May 17, 2026

John 17:1-11

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The next time I stand before you it will be with five young people before you on Confirmation Sunday. It’s been a privilege and I know parents are very, very proud of you, I am proud of you too. I am looking forward to seeing how God will continue to move in your lives and in your heart in the days and the months and the years ahead. Not to get ahead of ourselves but, Confirmation day, is a, sort of, transition day, these young people are getting older, growing up, maturing, these young ones faith is growing and faith is maturing.

If ya think back to the gospel reading the disciples were going through a transition period. In that upper room, soon Jesus was going to be going to the cross to die, He would rise in three days and would promise the HS for those disciples and those disciples would be more than just disciples, more than followers, they would become apostles, “sent ones” is what that word means. “Sent ones” to the whole world with this message of grace and mercy. And during this time of transition, Jesus prays for those special friends of His in John 17:11. Listen to that verse, “I will remain in the world no longer they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name.“  There are times when we, like Jesus in this text, realize the danger we or others are in and immediately we respond with prayer.

I was watching the news about tornadoes in the south and they showed this local weatherman, in Tupelo, MS he was giving live on-air updates of the trajectory. We tune in and watch as they track it and they can pin point the weather down to the neighborhood. Ok it’s time to go. Well, that weather report was different, that weather reporter, Matt Lawman, gave this warning as a strong life- threatening tornado bore down on the city of Amory, “Ok if you haven’t already, it’s time to take cover.” And when he got done saying that, a new scan came on the screen and he bent over the screen on his desk and said “Ahh man” and let out a big sigh. He did something that you or I might do but not on the news. He did something, he prayed. He turned to God and prayed, “dear Lord, please help them. Amen.”

How often that has been our prayer too. When we realize the danger of the situation. When one of our children or one of our loved ones is in a dangerous situation, we pray. When your loved one is a life or death situation, you know what it’s like to pray, “Lord, help them.” “Father protect them.” “Holy God just spare their life.” So you know how Jesus prayed in John 17. When a son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter begins driving for the very first time, both my daughters are behind the wheel what do ya think has been my prayer, “Oh dear Lord, please help them….Father protect her and everybody else.” Or you said good bye to one of your kids at college and as you turn that corner that prayer goes through your heart doesn’t it? “Father protect her.” Or maybe parents and grandparents as you know the dangers and perils and threats of this world our young confirmands will be facing, “Lord protect them.” If you have prayed a prayer like that for a loved one, then you know how Jesus prayed in John 17:11 “Father protect them.” When the danger is great, Jesus prays. He clearly understands the perils the disciples will be facing. And what is that danger that makes Jesus pray like He does? Was it they would soon be seeing Judas betraying Jesus? Was it because they would see Jesus go to a trial and tried unfairly? Was it because Jesus would be beaten? Or then taken to a cross and killed? Was that why Jesus prayed this prayer, “Father protect them?” No, I don’t think so. The answer is also in that verse, Jesus says “I will remain in this world no longer but they, are still in the world.” That is why Jesus prays, “Father protect them,” they are still in the world. And the world is dangerous and Jesus knows and that’s why He prays. Jesus knows the world’s deceit. He knows the world’s pride. He knows the world’s power. He knows the world’s danger. And while the disciples are in the world He doesn’t want them to be of the world. So that’s why He prays, “Father protect them,” cause they are in danger.

