​Holy Trinity Sunday – B                                                                                LSB #’s 596, 578, 585
Text – John 3:6
 
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 
 
BORN OF FLESH
 
 
As you sit in your chair this morning,    whether here in person  or somewhere else by livestream,  do you see the kingdom of God?    A 2nd question for you is this: Do you recognize that  as a dangerous question to answer? 
If your answer is no,  you don’t see the kingdom of God,  that tells me something about you  that you might not want  your pastor to know.    If your answer is yes,  you do see the kingdom of God,  the danger is  that I may ask, “Where  do you see  the kingdom of God?” 
Nicodemus wanted to speak to Jesus & introduces himself with these words, “‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God,  for no one can do these signs that you do   unless God is with him.’  Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again   he cannot   see  the kingdom of God.’”  (John 3:2-3 ESV) 
Now,  the danger of my opening question comes into clearer focus.  If you tell me  you cannot see the kingdom of God,  I might draw the conclusion  that you are not a child of God.   And if you tell me that you can  see the kingdom of God,  I might call your bluff  & ask you to point it out.   Show me  where  you see the kingdom of God. 
From the Gospel reading in John,  it would appear that Nicodemus is not a child of God, but he is asking about it,  &  he’s asking the right person.   In the world of thought in which Nicodemus was trained,  being born a physical descendant of Abraham was everything.   Jesus describes that as being born of the flesh,  & He blows apart that kind of thinking:
“Truly, truly,  I say to you,  unless one is born of water & the Spirit,  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh,  & that which is born of the Spirit  is spirit.”  (John 3:5-6 ESV)   In other words, being a descendant of Abraham is worth nothing  unless one is also born of water & the Spirit.   That which is born of the flesh  is simply flesh,  & our culture is putting that on full  display.  Everything that the Word of God teaches  is good, right & salutary  is being denied  by the leading institutions of our nation. 
When Jesus came to earth,  the leading institutions of His day were each denying God’s teaching as well.  The Roman government was completely pagan,  & Jesus referred to the religious leaders of the Jewish people  as children of the devil.   Nicodemus was one of them,  & this new Rabbi was turning his entire world  upside down. 
Still,  Jesus was performing miracles that Nicodemus realized  could not be done  unless God is with the person doing them.  The signs were there,  but the things Jesus emphasized in His teaching  did not line up  with everything Nicodemus had been taught.  Even the signs, such as healing people on the Sabbath, though it was forbidden, Jesus made it a regular habit. 
Yahweh had chosen the people of Israel to be His light in the darkness of the world.  They were set apart to follow Yahweh & Him alone,  but the concept of the Trinity had gotten lost over the years.  Deuteronomy 6:4, known in Judaism as the Shema, says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”  (ESV) 
Many had interpreted this to mean that Messiah, when he came, could not be fully God.  If they had heard that Yahweh is Three in One – Father, Son & Holy Spirit – it would not have gone over well.  The Jewish people crucified Jesus for blaspheme because He claimed to be God. 
Yahweh had chosen the people of Israel to be His light in the darkness of the world,  & they had failed  miserably.   Jesus came to take the place of Israel,  to be the son they failed to be.   Nicodemus was struggling with everything he’d learned in Judaism,  & with everything he saw in Jesus.  In the context of his upbringing, his birth to Jewish parents made him a member of the chosen people, the nation of Israel.  The Jewish leaders summarized this thinking with the saying, “Abraham is our father.”  For them,  that trumped everything.  Jesus contradicted that by saying, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh,  & that which is born of the Spirit  is spirit.” 
He knew the reality,  that to be born of the flesh  is to be born of failure,  & to be confined to failure,  by The Fall into sin.   To be born of the flesh is to be condemned to hell.  Israel had failed to be  what God called it to be,  & if anyone was going to be saved,  Yahweh Himself had to do the saving.  Thus,  the birth, life, death & resurrection  of Jesus Christ. 
When he came to Jesus that night,  Nicodemus was only thinking in the terms of his upbringing, the context in which he grew up.   In what ways has the life you have lived, shaped & molded your thinking about Jesus?   Have you been taught to see the kingdom of God?  Have you been born of the Spirit?   Those are legitimate questions for you to answer. 
Nicodemus came to Jesus because of the signs he saw.  If he wants signs, Jesus will give him a better one.  He sends him back to the Torah, to the bronze serpent that Moses hung upon a tree.   If Nicodemus is interested in signs that Jesus is the Christ,  eventually he will need to confront the sign of the cross at Golgotha. 
That is the greatest demonstration of God’s power, glory & kingdom.  There, Nicodemus would see Jesus lifted up on the cross,  & Nicodemus would gently bring Him down  & bury Him.  It was a grisly sign of brutality & suffering.    Yet,  to those born of the Holy Spirit, it is the greatest sign of love, that God would offer His life while we were yet sinners. 
In the OT reading, Isaiah heard the Spirit of God & replied, “Here I am!  Send me.”  (6:8 ESV)   In the Gospel reading, Nicodemus isn’t there yet.   What about you?   Are you hearing the Spirit of God?  Are you seeing the kingdom of God?   What is your response?   Are you still confused about all the “things” of Christianity, all the doctrine or the teaching?  Even if you only come to Jesus at night,  that is a start,  but neither is it the finish line.  The Gospel of Mark gives us a picture  fairly similar to what I believe  we are seeing in our nation today:
“And on the Sabbath [Jesus] began to teach in the synagogue, & many who heard Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things?  What is the wisdom given to Him?  How are such mighty works done by His hands?  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary & brother of James & Joses & Judas & Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?’  And they took offense at Him.  And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown & among his relatives & in his own household.’  And He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people & healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.”  (Mark 6:2-6a ESV) 
 
