Here’s the second request Jesus had: He wants us to be sanctified. Now, sanctified is a religious word, something you hear in church or the Bible. It means to be holy, set apart, or consecrated. In verse 17, Jesus prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I’ve sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself, that they may be sanctified in truth.” Sanctified means to be holy, set apart. A couple of times a year, when my in-laws come to visit from Ohio, we always make a big Costco run. One of the special things we stock up on when they’re here—especially during spring break—are those mega boxes of Cheez-Its. This is a special treat. Occasionally, we’ll have them during the year, but we save them for when her parents are here. So, a few days before their arrival, the Cheez-Its sit in the pantry, and the kids ask, “Can we have some?” We say, “No, these Cheez-Its are sanctified. They’re set apart. They’re not ordinary; they’re for when B and Pappy are here.” That’s what Jesus is praying for His disciples. He doesn’t want them to look like everyone else. He wants them to be holy, righteous, obedient, and set apart.
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