In Christ, In Love

Jesus prayed for believers for all times on the evening before his crucifixion. He was facing the most difficult hours of his life and he got off to pray as was often his practice. Initially He praised and glorified God (John 17:1-5). Next he prayed for the 12 apostles (John 17:6-19). Then in the moments before his arrest he prayed for all Christians who would eventually receive his message (John 17:20-26).

If you are a Christian then you can read this prayer that Jesus prayed for you. That is powerful. That is moving!

So what exactly did He pray?

First he prayed for our salvation (John 17:20). We become a believer on the testimony of the Word. If a believer has been transformed by Jesus then they have done so through the testimony of others and the power of God’s Word. This divine Logos (word) is in all its fullness when we look to the person of Jesus Christ. We are saved when we put our hope in the Word (Christ) through the testimony of another disciple of Christ. Even, if a person comes to Christ through the reading of the Bible it is still testimony of the author who wrote the gospel. That is God’s way.

Next Jesus prays for two fold unity (John 17:21). The first unity is with other believers. This unity with believers represents the unity between Jesus Christ and Father God. The second unity with with God. The expressions of unity in both cases is to “be in” and “one with.” To be one with is to be in agreement. Unity is an expression of God’s divine presence in our lives. More than agreement though is to be in Christ which denotes a connected intimacy with Jesus. This intimacy is also expressed in fellowship with other believers. When we strive with other believers it is both a threat and a blessing. One the one hand if our striving leads to disunity then we lose our witness of God’s work in our lives. On the other hand if our striving leads to unity we have a deeper fellowship, deeper intimacy, and deeper love for one another. This becomes a witness to the world of the saving and transforming power of Christ in the lives of believers.

Jesus continues by saying that he has shared his glory with believers in order that we may further express this unity (John 17:22). This makes me think that this unity that Jesus is referring to is supernatural. What else could it be? As I think about myself I see in me a devastatingly selfish man who left to his own end would rather be right than to have a right relationship. It is only by Jesus putting something supernatural into my life that I can overcome the curse of self-centeredness.

Continuing to pray for unity Jesus asks that we be in Him as God the Father is in Him (John 17:23). Again with the purpose of being a witness to the world. What drives all of this? God’s love! The foundation for all of this is God’s love for His Son Jesus and His love for us. Jesus is praying at the profound moment of the eve of crucifixion very clearly that our greatest witness of God’s work to the world, is His love. And no doubt Jesus had the fact that he was about to lay his life down for us as he prayed this prayer (See John 15:13).

Jesus ask that we be with him (John 17:24). This is both a present reality as well as looking forward to the future with Him in heaven. For the believer then Jesus is asking our Heavenly Father to make Jesus presence to be in believers now and with Jesus for all of eternity. We see again that God’s love is the basis of Jesus’ desire.

Continuing the Unity and intimacy theme Jesus says that He knows Our Heavenly Father (John 17:25). Often in religious knowledge we know something about God. However Jesus’ expression is no mere knowledge about God. No it is a relationship of intimacy. This relationship of intimacy makes it clear to the followers of Christ that He knows God. Through that relationship then Jesus continues to make God known to us (John 17:26). This is how the Word of God is revealed to the world. That we share the knowledge of God.

Notice the last part of this prayer. John 17:26 “I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.” This last phrase points out the purpose of His prayer for us. Jesus’ ultimate desire is that the love of God be in us and that He (the divine logos) would be in us. We fulfill the desire of Jesus when we allow God’s love and Word to do its work in our lives. I am not up to the task, but thank God we have Jesus’ prayer, empowering glory, and Holy Spirit to help us fulfill this calling.

The greatest of these is Love,

~BJ Olson