Exposition of John 17, Exposition · Part 41
JOHN. 17.18.
As thou ſent me into the world, &c.
AND thus far of our Saviours Prayer in the behalf of his Apoſtles and Diſciples for Sanctification; Sanctifie them with thy truth, thy word is truth.
Proceed we to the arguments and reaſons with which he urgeth and enforceth this Petition & requeſt of his. And they are two. Whereof the firſt is taken from the buſineſs and employment that he is ſetting them about; viz. the very ſame (in ſome reſpect at leaſt) which he himſelf hath hitherto ſuſtained and undergone by the appointment of the Father; As thou haſt ſent me into the world, ſo I have ſent them into the world, I am now about to ſend them, it is as good as done already: (For yet they had not their Commiſſion to preach the Goſpel to all the world, to every creature.) And therefore thou hadſt need to ſanctifie them, ſaith our Saviour to his Father, by a more full diſcovery of thy truth to them, that ſo they may be fitted and enabled for ſuch a ſervice as this is. It is extreamly neceſſary that they ſhould be qualified with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit to the very utmoſt, being to go upon the very ſelf ſame errand and buſineſs on which thou haſt imployed me; Sanctifie them, ſaith our Saviour. Why, might the Father anſwer, why ſo? Cauſe enough ſaith Jeſus Chriſt; for as thou haſt ſent me into the world, even ſo have I alſo ſent them into the world.
There are two things to be conſidered in the words. There is ſomething poſitive, and there is in the ſecond place ſomething comparative.
1. There is ſomething poſitive in theſe words, which Chriſt affirmeth poſitively of himſelf and his Apoſtles. That which he affirmeth poſitively of himſelf, is, that his Father hath ſent him into the world. That which he affirmeth poſitively of his Apoſtles and Diſciples, is, That he is ſending them into the world.
There is ſomething Comparative, in which our Saviour Chriſt compares his Fathers ſending him with his own ſending his Apoſtles; As thou haſt ſent me into the world, even ſo have I alſo ſent them into the world.
I ſhall but touch on that which Chriſt affirmeth poſitively of himſelf, and that as you have heard, is, that his Father hath ſent him down into the world; He would not ſuffer him to ſtay in heaven, but ſent him forth upon ſome weighty and important buſineſs; ſo that the point to be obſerved is this.
DOCTRINE. That Jeſus Chriſt was ſent into the world, by the appointment and command of God the Father.
The word in the Original importeth an authoritative ſending, which is accordingly ſubmitted to and yield to by the perſon that is ſent. foreign, ſaith our Saviour to the Father; Thou haſt ſent me into the world, ſo ſent, that I accordingly am come into the world, I have ſtoopt to thy miſſion; But this hath for the ſubſtance of it been handled on the third verſe, and therefore I ſhall wave the further proſecution of it here, and paſs on to the following words.