This week is Holy Week in our Christian faith. A week of reflection, weight, and also a week of holy anticipation as we know Easter is so soon! So, will you join me this week as we reflect on Jesus’ steps to the cross and the passionate love he has for us?
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24) Jesus
In my previous post, we were reflecting about Jesus’ prayer before he left the room when he had his last supper with his disciples before his crucifixion. Today, let’s zero in on the last part of that prayer, where Jesus prays for future believers.
Y’all. Jesus prayed for us. He prayed for you. He prayed for me. Let’s look at all the “mays” Jesus prayed for us in this prayer. And to make it more personable or real, fill in your name after every “you”, after all, Jesus is praying this for you. (And the “me’s” are Jesus, because as it says in Scripture, this is his prayer for you.)
May you, (your name), believe in me.
May you, (your name), experience such perfect unity that others will know about me.
May you, (your name), know that God love you as much as He loves me.
May you, (your name), be in the Trinity with Us so that the world may believe in Us.
May you, (your name) be one with the Trinity as we are One, and be glorious with Us.
May you (your name) see all the glory God gave me because He loved me even before the world began.
May you (your name) know God’s love for me is the same love he has for you.
Jesus prayed for unity among his believers, his followers, his disciples, his friends, his people. He prayed for us to be so intimate with him and his Father and Spirit in One. I remember listening to IF:Gathering 2019 where one of the speakers, Curt Thompson, a Christian psychiatrist speaker and author, talk about the Trinity. He said that Every. Single. Day. the Trinity can hardly wait for you and me to wake up and spend the day with you. They can’t wait to go to work with you, run errands with you, cook dinner, care for your family and neighbors with you, and relax in the evening with you. They’re so excited to get to do life with you. Every day. God, you see, does nothing alone. And he wired us (in His image) to have the same desires and enjoyment with others just like He does.
Dr. Thompson said, “In our culture the word “love” can become so diluted. But what if someone says to you, “I really like being with you in the room.” Imagine what it would be like if you made the practice to go to one of your friends once a week and look that person in the eye and say, ‘I just want you to know that I really do like you.’ Even though you’ll feel awkward at first, you’ll begin to feel that you like what you’re doing and sense what you’re sensing and it’s not an abstract thing. It is a real embodied thing.
This is what Immanuel is all about. God didn’t come just because He loves us; He came because he LIKES us, and you can’t put a price tag on that.
We’re in the middle of a story in which the holy Trinity just can’t get enough of us. It’s not that the Holy Spirit needs us to not get enough of Him, it’s that the Holy Trinity can’t get enough of us and that’s why they made us. We are utterly illuminating, joy inspiring in the presence of God. When we’re convinced of that, we are actually having the opportunity to be with people who are demonstrating that same thing for us.”
That kind of blows my mind. That’s why Jesus prayed what he prayed for you and me that dark night where he knew he was about go to hell but he still prayed with joy and passionate love for you, friend.
Now, go back above and read that prayer again!
Until next time,
Beth
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