John 17:20
I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
After 19 verses of praying, Jesus makes a wonderful statement that should grip each of us who knows him. He is not praying simply for the eleven disciples who are standing with him in the Jerusalem night; he is praying for others. Specifically, he is praying for those who will come to faith in Jesus through the words of the eleven disciples. This is how we know that Jesus was praying for you and me.
When Jesus makes reference to the words of the disciples through which others will come to faith, there is no doubt that he is meaning the future testimony that these men will give. IN just a few short weeks, Peter will boldly stand in Jerusalem and testify to the resurrected Lord Jesus and will see thousands come to faith. But after Peter’s time, thousands upon thousands will come to believe in the Lord Jesus because of something even more significant than the speech of Peter or any of the other disciples. The words of the disciples that bring faith are kept for us, preserved in the word of God.
This is a very important truth for Christians to grasp. We all want people to come to know the Lord Jesus. We all want people to be saved. The way that happens, the way that people come to faith in Jesus, is through the word of God. People are saved when someone presents to them the truth about Jesus as it is revealed in the holy Scripture, God opens their hearts, and they believe. People do not come to faith because you are such a good person or because they see you do something right. People are saved when they are convinced by God of the truth of his word.
Now, if it is true that Jesus prays for those who will come to faith because of the word of the disciples, and if it is true that we now carry that word in the Holy Bible, and if it is true that we want people to be saved, it should be obvious what we ought to do. As believers in Jesus, we should be sure to help others to come to know Jesus by presenting them with the truth of God’s word. We should share Jesus, not with gimmicks and clever tricks, but we should share Jesus by sharing the truth found in the Scriptures.
It is through God’s word that people come to faith as God sovereignly moves. Why would we not want to keep sharing the Scriptures with others so that they too will come to faith. Yes, this means you need to learn to share your faith from the Bible; but so what? We can do that. It’s not hard. And the glorious reward is certainly worth the trouble. Christians, let’s help others to believe by sharing God’s word.
Pastor Travis Peterson 