John 17:19 says, “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” Still praying in Gethsemane what Bible scholars call Christ’s high priestly prayer, Jesus tells his Father that it was for us that he sanctified himself. Frequently the Bible speaks of sanctification as ‘holiness’ and sanctify as ‘make holy.’ But it simply means set apart, mostly for God’s, or holy, purposes. In 10:36 Jesus said, “the Father sanctified” him, meaning set him apart as the Messiah. Here he says he set apart himself, the only suitable one, for the cross, so that the disciples (and us) “may be sanctified by the truth.” Without the cross we have no salvation. Without Jesus we have no savior. Without his message, we have nothing to share with outsiders. Let’s never forget his sanctification. It makes us all that we are and drives all that we do.