It’s not just the disciples so long ago, are in danger in this world, we’re all in danger in this world, we’re all in danger of the predator. What is the predator? What is the world? The bible would say the world is any influence on your life that’s contrary to the will of God or the word of God. The world is contrary to the will of God and the word of God. So, your own mother would be the world. We just celebrated Mother’s Day. Thank God for their work in our lives. But if your mother is trying to influence you contrary to the will or word of God well then, your own mother is the world and she is dangerous to you. Ever thought about that? about your mom? Or it could be your Dad or brother or your sister or your uncle or your neighbor or more likely, your television or your phone or your computer. All of them, whenever they try to influence you in a way that is not in agreement with the will or the word of God, they are the world and they are dangerous to you. Do you see how pervasive this influence is? The world is what jeopardizes a disciple’s faith and life, and Jesus knows it and He talks about it all the time. John 14 “I will not speak to you much longer for the prince of this world is coming.” Well, who is the prince of this world? Well, it’s the devil. John 15, Jesus says, “if the world hates you, keep in mind it hated Me first.” So, what is the world’s stance towards Christians? It hates us. John 16, “Jesus says in this world you will have trouble.” Ha, so what should you and I, as Christians, expect in our lives because we live in this world as believers? Expect trouble to come, that’s what the bible says, because you believe. Here in John 17 “Jesus says they are not of the world as I am not of it.” IOW you and I should not fit, we should not belong to this world. In John 18 “My kingdom is not of this world.” So what does the bible and what does Jesus teach us about the world? It is the place of the devil, it hates you, it is filled with trouble, ya shouldn’t fit in, and it is not where Jesus kingdom is. That which is contrary to the will and word of God is not good. It is dangerous. It can even be deadly.

But although the danger is great, I think so very often we minimize it, we ignore it or, sometimes we even embrace the world. The bible describes the world as a predator, but we do not treat it like a predator. We kinda like it sometimes, actually. We like it’s alluring entertainment, it’s self-indulgent focus, it’s promiscuous sexuality, it’s lazy and pervasive spirituality, It’s dangerous, but we toy with it sometimes rather than treat it seriously. Treat it as the danger that it is! We say, Ah I know that it’s bad, I know but it won’t hurt me, I can handle it. And we minimize the tragic effect it can have on us and on our families and on our lives. But you will notice, Jesus does not minimize the world. Jesus does not ignore the world. He knows the extreme danger His disciples are in as we live in this world. “Father protect them” and in that little prayer, Jesus gives us three beautiful truths to the danger of this world.

The first truth Jesus gives us to the response to the dangers of this world, first we always have the prayers of Jesus. When Jesus prays this prayer He’s not just praying for them, He’s praying for you. He prays Father protect them and if you read a little further in v 20 is not just for them alone, My prayer is also for those who will believe in Me through their message. IOW Jesus is praying for you. Father protect them….cause they’re still in the world. And He’s still doing that for you and me today. Paul says in Romans 8 “Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” That means that right now Jesus Christ is praying for you, “Protect him, protect her, they are in danger in the world.” So we have the beautiful truth that we have the prayers of Jesus.

Secondly, we have the beautiful truth that we have the Name of Jesus.  When you and I were baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ, We were baptized into the family, we take on the family Name. Like a child who was adopted, that child has all the benefits of that family. When we receive that name Christian, we receive the benefits of being part of the Christian family. Protect from our father, The father says this is My child I will protect this child, I will defend this child, I will stand with you! When you are adopted all of a sudden you have all these Aunts and Uncles and relatives who care for you and who pray for you and who love you. When my kids were born, they were born into the Wallschlaeger family and they didn’t know it, but they had all these people would care for them, pray for them, who would sacrifice for them, who loved them. In the same way, we have a Father who protects us, we have people all around who sacrifice for us, who pray for us and who love us. See all the people in this place, they are people who love you and care for you and would sacrifice for you and pray for you. What a reminder that we are in the Name of Jesus.

So we always have the prayers of Jesus, we always have the Name of Jesus and truth 3 we always have the Word of Jesus to protect from the predator of this world. When you look at this text 3x in John 17, 3x He says Protect them, protect them, protect them. And then Jesus says this, “sanctify them with the truth. Your word is truth,” That final truth is the Word, it’s the bible. The bible is God’s tool to protect you from the enemy. Love it. Hear it. Memorize it. Pray it. Think on it. Internalize it. It will protect you. You always have the prayers of Jesus. You always have the Name of Jesus and you always have the Word of Jesus to protect you against the predator, against the world. In Jesus name. Amen.