Why It Matters //

As Jesus prays for us we gain insight of his priorities; his last words on Earth; the things he wanted his followers to pay attention to. Jesus focuses on his communion of love with the Holy Spirit and the Father and that we as his followers would be brought into this reality. That we would understand the love that exists in the triune reality: Father, Son, Spirit and that we have been invited into this love by Jesus. The reality of this communion with the trinity should impact greatly the way we love God, the way we love ourselves and the way we love others.

What It's Talking About // 

The Gospel of John, like Matthew, Mark and Luke, tells the story of Jesus, highlighting more of the personal encounters and conversations people had with Him. John also captures intimate moments between Jesus and his Father, in which Jesus prays for strength and for his Father’s will to be done. In this well-known passage, Jesus prays not only for his own life and purpose, but for the lives of his treasured disciples and those who believe, that they would remain “one as we are one.” It is through loving one another and being joined together in perfect unity that the world will know who Jesus is, and the power of His Love. These verses echo Jesus’ earlier words in John 13:35: “This is how they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 17:22-26 NIV

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 

23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “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.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 

26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”