In his culture, Nicodemus was raised to look for signs from a prophet but he was taught to believe that such a Messiah could not possibly be God Himself.  In our culture, young people are being raised to look for signs, not from Christianity,  but from the gods of science. 
In times of crisis, people throughout history have turned to their gods for help.  During the Covid 19 pandemic, what did we hear over & over from our leaders?   Science!  Follow the science!    In the Traverse City area, Jan & I saw numerous signs, though not the miracle kind.  Those signs read, “Thank you, Governor Whitmer,  for saving us!” 
Is Jesus marveling at the unbelief in our nation today?    I hope that each of you is able to see the kingdom of God  right here & now.  Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 18:20, “…where two or three are gathered in my name,  there am I among them.”  (ESV)   And wherever Jesus is there is the kingdom of God.   So you can point to this gathering  if someone wants proof. 
In V. 5 of the Gospel lesson, Jesus answers Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water & the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  (ESV)  Not all Christians take that as a reference to baptism,  but confessional Lutherans certainly do. 
If you have been baptized in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God is in you.  “…that which is born of the Spirit,  is spirit.”  (John 3:6 ESV)   The Holy Spirit creates faith, through baptism & through hearing the Word of God.  Where there is faith in Jesus as Savior from sin,  there  is the kingdom of God.   Does hearing the Word of God convict you of your sin?  Does hearing the Word of God comfort you with the knowledge that Jesus has forgiven your sin?   Then, you are hearing the Spirit of God. 
There are certainly times when Satan tempts us to demand signs, in what we do & in what others do,  to prove that we are children of a God who loves us.  That type of demand should be called out for what it is – temptation straight from hell.  Corrupted with sin as we are, none of us has perfect vision to see proof of faith in what we do. 
Our proof, the only valid proof, is in  what Christ Jesus has done.  That’s why He points Nicodemus to the bronze serpent that Moses hoisted onto a tree in the wilderness.  That event foreshadows Jesus being hoisted upon a tree on a hill at Golgotha.  His death is all the proof any child of God needs  to show the works of salvation.  Jesus has taken our place to do them. 
While being questioned by Pilate, Jesus tells him that His kingdom is not of this world.  Seeing the crucifixion of Jesus as the redemption of human beings  is to see the kingdom of God.  In baptism, the Holy Spirit brings us into the death of Christ  & that is how we are born of the Spirit, through dying to sin, in Christ.   Faith in that work of God is an expression of God’s reign. 
Living eternally in paradise will be the ultimate expression of God’s reign.  Until we get there, our Creator does not leave us to struggle on our own power.  He knows we’d be lost,  so Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to live within us,  to watch over us,  to guide & direct us,  & to call us back to Himself  whenever we stray  from the love of God. 
In the Gospel lesson, Jesus invites Nicodemus & John invites us, his readers,  to trust that the gracious work of God the Father is transforming this world,  through His Son Jesus Christ, & through the power of the Holy Spirit.  By sight, it’s not easy to focus on & see the kingdom of God in the brokenness of this world.  That’s why God’s children live by faith.  Amen.
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness;  at Thy speaking it was done.   For created light we thank Thee,  while Thine ordered seasons run.   Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,  dark as night & deep as death,  broke the light of Thy salvation,  breathed Thine own life-breathing breath.   From the cross Thy wisdom shining  breaketh forth in conquering might;  from the cross forever beameth  all Thy bright redeeming light.  Alleluia, alleluia!  Praise to Thee who light dost send!   Alleluia, alleluia!  Alleluia without end.  Amen.  LSB 578:1-2, 4. 

