I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me (v. 20-21).
I find it amazing that in the Bible Jesus directly prays for us. Moreover, we know Christ rose from the dead and continues as our high priest, our advocate and redeemer forever (Heb. 7:22-28). That means Christ continues to pray for us, even today! For what does he pray? Friends, that we would believe the Good News that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and that all of us would be “one.” “One”-ness is a hard concept to grasp. One way to describe it would be for us to be one in purpose (Phil. 2:1); in identity (Eph. 4:1-6), and in suffering (John 15:20; 1 Pet. 3:8-14). We struggle to achieve this ideal. When confronted by challenges, we seek to achieve the resolution by our own power, perspective and experience rather than letting Christ achieve it for us. What do I mean by this? As much as I now grow weary of the song, “Let It Go” by “Adele Dazeem” (2hur-hur), I find myself humming it when I encounter situations where I wish I or others could just “let it go.” Let go bitterness! Let go anger! Let go coldness! How can we, though, since it is quite normal to feel and to react to the people and to the events that trigger these states? We are going against our very natures, but that must be the preferred outcome for our natural state is a sinful state (Rom. 1:18-25). So, I tell you, “Let Jesus!” Martin Luther speaks of an “alien righteousness,” the righteousness of Christ, given to us through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 1:30). This righteousness of Christ is powerful, transformative and not of this world. Christ’s righteousness, instilled within us, draws us closer to God and remakes us in Christ’s image. When the challenges of the world present themselves that threaten the “one”-ness of the people of God, let Christ respond, rather than us. See how he responded to the taxpayers, the prostitutes, and the Roman soldiers! See how we brought about the Kingdom of God through His laying down his life for others. Let Christ be our first responder through prayer, through Holy Scripture, through peacemakers, and through you. Amen! Comments are closed.
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