February 4: Sent
Scripture
“Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.
– John 17:13-19 NLT
John 17 invites us into a holy moment. On the night before the cross, with the weight of what lay ahead pressing in on Him, Jesus prays. And not just for the disciples sitting in the room with Him, but for all who would one day come to believe through their message. That includes us. It’s a humbling thought to realize that before the nails, before the crown of thorns, Jesus was praying for you and me.
Jesus is honest in His prayer. He doesn’t pretend the world will be friendly to those who follow Him. He knows there will be resistance, misunderstanding, and even rejection. Not because His people are unkind or abrasive, but because they no longer belong to the world in the same way. And yet, what Jesus asks for is striking. He doesn’t pray that we would be removed from the world or spared from hardship. Instead, He asks the Father to protect us. Jesus knows we are meant to live fully present in the world without being shaped by it, and He trusts the Father to guard our hearts in the midst of it all.
He also prays that we would be made holy through the truth. God’s Word is not meant to be merely studied, it is meant to shape us. The truth Jesus gives brings freedom, clarity, and joy. And that truth is anchored in His sacrifice. Jesus gives Himself so that we might be set apart for God, not by our effort, but by His grace. Holiness is not something we manufacture. It is something God forms in us as we live close to Him.
Then Jesus says these words: “As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.” We are a sent people. That means our faith is not meant to be tucked away or kept private. We are sent into ordinary places, homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, relationships, to live faithfully and quietly reflect Jesus. This calling may stretch us, but we are never alone. Jesus has prayed for us, entrusting us to the Father’s care. So take heart today. You are not sent alone. You are sent with His presence, His truth, and His protection. Wherever you are, live faithfully there, trusting that the One who sends you is also the One who keeps you.
Reflection
1. What does it stir in you to realize that Jesus prayed for you on the night before the cross?
2. Where do you currently feel the tension of living in the world but not fully belonging to it?
3. In what ordinary place or relationship might Jesus be sending you to live more faithfully as His representative right now?
Prayer
Thank the Lord for praying for you and entrusting you to the Father’s care. Ask God to guard your heart as you live in the world, helping you remain grounded in His truth rather than shaped by what surrounds you. Ask for courage and faithfulness to live well in the places you have been sent, trusting that God’s presence and protection go with you every step of the way.