One in Love, One in Mission: Jesus Prays for Us
We have come through the Easter season and now sit in a season of the church expectant of the coming of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, marking the birth of the Church and empowering believers for mission. But did you know that before Jesus’ journey to the cross, He prayed specifically for you?
Our lectionary passage from John 17:20-26 records what is referred to as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer which includes those who would believe through the testimony of the disciples. One of the most beautiful truths that we find in our passage this week, is the revelation of the Father's profound love for believers, that’s you and that’s me. Jesus prays that the love with which the Father loved Him, may be in us and that Jesus Himself may be in our hearts. This is a passage that uniquely draws a direct line of love to us from God through our Lord Jesus, emphasising that this transformative love originates from the Father. This is an understanding that God loves us "even as the Father loved the Son" which should be a profoundly encouraging truth for each one of us. God loves us!
But often there is so much that distracts us from this beautiful and eternal gift from God and might prompt us to grapple with searching questions, even as professing Christians today:
For instance when Jesus prayed that we “may all be one,” well how do we actively pursue and live out this prayer for unity when we have so many different churches or denominations in our society today? What does being "perfectly one in communion and in mission" truly mean for us today?
There is an allusion in our passage that links love to a knowledge of God and His love for us. And so we might ask, how does grasping the depth of God's love for us empower and shape the way we love one another and engage with the world?
We find in the verses leading up to this week’s passage that Jesus prays for believers who are "in the world" but "not of the world". Now this leaves us in tension where we might ask, how can we maintain our distinct identity in Christ and faithfully live this out in a world that may oppose or even hate us?
Our passage this week is a rich and complex passage which offers deep insights into Jesus' heart and God's purposes for His people. These questions and so many more challenge us to deeply reflect on our faith, our relationships, and our mission.
Our church is on the precipice of an exciting stage of mission and outreach in the Lower North Shore, and so could I encourage you to meditate on this passage and consider what this might be personally calling you to as a part of that.
May God bless you all.
Josh
