Pastor
Steve Geiger Seventh Sunday of Easter
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John 17:20-26
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for
those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be
one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so
that the world may believe that you have sent me. 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. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world 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.”
1.
Given glory
2.
Displaying my glory
3.
Seeing glory
It’s
exciting to be a part of a team.
For
many, the experience is just coming to an end.
School, almost over. Shouts of
joy from children young and old. But is
there one part of the year they’d wish wouldn’t come to an end, the part about
being part of a team?
During
the summer some try to keep it going.
They join a soccer club, a baseball team. But during the school year, teams are everywhere. Football, volleyball, track, wrestling.
What’s
the draw in being on a team? Teams work
together to have more fun. A team is on
the same page. Every member of a team
has the same goals. A team is one.
Jesus
prays that we, his children, might be one.
That we would see ourselves—no, that we would truly be—a team. On the same page. Following the same coach.
With the same goals. To be one.
That
might not appear to be that big of a request.
Of course we’re one. Of course
we members of Prince of Peace are on the same team. Why would Jesus spend valuable prayer time the very night before
his death to pray that we be one?
Or
isn’t being one as easy as we might think?
Jesus
was with his disciples, now down to eleven, during the last moments before
armed guards appeared and led him through accusation and conviction to the
cross. With such trauma on the horizon,
Jesus prayed for himself. He begged
with confidence, humbly before his Father, that his Father would now glorify
him—bring him praise, identify him as the winner—through the suffering and
death soon to come.
But
what about Peter, Nathaniel, James, Philip, the others? How his mind did think of them. He was going to leave them. The cross would lead to the grave, would lead
to an empty tomb and then his physical presence slowly rising from earth to
heaven. Jesus was beginning the last
forty-some days of life. He was
returning to his Father. He knew that
Satan would seize the opportunity.
Jesus had been protecting his disciples personally by the power of his
name. His name. All that was true about Jesus. For disciples tempted to stray, “I am the
way, the truth and the life.” For
disciples tempted to fear, “In this world you will have trouble; but take
heart, I have overcome the world.” For
disciples tempted to pride, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your
servant.”
Jesus
protected them by the power of the truth, which shows straying and fear and
pride to be lies. But he was
leaving. Dear Father, “Take them with
me? Get them out of here? Evacuate the disciples from planet earth so
that they won’t be in danger?” Don’t take
them. Leave them. But protect them. Protect them from the evil one.
It
is the evil one who attacks. Who works
to hurt. Who tries to make sure that
the unified family of God is split.
Becomes not one. Becomes a
broken team. Individuals who work not
together, who think not the same, but who stray and fear and look not to serve
but to be served.
Do
you ever feel a sense of disunity, distance between members of our own
congregation? Do you ever feel like
you’re not on the same page with someone you so want to work with? Do you ever find yourself tempted to
jealousy or pride or bitterness or anger toward a fellow Christian?
Are
you assuming the worst about someone?
Did you hear something, but then jump to a conclusion that might be
completely wrong? Did someone assume
the worst about you? You got mad, and
you’re not going to be nice to them anymore until they admit what they
did? Admitting something they may never
have done, but you just assumed it happened.
Do
you hesitate to get involved because you think someone has it out for you? Has someone sinned against you in the past,
and you’ve never let go? Do you feel
that you’ve given someone more than enough chances and now, if they want to be
your friend, they will need to take the first step?
Can
it be that God’s people are not one?
Surely
Jesus knew that the devil would work very hard to divide. His last hours of prayer included his
disciples, but not only the eleven. “My
prayer is not for them alone. I pray
also for those who will believe in me through their message.” Jesus prayed for you, “that all of
them”—you—“may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us.”
The
Lord wants us to be so close that our relationship is like that of Jesus and
the Father, who are one in the most intimate way. Have we chosen to grow content with something less than
that? Have we played a part in bringing
about something less than that? Have
we, knowingly or unknowingly, been working against the very thing Jesus was praying
for?
Of
course. It’s our sinful flesh. Without even trying, we say or think or
imply things that are not kind or loving.
So good is our flesh at hurting relationships that we can do it without
even trying. Which can make us feel
horrible and wonder who can ever rescue us from this body of death.
Do
you understand why God prayed to God to bring unity? Unity is a miracle. Only
God can do miracles.
A
miracle Jesus describes when in prayer he speaks, “I have given them the glory
that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”
We
can’t make ourselves one. We can’t make
the past go away. Though we may
apologize, we can’t take back the careless words.
And
yet with sinners—disciples, us—Jesus shared his glory.
Shared
his glory. Glory? We understand sharing our pew. Sharing our sandwich. Sharing our toys. But what is glory? Sharing
glory. Glory is the best part of
someone. If you are a great baseball
player but you aren’t a very good swimmer, when you’re at a swim meet you won’t
attract much attention, but if you are on a baseball diamond, one might say you
are in your glory. Glory is the best
part of someone.
