John 17 — The High Priestly Prayer
John 18:1-14 — The Arrest and Betrayal of Jesus
John 18:15-40 — The Trail of Jesus, Peter’s Denial
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
In John 17:20 Jesus includes this powerful statement in his prayer, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…” Jesus spoke these words for all future generations. He had laid the foundation for the new church, a new fellowship, a new covenant. This covenant was much different from the old and we see the course of God’s plan take a completely different path. Sometimes this is necessary. We’re walking in one direction, but simply must turn left or right. To continue on in the same course leads to nowhere. Or perhaps we’re just walking in circles and this is the call to get off the track.
Amazingly, Jesus says, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one–I in them and you in me–so that they may be brought to complete unity” (John 17:22-23). Yesterday I read sad reports of a large church in North Carolina that leads me to believe they’ve made some poor choices, some mistakes. No one is above making mistakes, but how we handle these reveals our character. The reports, however accurate, do nothing to promote unity in the church or perhaps the church in question did nothing to promote unity in Christ. In either case, the unbeliever looks at this example as something we Christians do and instead of being drawn to Christ, they are repelled. Lord I pray for the unity of your church, that we may truly be as one. We are all in the same battle, help us to move together! Help us to stay focused on you above ourselves.