​Pentecost – B                                                                                                 LSB #’s 497, 656, 500
Text – John 16:7-8 & 11
 
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send Him to you.  And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin & righteousness & judgment: …concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
 
THE RULER OF THIS WORLD 
 
In last Sunday’s Gospel lesson, Jesus gave us insight  on what the world thinks of us.   In case you weren’t here,  the world hates  the followers of Jesus  because those followers are not of the world.   The world hates Jesus  because He is not of this world.   Jesus & His followers have a different character than Satan & his followers.  In this world,  Christians do not “fit in.” 
Sadly for us,  we still have a sinful nature.  Our character may be different,  but from the outside,  we often look pretty much the same as the world.   The Christian divorce rate is the same.   Our sinful nature is cowardly & afraid to stand out,  to be odd,  or to be square,  as they used to say.   In how they dress  & how they style their hair,  people intentionally try to “fit in.” 
In other ways,  even unintentionally,  people tend to blend in  with their environment.   I spent nine weeks at Navy boot camp & the majority of my company was from down south.  When I got home,  the people of Frankentrost noticed  that I had picked up  a southern accent.  Satan works hard at getting the children of God  to “fit in” with the world. 
“Fitting in” is what Adam & Eve were doing  when they followed the devil’s guidance to eat of the forbidden tree.  They didn’t want to be left out,  as the only suckers  who didn’t know good & evil.  That’s what Satan implied,  & they fell for it,  hook,  line  & sinker. 
“Fitting in” is what we do  when we give in to the world’s demands not to speak of our faith in Jesus Christ.  A National Football League player recently gave a commencement address in which he stated, “our own nation is led by a man who publicly & proudly proclaims his Catholic faith  but at the same time is delusional enough  to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally.”  Statements like that do not  “fit in”  with the character of our world,   & the world let that football player know it,  for that remark  & others like it.   Nothing  about his speech “fit in” with the tolerance mindset of our culture. 
It seems that the most important thing the world wants to tolerate  is sin.    It has little tolerance for Jesus & His followers.   In a world that hates them,  it takes real courage to  stand out,  & stand up  for Jesus.  God’s Son chose His Apostles,  & trained them,  in order that they would found,  what today  we call,  the Christian Church. 
As the 16th chapter of John begins,  Jesus warns His followers of persecution to come.  In today’s Gospel reading, with V. 5ff,  Jesus begins to explain the resources that will be available to His followers  as they encounter that persecution.   Those same resources are there for us  as we witness to what Messiah has done  for our salvation. 
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go,  I will send Him to you.  And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin & righteousness & judgment: …concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”  (John 16:7-8 & 11 ESV) 
As you were listening to that,  did you notice the resources that Jesus was mentioning?  Maybe you were listening  for a whole list of them,  but Jesus mentions only one – the Helper, with a capital “H.”  As Martin Luther would have said, “Es ist  der Heilige Geist.”  The Helper is the Holy Ghost,  or in modern parlance, the Holy Spirit.   He is God.   What more do we need? 
And the Holy Spirit will be doing some very specific things,  things that do not “fit in;”  things that make sinners  very  uncomfortable.   Der Heilige Geist will convict the world concerning sin  & righteousness  & judgment.  Do you see now  why the world hates us?  Even if you & I  are not personally  calling out the world for its sin,  the world knows  that God  is calling it out.   The very presence of God’s children  brings to mind  the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin,  & that drives the world crazy. 
Remember, it seems that the most important thing the world wants to tolerate  is sin.   In our culture,  it’s no longer enough to just tolerate sin.  Now,  you must celebrate sin,  or you will never “fit in.”     Have you caught yourself – trying to “fit in?”   We do it  in thousands of little ways  that are invisible.   A good way to counter that  is to pray before a meal in a restaurant. 
Yeah,  that is likely to feel uncomfortable.   It’s normal for sinners to feel  uncomfortable when resisting sin.  Praying in a restaurant will feel awkward.  You may blush & turn red.   I’m joking when I say,  turning red is simply the blood of Satan boiling inside of you.  Yet,  you can be certain that turning your heart to God before you eat  is the last thing Satan wants you to do. 
As a dead skunk  always smells worse than a living one,  the ruler of this world is judged, broken & defeated,  but he is also  still  deadly.   We should never mistake his ‘nice talk’ for anything less than the poison that it is.  Tolerating sin  never saves sinners  anymore than tolerating cancer  saves cancer patients.  God does not tolerate sin,  nor should we.
