Consecration in Johannine Theology

Consecration in Johannine Theology

“Consecrate them in the truth; your Word is truth…” (John 17:17, 19).

Introduction

Since the sixteen century, this chapter has been called the ‘high priestly prayer” of Jesus.  He speaks as intercessor, with words addressed directly to the Father and not to the disciples who supposedly only overhear. Yet the prayer is one of petition, for immediate (6-19) and future (20-21) disciples.

High Priestly Prayer in St. John’s Gospel and the Epistle to the Hebrews

The high priestly prayer of St. John Chapter 17 has an atmosphere unlike that of the Epistle to the Hebrews where Jesus is portrayed as a high priest in heaven, making intercession for the whole humanity. In the high priestly prayer of Jesus in the Gospel of John we find the following words: “Sanctify them in the truth: your ‘Word’ is ‘truth’ … For their sake I consecrate (hagiázō) myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth” (17:17, 19). 

To Consecrate is to Set Apart or to Make Holy

In this section Jesus prayed that his disciples might be ‘consecrated’ in truth which is done in the Holy Spirit because Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and so the question of the absence of the Holy Spirit/Paraclet who would be the most important factor in the future ministry of the Apostles is ruled out. The word for to consecrate is hagiazein which comes from the adjective hagios.  Hagios is usually translated holy (qadosˇ in Hebrew means handing over a reality–a person or even a thing–to God, especially through appropriation for worship) but its basic meaning is separate. Hagiazein would mean to set apart for a special task.  Something that is consecrated or set apart is elevated and given a new identity that is no longer under human control. Setting apart also stands for the idea of ‘existing for’. It is entirely given over to God, it is there now for the world, for people, it speaks for them and exists for their healing. 

To Consecrate is to Equip a Man with the Qualities of Mind and Heart and Character

 But hagiazein means not only to set apart for some special office and task, it also means to equip a man with the qualities of mind and heart and character which are necessary for that task. If a man is to serve God, he must have something of God’s goodness and God’s wisdom in him. He who would serve the holy God must himself be holy too. And so God does not only choose a man for his special service, and set him apart for it, he also equips a man with the qualities he needs to carry it out.

It is God alone who Consecrates

 It is God alone who consecrates. Consecration of an altar, a prophet (Jer 1:5; a prophet had to be consecrated because he is the bearer of God’s ‘Word’), a priest (Lev 8:30; 2 Chron 5:11) would mean that they are set apart for a special task. In the Old Testaments animals were also set apart. Who sets apart? It is God. I only offer myself, my life and my willingness and God takes and sets me apart. A priest is consecrated in persona Christi. The priest is only an instrument in the hands of God who sets him apart. This is the answer to the question of whether to go for confession to a priest who might be more sinful than the faithful.

The Meaning of Sanctification

According to biblical understanding, ‘sanctity’ or ‘holiness’ in the fullest sense of the terms is attributable only to God.  We human beings can only spoil his holy name; we cannot make his name holy. It is God alone who makes his name holy. Holiness expresses his particular way of being.

Jesus the Consecrated One

Here Jesus declares himself as the one sanctified and sent into the world by the Father (10:36).  In this passage one encounters triple ‘sanctification’: the Father has sanctified the Son (10:36) and sent him into the world; the Son sanctifies himself; and he asks, on the basis of his own sanctification, that the disciples be sanctified in the truth.

Setting Apart and Mission form a Sing Whole

Setting apart and mission form a single whole. The classical example is the setting a part of the people of Israel for a particular purpose–in order to carry out a mission for the whole world. That is what is meant when Israel is selected as a ‘holy people.’ When God called Jeremiah, he said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1:5).  It means that God is exercising a total claim over this man, ‘setting him apart’ for himself, yet at the same time sending him out for the nations.

As far as consecration and mission are concerned, incarnation of Jesus is in total unity with the Father and total existence for the world in view of his mission. It is the same Logos made flesh who entirely now belongs to God and at the same time to “all humanity”.  As such, Peter was right when he said: “You are the holy (qadosˇ) one of God” (Jn 6:69). In Chapter 11, Jesus addresses his Father as ‘Holy’ and Jesus himself says: “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30).

The Old Testament mentality of the holiness of God is opposed to what is secular and profane. When God was instituting the priesthood in Israel he told Moses to ordain the sons of Aaron and to consecrate them that they might serve in the office of the priests (Ex 28:41). Aaron’s sons were to be set apart for a special office and a special duty.

The Preposition hyp̀er

In this passage the preposition hyp̀er autōn (for them) is very important for us to understand the concept of consecration (cf. Jn 9:51; 10:11; 15:13 Rom 8:32). In Chapter 10, it is the divine and model shepherd who of his own accord, the ego eimi, and the consecrated one becomes the victim and the priest for the whole humanity and lays down his life for his sheep. In 15:13 Jesus speaks of laying down one’s life for those whom one loves. In Jn 11:15 he is to die for the whole nation. Jesus’ consecration can be understood in two ways: firstly Jesus is consecrated as incarnation of God’s ‘Word’ sent by the Father for the salvation of the world and secondly Jesus is like a priest and a victim offering himself to the Father ‘for’ all humanity.

Consecration is truth is equal to consecration in God’s ‘Word’ and Jesus is the incarnate ‘Word’ of the Father. In the common Jewish prayer it was declared that God sanctifies people through his commandments and for John ‘Word’ and ‘Commandments’ are virtually interchangeable.  It is also established that in Johannine Theology Jesus is both the ‘Word’ and the ‘truth’. And as for the disciples are concerned, they accept and keep the ‘Word’ (17:6; 14) given to them by God through Jesus. They are cleansed by the ‘Word’ (15:3) and it sets them aside for a mission of conveying it to others. We as Christians, apostles of Jesus, friends of Jesus, beloved disciples of Jesus become like him when we are ‘sent’ by Jesus himself after being consecrated in truth by Jesus for a particular mission. 

The Implication of Consecration for the Disciples

 As for the disciples they are to be drawn into Jesus’ sanctification; their being given over to God, their ‘consecration’, is tied to the consecration of Jesus Christ: it is a participation in his state of sanctification. Jesus, set apart by the Father for his mission to the world which is perfectly in harmony with the Old Testament understanding of Consecration (Ex 28:41), now prays for the disciples, who are sent into the world by the Sent One of God. To the Jewish mind, this would indicate the holiness expected from the disciples of Jesus for whom he is praying in connection with the principles of Leviticus (11:44; 19:2; 20:26) which says that the people must make themselves holy because God is Holy.  If God so loved the world that he sent his Son” (3:16) for the salvation of the world (3:17), then now the Son is sending his disciples into the world with a solemn prayer to the sender Father. 

Conclusion

 The prayer of Jesus for his disciples shows that it is a prayer that they may be kept safe in the world and be sanctified by the truth so as to engage in mission to the world as the sent ones of Jesus. It is the obvious evidence that they are the continuing locus of Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”