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The word ‘sanctify’ is derived from the ‘holiness’ word-group, and has the meaning of being set apart for God.  The Apostle John records in John 17 Jesus’ prayer that His disciples may be sanctified i.e. set apart for God, in order that they may accomplish God’s purposes for them in the world.

The heavenly Father sanctifies His Son’s followers by the truth.  This truth encompasses the word of revelation mediated through Jesus Christ Himself who is Himself the Truth (Jn. 14:6) and the Word Incarnate (Jn. 1:1, 14).  The disciples will also be guided into truth by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 16:13). We cannot be sanctified or set apart for God’s work without learning to think God’s thoughts after Him and without learning to live in obedience to the word He has given to us.  Hence the importance of daily Bible reading, study and meditation in our individual lives and the central position of Bible preaching and teaching in our corporate worship.

God set apart His own Son and sent Him into the world (10:36).  In the same way, the purpose of sanctifying Jesus’ disciples was to send them into the world. The heart of worldliness consists of the denial of the truth of the gospel and God’s gracious word.  Worldliness takes the form of rejecting Christ.  For the disciples to bring the light of Christ into this world of darkness, such a Christian witness must ultimately be animated by the example and sacrifice of Jesus Himself.

Jesus speaks of Himself sanctifying Himself in order that His disciples may be truly sanctified themselves.  This language brings to mind the idea of atonement as described elsewhere in the New Testament.  It also recalls Old Testament passages where sacrificial animals were ‘consecrated’ or ‘set apart’ for death – consecration becomes synonymous with the sacrificial death itself.  Jesus sets Himself apart to perform God’s will on the cross as an integral part of His mission.

Jesus’ mission was to bring in God’s saving reign into a broken world. He undertook this mission both as Priest (i.e. mediator) and Prophet (i.e. revealer).  As followers of the Lord Jesus, the disciples themselves would be set apart for the work that Jesus would call them to do.  This mission of proclaiming the gospel of Christ that would eventually be entrusted to them would not be the easiest thing in the world to do.  As disciples of the crucified Saviour, they too would have their own little crosses to bear as they went out into the world.  But as disciples of the risen Christ, they would be able to rest on the promises of none other than God Himself.