However,  God does die  to make payment for sin  & we should accept God’s payment.  When we forgive a person’s sin,  we are accepting the payment  of Jesus Christ.  That’s the same thing the heavenly Father does,  when He forgives our sins.  He’s accepting the payment of His Holy Son.  It is the only form of payment that can bring healing to the evil that Satan brings. 
The basic sin,  of which the Holy Spirit convicts the world,  is that sinful beings put themselves at the center of everything.  That is the world’s characteristic sin & it received classic expression when God sent His Son into the world  & it refused to receive Him.  John wrote of that in the 1st chapter of his Gospel: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  He was in the world,  & the world was made through Him,  yet the world did not know Him.  He came to His own,  & His own people did not receive Him.”  (1:9-11 ESV)   My sinfulness wants to make everything about me – which only furthers the process of decay.   Salvation & holiness are possible  when everything is about the death & resurrection of Jesus. 
John continued in 1:12-13, “But to all who did receive Him,  who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God,  who were born, not of blood  nor of the will of the flesh  nor of the will of man,  but of God.”   What that tells us  is that children of God  are born solely of the will of God.  Only He creates holiness,  & in Christ we are God’s new creation. 
Yes, from the outside  we look pretty much the same as the world.   It’s not a flattering look.  What makes the difference is what’s living on the inside.  Is it the ruler of this world,  or is it the Ruler of heaven & earth?    For now, the Ruler of heaven & earth allows Himself to be hidden behind masks.  That’s how Martin Luther described it. 
He explained what he meant by that in this way.  Take a helpless baby, that is a mask behind which the almighty God exists.  Or, take a frail & helpless adult confined to a wheelchair.  That is a mask behind which the almighty God exists.  Take anyone of His children in all their sinful failures & weakness.  That is a mask behind which the almighty God exists. 
Right now, in your pastor,  & in the people sitting around you,  you see a mask  behind which the almighty God exists.  It’s not a flattering look.  You’d swear  that you’re actually seeing the ruler of this world staring back at you.  Each of us is guilty of trying to “fit in” to a world in which we do not belong.  By experience, this is the only world we know. 
By faith,  already today,  we can live in a world that is very, very different from ours.  It’s just that it’s hidden  behind the brokenness  & the disappointments  & the failures.   The new creation is hidden  behind the major frustrations of your life  & underneath all of your trivial successes.   The Holy Spirit  is hidden  like a hand in a glove – a ratty & torn glove.  Its color has been faded by the sun.  Its finish has been worn by years of abuse.  However, what matters is the hand that is inside that glove.  Sometimes that hand is visible to the naked eye, like the tongues of fire that appeared & rested upon the Apostles the day of Pentecost.   Most of the time  it’s not. 
Most of the time  God calls us to live by faith.  He calls us to believe even though we do not see,  & Jesus promises  that we are blessed in that.   Jesus promised His followers that, although sorrow had filled their hearts at the news that He’d be leaving,  He would send the Helper to “…convict the world concerning sin & righteousness & judgment.”  (John 16:8 ESV) 
“The Holy Spirit will convict the world …concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”  (John 16:8 & 11 ESV)   What we see in our world does not line up well with that good news.  Wars & rumors of wars, sexual assault, murder, corruption & lawlessness, they all seem to running rampant. 
The glove is certainly ugly,  but Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit is inside of that glove,  moving it  according to the will & the purpose of God.  The ruler of this world is judged & that’s partly why so many people in this world hate God’s children.  We are God’s evidence that unbelief is not a foregone conclusion.  We are the evidence that unbelievers have no excuse. 
That’s why the world “screams” so loud that their cause is just & right.  They’re trying to drown out the voice of the conscience  that God placed within them.  Those who follow Jesus have a better voice speaking within.  It is the Holy Spirit declaring that Jesus has set us free from the ruler of this world; set us free from the chains of sin & rebellion.  Amen. 
A mighty fortress  is our God,  a trusty shield & weapon;  He helps us free from every need  that hath us now o’ertaken.   The old evil foe  now means deadly woe;  deep guile & great might  are his dread arms in fight;  on earth is not his equal.    Though devils all the world should fill,  all eager to devour us,   we tremble not,  we fear no ill;  they shall not overpower us.  This world’s prince may still  scowl fierce as he will,   he can harm us none.   He’s judged; the deed is done;  one little word can fell him.  Amen.  LSB 656:1, 3.   