Jesus
shared his best part. “The Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus shared with you his best when he laid
down his life on the altar as a sacrifice, a death, for all the moments our
sinful flesh has worked to bring division.
Jesus shared with you his very best when in your baptism he dressed you
in the robe of his perfection. Jesus
shared with you his very best when in your moment of fear and guilt, he spoke
with words so calming, “Take heart, son and daughter, your sins are forgiven.”
He
gave you his very best when he brought to your ears his name, everything about
himself, his word. For him to say that
the world has been declared innocent was for him to touch your heart with
power, the Holy Spirit persuading you that if the world has been announced
innocent, than I am innocent of all I’ve done, the assumptions of the worst,
the holding of grudges, my shame. When
I know—yes, trust—in God’s revealed fact that all is well, that’s faith. Now I rejoice in the words of Paul in Romans
8, “Those he justified he also glorified.”
-fied! You already have been
glorified, just like Jesus said.
He
has showered you, his child, with his forgiving love, his best part. He has given you his glory, that you might
be one.
It’s
not that we’ve never sinned against each other. I’m sure we have. I’m
sure that I have sinned against you, that we have sinned against each
other. But that’s no longer the
issue. Jesus has forgiven each one of
us. That we might be one. It’s being forgiven, each of us, that makes
us one. That makes it possible for you
to love me, even though I am a sinner; for me to love you, even though we are
sinners. We’re perfect. We can acknowledge one another as perfect in
Jesus.
For
you to be able to hang out with, to get along with, to love this group of
sinners blows minds. How can there be
unity when you know what he did against you and what she said about her? You see, unity among sinners blows people’s
minds. It doesn’t make sense. When the Lord brings love between sinners,
unity, making us one, others notice.
Jesus’
prayer: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you
sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
The
devil longs to introduce division to frustrate our witness to the world. The Lord gives us his glory and makes us
one, perfect in him, to shine a light into the world.
God-given
unity is like fireworks on a dark night.
People notice. Ooohs and
aaaahhs. No doubt especially in a small
community.
A
few days ago a gentleman was spraying for weeds at the apartments next door to
my house. After fighting a losing
battle with dandelions this year, I had some interest in chemical weapons. I jogged to his truck and asked for a
price. After thirty minutes of
conversation I had learned that he loved his Lord, was concerned about certain
things occurring in his church body, and that he already knew at least one of
the members of our congregation. How
pleasant it is to be able to speak to someone who knows one of you. How revealing it is to realize that in a
small community, people know. What an
opportunity. As the Lord covers us all
in saving blood and helps us see each other as best friends not because we’ve
never hurt each other, but because in Jesus all is washed away . . . what an
opportunity to be seen loving each other.
After
worship. Perhaps some of you remember
the two-minute rule. Can’t talk with
anyone you normally talk with for two minutes J Now you know that such a
thought isn’t intended to make all feel uncomfortable. But just to consider that sometimes it’s
easy to rejoice in the unity we share with just a few people. Might there be someone with whom you are one
that you haven’t talked to in a while, maybe ever. I know it’s scary, when you notice the outward differences
between us, in personality, background etc.
It can be unthinkable when you recall sins committed in the past. But when these are forgiven, when you
remember that with your Christian family you are already one in a most intimate
way, in Jesus, suddenly it’s not scary to begin a conversation. And then, this love shown to one another can
be a most amazing witness to those who visit.
When the Lord has protected us from Satan and division and gives us joy
in showing that love through words and actions, who couldn’t want to understand
how such love among sinners is even possible?
Visitors, witnessing love shown between fellow members, yes, with those
visiting as well.
As
we are one, showing the best part of Jesus to the world.
Finally,
as one, seeing with our eyes in a special way the best part of Jesus.
As
the Lord prayed that we be protected from the evil one, that we be one, he also
can’t wait to have you with him, in person, at his home. He wants you to see with your very own eyes
all that is best about him.
Jesus
wants you in heaven. He’s not a
sour-faced gatekeeper who hopes to find some reason to keep you out. He died and rose for you, that you might be
one with each other in Christ, and he wants you finally to arrive at your
lasting destination.
He
wants you to be with him. Because
remember, we are one. Not just one with
each other. One with him. Jesus to his Father: “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.”
When
a man and a woman step to an altar to profess their love, a commitment for
their lives, they want to be with each other.
They long to see each other.
They are one. I remember a
pastor on our dig in Israel. We had
four bunks in a room. This pastor, in
his fifties. As the lights were out and
we were talking, he mentioned how badly he missed his wife. Here I was, on this adventure in a foreign
country, thinking things couldn’t be better.
But he was one with someone else, and all he was thinking about was that
he couldn’t wait to be with her.
Jesus
can’t wait to be with you.
Father,
Jesus says, I pray that they may be one.
I’ve given them glory. They
display my glory. I want them to see my
glory.
Amen.