We continue on in the Farewell Discourses. This time, we finish with the prayer Jesus prays at the end of his long, difficult discussion with his disciples, before he says goodbye. We'll begin by remembering, again, the context.

It's remarkable that Jesus intercedes with the Father on our behalf. I love the idea that God cares about my little life and loves me enough to talk to the Father about me. Not just about me, but about the ones I love, and all of us at ReNew, and for that matter, the entire world.

What does he pray about? Glory. Normally think of winning we think about glory. Jesus subverts and redefines that idea. Glory is the work Jesus accomplished. It looks like washing feet, healing people, forgiving, welcoming those on the margins, and eventually it looks like a cross. Glory is love poured out.

Jesus then connects the cross to eternal life. Eternal life is not what we normally think. It's a relationship with the divine, now. Jesus is constantly bringing us back to the present moment, the now.

Then he prays that they may be one. Unity. This isn't uniformity. That's when everyone thinks the same, votes the same, and experiences God the same. Unity is hard. It takes humility, listening, learning, repentance, and grace.

Jesus prays for unity right before violence erupts. Violence intends fear. And fear divides. Fear causes us to choose sides. Fear divides. But Jesus is always building newer and bigger tables inviting more and more of us to sit at them. We struggle at unity because we'd rather preserve the institution than create communities of healing. Jesus has a better idea: building a community shaped by the love of God.

Speaker: Aaron Vis

Scripture: John 17:1-11

https://www.bible.com/events/49610724