversary is intent on causing us to forget. He knows that when we do, we can become vulnerable again to “the sway of the wicked one.” But we don’t need to go online and buy a t-shirt to steady ourselves in this truth. We have these powerful words from our Savior’s prayer to return to anytime we need them.