​7th Sunday of Easter – B                                                                                LSB #’s 725, 730, 585
Text – John 17:14
 
I have given them Your word, & the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 
 
NOT OF THE WORLD
 
 
It’s uncomfortable  to experience the sensation  that you’re not fitting in.   It can be especially common during childhood  as young people learn all the ins & outs of   interpersonal relationships.  As God has granted each of us  different talents & abilities,  some are more gifted in the area of relationships.   In a sinful world  those differences are certainly magnified. 
As an adult,  & having watched the protests on major university campuses,  I have a definite sense  that I do not fit in  with the people of that world.   As I’ve gotten older,  that sense, regarding the world,  has been growing  even apart from the current protests. 
A lot of things have changed in our culture over the past 20 years.   Yet, we should keep in mind that those changes are not at all noticeable  to people who are currently 20 years old  or younger.   To them,  life has always been this way.   They have no other experience  to compare it to.   In the 1960’s,  it became popular to refer to that as ‘the generation gap.’ 
To say that things have dramatically changed in our culture during the past 20 years  is a statement of perspective.  Older people can say that  because they grew up when things were different.  Younger people do not have that perspective  because they have not lived  through the changes.  That generation gap causes problems  as a culture tries to navigate its future. 
Jesus knew the problems His disciples would face  in navigating their future.   He chose them & trained them in order that they would found,  what today  we call,  the Christian Church.   Since that Church is not of this world, Jesus knew there’d be a dramatic difference in perspective between His followers  & those who rejected following Him.   Jesus describes that difference as hate: “I have given them Your word,  & the world has hated them  because they are not of the world,  just as I am not of the world.”  (John 17:14 ESV)   The Gospel text is a prayer Jesus prayed as He was about to experience the profound  hatred of this world.   He & His disciples were soon leaving for the mount of Olives  for another session of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
Within 24 hours,  Jesus would hang,  dead  on a cross at Golgotha.   As the Son of God, He did not ‘fit in’ with the world,  & the world made sure that Jesus paid the price for it.    Our culture today  is increasingly trying to make Christians pay a price  for the fact that we do not ‘fit in.’   When I was growing up in the 1960’s & 70’s,  it wasn’t that way. 
I’m not saying there was no hatred for Christians in those days,  but it certainly was not as out in the open  as it is now.   Today,  people who are simply proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ  are being prosecuted for ‘hate speech.’   Ironic, yet entirely consistent with Satan’s manner of working,  in the world’s hatred of Christians,  it says we  are guilty of ‘hate speech.’ 
If a person is suffering the effects of cancer,  they’re relieved  when a doctor gives the diagnosis & prescription of treatment for it.  They’d never think to refer to that diagnosis as hate speech.   Yet, that is exactly what the world does  when anyone diagnoses its sin & prescribes the cure for it.   Christians can say that with certainty because our own  sinful nature  hates Jesus. 
We know all too well  what it is to rebel against God’s diagnosis of our own sins.  However, that does not disqualify us from pointing the way to the true life found in Jesus.  In fact, our own sins make us even more qualified to point the way because you & I have experienced the healing found in Christ & in Him alone. 
If you’re looking for advice on how to endure the prescription & treatment for cancer, you get far more relevant information from someone who’s gone through that battle themselves.  You’d never accuse them of being a hypocrite for giving you suggestions.   The world does not hate people who’ve struggled with cancer & speak of the cure.   The world does hate  people who’ve struggled with sin & found healing in Jesus Christ.  My use of the word hate in that context may seem a bit harsh,  but I’m only repeating what Jesus said in the sermon text:
“I have given them Your word, & the world has hated them  because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”  Jesus prays to the heavenly Father because He knows the effect that the world’s hatred  will have upon His disciples then,  & His disciples now.   In whatever manner you label it,  you do experience the world’s hatred when you follow Jesus. 
To help you recognize that, here’s a prayer that was sent to me: “Listen, Lord, a mother’s praying  low & quiet: listen, please.   Listen what her tears are saying,   see her heart upon its knees;  lift the load from her bowed shoulders  till she sees & understands,   You, Who hold the worlds together,  hold her problems in Your hands.” 
