July 6, 2023

Today's Reading: 

Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 20:5-25, John 17:1-26

“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.” (John 17:20–21 ESV)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The words of Jesus in John 17 are known as the High Priestly Prayer. Here Jesus prays for His disciples, He prays for those who would come to faith through their preaching, and He prays for the unity of all Chrisitans everywhere. Jesus is often spoken of as being prophet, priest, and king. Here He is exercising His office as priest. Indeed the author of Hebrews will go on to call Jesus the great High Priest of our confession. In Jewish tradition, under the Mosaic covenant, the High Priest was the one who could go into the very presence of God on behalf of the people on the Day of Atonement. The people had no direct access to God. The priest had to go for them.

All this changed because of Jesus. His death on the cross ended the Old Testament priesthood. People no longer needed a priest to go to God on their behalf. They themselves had access to God. There was no longer any need for a mediator. Luther would refer to this as the Priesthood of All Believers. What this means is that all God’s people have access to him in prayer. They can come into His presence without fear. Everytime you go to church, everytime you receive the Sacrament of the Altar, you are in the presence of God. You are a priest. 

You have direct access to God in prayer. You don’t have to go through any kind of mediary. That is your privilege as part of the priesthood of all believers. You can go straight to God in prayer on your own behalf as well as on behalf of others in your life. This means that you can pray for yourself but other Christians can pray for you just as you do for them because they too are part of the priesthood of all believers.  All the while the one who made all this possible continues His prayers for all His people including you.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Son of God, eternal Savior, Source of life and truth and grace, Word made flesh, whose birth among us Hallows all our human race: By your praying, by Your willing That Your people should be one, Grant, O grant hope’s fruition: Here on earth Your will be done. (Son of God Eternal Savior, LSB 842:4) 

-Pastor Grant Knepper is Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Modesto, California.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Jonathan Lackey is an LCMS seminarian.

Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.