April 7th, 2023
by Jon Welch
by Jon Welch
Jesus' Prayer
After dinner, Jesus led his disciples to a garden called Gethsemane. There, he asked them to stay awake and pray. Then, going further, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed to his Father.
When we read the accounts of this time of prayer, we see pain, anxiety, fear, worry, and stress. Luke points out that Jesus was so stressed, bearing the total weight of what would happen, that he sweats blood. This is a humbling, beautiful account of the faithfulness and obedience of Jesus.
Much can be said about the content of Jesus’ prayer. He prayed for himself. He prayed for another way. He prayed for his disciples and friends. But surprisingly, although Jesus is dealing with significant stress, fear, and anxiety, he prayed for you and me.
Read John 17:1–26
Jesus prays for you and me- but not just a general prayer. He prays that we (Christ’s followers) be united not only with each other– but, most importantly, with Him and the Father. Look back at verses 20-22
Reread John 17:20–22
Jesus’ prayer and purpose for what was about to happen was unity with God.
The Bible repeatedly tells us that sin makes union with God impossible. But Jesus is about to take care of the sin issue. So what followed in Jesus’ death was to recreate a union with God.
Recently I’ve been considering the idea of unity. After all, it’s a popular word in church circles today. “Shouldn’t we just agree to disagree for unity?” one might say. “After all, we’re on the same team.” While that may be the case, there is a danger when we pursue unity for the sake of unity.
Read John 15:1-11.
Our goal is not unity. Our goal is to live attached to the Word. When that happens, unity is a byproduct. Our goal is to “abide” in Jesus. In other words, We wrongly focus on unity when we should focus on the Word.
I’m afraid we’ve sacrificed what is essential in our pursuit of unity. The word is doctrine or sound teaching. That ought to be our pursuit. Then, when we pursue proper doctrine, we are united- as Jesus and the Father are united.
Spend a few moments with God, thanking him, and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you reflect on Jesus’ prayer. Then, consider its implications with your friends, family, and loved ones. Take it further and evaluate its impact on those you may not be fond of. Do you want to be united? Perhaps we should be pursuing an attachment to the Word of God. As a result, we find unity, the world is shown we are His disciples, and we find fellowship with God.
When we read the accounts of this time of prayer, we see pain, anxiety, fear, worry, and stress. Luke points out that Jesus was so stressed, bearing the total weight of what would happen, that he sweats blood. This is a humbling, beautiful account of the faithfulness and obedience of Jesus.
Much can be said about the content of Jesus’ prayer. He prayed for himself. He prayed for another way. He prayed for his disciples and friends. But surprisingly, although Jesus is dealing with significant stress, fear, and anxiety, he prayed for you and me.
Read John 17:1–26
Jesus prays for you and me- but not just a general prayer. He prays that we (Christ’s followers) be united not only with each other– but, most importantly, with Him and the Father. Look back at verses 20-22
Reread John 17:20–22
Jesus’ prayer and purpose for what was about to happen was unity with God.
The Bible repeatedly tells us that sin makes union with God impossible. But Jesus is about to take care of the sin issue. So what followed in Jesus’ death was to recreate a union with God.
Recently I’ve been considering the idea of unity. After all, it’s a popular word in church circles today. “Shouldn’t we just agree to disagree for unity?” one might say. “After all, we’re on the same team.” While that may be the case, there is a danger when we pursue unity for the sake of unity.
Read John 15:1-11.
Our goal is not unity. Our goal is to live attached to the Word. When that happens, unity is a byproduct. Our goal is to “abide” in Jesus. In other words, We wrongly focus on unity when we should focus on the Word.
I’m afraid we’ve sacrificed what is essential in our pursuit of unity. The word is doctrine or sound teaching. That ought to be our pursuit. Then, when we pursue proper doctrine, we are united- as Jesus and the Father are united.
Spend a few moments with God, thanking him, and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you reflect on Jesus’ prayer. Then, consider its implications with your friends, family, and loved ones. Take it further and evaluate its impact on those you may not be fond of. Do you want to be united? Perhaps we should be pursuing an attachment to the Word of God. As a result, we find unity, the world is shown we are His disciples, and we find fellowship with God.
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1 Comment
Amen!