All mothers – believing & unbelieving – cry in this world,  & not just because of sin in general.  They cry also because of the hatred generated by sinful hearts.  All human beings face the reality of hatred, but as children of God,  you & I are called to respond to that hatred with God’s love.  It doesn’t mean we allow injustice, but we should lead the unjust to Christ. 
Satan & the world will at times paint themselves as tolerant, loving & kind.  They label Christianity as the hateful & intolerant force in this life, but they do so from a sense of hatred.  We don’t always recognize that.  At times, we are deceived.  When Jesus tells us that the world hates us, He’s not exaggerating, nor is He speaking in hyperbole. 
Satan wants you hanging on a cross,  dead  along with Jesus.   At times, the world does act in complete ignorance.   At other times,  it is willfully seeking to destroy the blessings that Christ brings through His church.    At all times,  Satan is working to devour us  in whatever manner he is able.  Mothers, even on Mother’s Day, weep because of Satan’s work.  God has placed Christian mothers in this world to lean upon Him as they fulfill their vocation in the raising & nurture of children.  And God gives the rest of us  opportunities to support & encourage those Christian mothers in the fulfillment of their duties. 
One of Satan’s greatest lies is in telling mothers that they can be set free  through aborting their child.  The world today truly does hate us  for diagnosing that sin & pointing to Jesus as the cure.  And we,  in our sin,  often do fail to support, encourage & forgive mothers whether they keep their child  or have an abortion. 
We are not hypocrites for being sinners while pointing others to Christ.  As Christians,  we are hypocrites when we know Jesus & are afraid to speak about Him as the cure for any & all sin.  So in this prayer before they leave the upper room, Jesus prays that His Father would protect us from the evil one, Satan himself. 
Jesus also prays that we would have His joy fulfilled in us.  He prays that His Father would sanctify us in the truth.  The Holy Spirit does that when He calls, gathers, enlightens & keeps us in the one true faith.  He is keeping us holy & set apart for Yahweh Himself, so that Satan may have no part  in us. 
Jesus prays for us because He’s leaving us behind in a world where the evil one, though beaten, is still deadly.  Since we have rejected the world & its desires,  since we have accepted God’s welcome into His kingdom, the world hates us.  Our rejection of the world’s ways is an insult to them because the world recognizes that we are rejecting its very character & essence. 
To God’s children, the lies of this world are sickening.  So much of what is spoken & broadcast today is simply not true.  Satan is the father of lies & he certainly fills this world with them.  Jesus clearly tells us that the world hates us, & He tells us why.  How is it that so many people resist believing what Jesus teaches here?    How do we continue to love the unbelievers in our lives while recognizing that their unbelief is actually driving them to hate us, even if they do not realize that?  The only solution is to lean upon the Holy Spirit every moment of every day.  We are bombarded by so many false messages that the voice of truth can begin to fade, or, if it’s still heard at all, its accent seems strange, like a dead language no one understands. 
The voice of truth is usually not the loudest nor the most attractive voice we hear.  Therefore, discerning it with our conflicted heart is not easy.  In Proverbs 9, the voices of folly & wisdom begin their appeal with the same opening sentence: “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”  (9:4 & 16 ESV)   God is highlighting the deception of Satan to warn us of its danger. 
We need to keep clear in our minds that there are unbelievers in the world who will never accept Christ’s forgiveness.  There are also people who are on the fence, Christians who are not of the world, but are also drowning in it.  We need to keep that distinction clear, because it changes how we deal with them, how we love them. 
Our relationship with the world is complicated. As people of faith we jump in with hands & feet to explore the life we’re given, to enjoy love & friendship, to delight in the kindnesses we experience, to revel in the diversity of humanity & nature & how they express the wideness of God’s character. 
But we must also be watchful – watchful of our own selves – that we don’t mistake evil for good.  It is harmful to be drawn into things that appear to be good  but are the opposite.  Still, Jesus promises that His Spirit will be with us.  He assures us that even though we are still in the world, we are not of it,  & that is by God’s design.  Amen. 
 
The world seeks to be praised  & honored by the mighty   yet never once reflects  that they are frail & flighty.   But what I truly prize  above all things is He,  my Jesus,  He alone.   What is the world to me!       What is the world to me  with all its vaunted pleasure  when You, & You alone,  Lord Jesus,  are my treasure!   You only,  dearest Lord,  my soul’s delight shall be;  You are my peace, my rest.   What is the world to me!  Amen.  LSB 730:2, 1.