March 29, 2021
John 17:20-21, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
It’s good to remember here that Jesus in the middle of a prayer, the prayer commonly called ‘The High Priestly Prayer.’ So when he prays, ‘I do not ask for these only,’ we must place that in the context of the prayer and the very room in which he’s praying. He’s referring to those in his immediate presence, his disciples, but he says, I am praying also for those “who will believe in me.” He intercedes for all believers, and here is his specific prayer: that they would have that same unity that is found in the Trinity. This isn’t the first time that Jesus has called for this kind of unity - and it’s a high bar. The Trinity are fully in line with each other in purpose, character, and understanding. There is also diversity in the Trinity - they have different roles, and so we can have unity in the body of Christ despite differences of culture and context. Our unity springs from our faith in Christ our redeemer.
Then Christ shifts to pray that we, the united body of Christ, would be connected to God through Christ - Jesus prays that “they may be in us.” It’s one of these things that sounds so metaphysically strange, but it just isn’t strange if we consider how we are made in God’s image. And most people, Christian or not, resonate with the idea that human beings are spiritual beings. That in itself should shock us - why is this so? Shouldn’t we just see that we are atoms and synapses with naturally functioning emotions and reactions? For some reason, people have historically denied that claim, assuming we are far more than that - and they are right - we are people made to be connected to their creator.
The purpose of that union with Christ, as articulated here by Jesus, is for the blessing of the world. It’s for the purpose that the world would come to faith in Christ and God the Father who sent the Son. It’s a mission that dates back all the way to Genesis 12:1-3 and we see its fulfillment all around us. It’s a delight to know that Christians worship the Lord all over the planet, right at the same time that we do. The world has come to faith in Jesus in massive numbers - for that we should rejoice.
Prayer: Lord, we give you praise for carrying out the mission of God in the world. You said it would happen and it has: that Abraham’s descendants would be like the stars in the heavens, or sand on the seashore. Now people praise your name from every tribe and tongue, all members of that great family of God. Jesus, we are thankful that we are connected to you, and we pray that you would embolden us by your Holy Spirit to continue to carry out the mission of God in the world. Amen.
40 Days of Joy: “Dvergmal,” by Sigur Ros. Just pure, pure, joy. You should watch my kids (and I) dance to this song in the car. Delightful. Other cars assume that we are in the midst of a medical emergency. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AeI6-URlR0
