[Jesus prayed] “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. … Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am … I made known to them Your Name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
(John 17:20-21, 24a, 26 ESV)
Jesus ends His high priestly prayer by praying specifically for us—the people who would come far in the future, believing in Jesus because His first disciples spread the Good News about Him. We have never seen, heard, or touched Jesus as they did; but we know and love Him through the work of the Holy Spirit and through the gift of God’s Word. And so until the day Jesus comes back, we carry on sharing the story of how God became a human being to die and rise for all of us. Now everyone who trusts in Him can become children of God, full of peace, joy, and everlasting life.
I’m glad Jesus prayed for us specifically, because it can be hard for us. We know and love a God we have never seen, though He is with us. But because the Holy Spirit is really living in us, Jesus’ prayer is coming true. We are learning every day how to love God and each other. And when we fail, we pray that God will forgive us and make us one again.
We Pray: Lord, draw me close to You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever had a long-distance relationship with someone?
* If so, what was easy? What was hard?
* How does Jesus live in us?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on March 14, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights