And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' consecration of Himself isn't just about His own dedication, but specifically about setting Himself apart as a sacrifice. This act isn't for His own purification, since He was sinless, but entirely to purchase our cleansing and holiness.
And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just been praying for his disciples, acknowledging that the world hates them because they don't belong to it, just as he doesn't. He asks the Father not to remove them from the world but to protect them from evil, and to sanctify them through His word, which is truth. Now, he intensifies this prayer by declaring that he consecrates himself to his impending sacrifice, specifically for their sake, so that they too can be truly set apart for God.
Jesus prays for His disciples, but then speaks of His own action: 'I consecrate myself.' What does this unique self-dedication mean?
Jesus isn't praying for Himself to be made holy—He was already perfectly holy. Instead, when Jesus says 'I consecrate myself,' He is setting Himself apart exclusively for the work of redemption. This is a sacrificial act.
A Divine Appointment
Think of it like a priest under the Old Testament law, who would set apart specific offerings for God. Jesus, in His perfect humanity, is dedicating Himself entirely to the Father's will, specifically to the mission of paying the price for our sins. This is a voluntary offering of His very being.
Priest and Sacrifice
He is both the High Priest who offers the sacrifice and the perfect, spotless sacrifice Himself. This consecration reaches its climax in His death on the cross, where He offers Himself completely for us.
Jesus's consecration isn't just for His benefit; it's directly linked to our own holiness. How does His sacrifice make us holy?
The purpose of Jesus consecrating Himself is so that 'they also may be sanctified.' This means becoming set apart for God, made pure, and transformed into His likeness. This isn't something we achieve on our own; it's a gift that flows from Christ's finished work.
The Role of 'Truth'
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The verse states this happens 'through the truth.' This 'truth' is not just a set of facts, but the reality of who Jesus is and what He has done. It points to the Gospel itself—the good news of His sacrificial love and redemptive work.
A Real Transformation
When we receive this truth, not just intellectually but in our hearts, it leads to a genuine, internal transformation. It's about being truly set apart for God's purposes, reflecting His holiness in our lives. This is a stark contrast to merely appearing holy or religious on the outside.
Understand the original words
hagiazō · Greek Verb
The act of setting someone or something apart as exclusively belonging to God for a sacred purpose. It carries the sense of dedication, purity, and sacrificial devotion to the divine will.
Jesus' consecration of himself, culminating in his sacrificial death, is directly linked to the spiritual cleansing and empowerment of his followers through the truth of the Gospel, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Last Supper and Prayer
Jesus shares his final Passover meal with his disciples and offers this extended prayer for them and for all future believers.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Arrest and Trial
Following the prayer, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, arrested, and undergoes a series of trials before the Jewish and Roman authorities.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion and Death
Jesus is crucified on Golgotha, fulfilling his mission of sacrifice for humanity. His death is the ultimate act of consecration.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Resurrection
Three days after his death, Jesus is resurrected, demonstrating his victory over sin and death and validating his consecration.
c. AD 33
Pentecost and the Coming of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples, empowering them to carry out the mission Jesus commissioned and to live out the sanctification he secured.
This passage describes the High Priest entering the Most Holy Place to make atonement, mirroring Jesus' ultimate self-consecration as our High Priest who entered heaven itself for us.
1 Corinthians 1:30Paul directly states that Christ became our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, highlighting that Jesus' consecration of himself is the very source of our spiritual purity and wholeness.
Hebrews 9:13-14This passage shows the Old Covenant sacrifices were imperfect, but Christ's offering of himself, through the eternal Spirit, is what truly purifies our conscience and makes us holy.
Ephesians 5:25-27Just as Christ gave himself up for the church to make it holy, this verse emphasizes that his sacrifice is the means by which believers are consecrated and cleansed by God's truth.
1 Peter 1:15-16Peter calls believers to be holy because God is holy, underscoring that the sanctification Jesus achieves through his self-offering is a transformation into God's own likeness.
barnesJohn 17:19: "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
I sanctify myself - I consecrate myself exclusively to the service of God. The word "sanctify" does not refer here to personal sanctification, for he had no sin, but to setting himself apart entirely to the work of redemption. That they also ... - 1. That they might have an example of the proper manner of laboring in the ministry, and might learn of me how to discharge its duties. Minister…
calvinJohn 17:14-19: "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."
- I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them; because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15. I ask not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17. Sanctify them by thy truth: thy word is truth. 18.…
Jesus' consecration of Himself isn't just about His own dedication, but specifically about setting Himself apart as a sacrifice. This act isn't for His own purification, since He was sinless, but entirely to purchase our cleansing and holiness.
Jesus has just been praying for his disciples, acknowledging that the world hates them because they don't belong to it, just as he doesn't. He asks the Father not to remove them from the world but to protect them from evil, and to sanctify them through His word, which is truth. Now, he intensifies this prayer by declaring that he consecrates himself to his impending sacrifice, specifically for their sake, so that they too can be truly set apart for God.
Jesus has just been praying for his disciples, acknowledging that the world hates them because they don't belong to it, just as he doesn't. He asks the Father not to remove them from the world but to protect them from evil, and to sanctify them through His word, which is truth. Now, he intensifies this prayer by declaring that he consecrates himself to his impending sacrifice, specifically for their sake, so that they too can be truly set apart for God.
"And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." — Jesus' consecration of Himself isn't just about His own dedication, but specifically about setting Himself apart as a sacrifice. This act isn't for His own purification, since He was sinless, but ent…
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Last reviewed October 2026