What Jesus prayed for you

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today's passage?

Did you know Jesus prayed for you? John wrote it down! This isn’t the famous “Lord’s Prayer”, but it is the longest prayer we know from Jesus, prayed when his time was most limited, revealing his top priorities in this precious moment.

Jesus’ closeness to his Father is certainly front of mind for him, and his purpose is clear – for people to recognise that knowing Jesus means knowing God and gaining life.

But as Jesus specifically prays for his followers and “all who will ever believe in me through their message” (that’s you and me!), I’m struck by what he wants for us. Jesus asks that we would be as united and close to each other as he is to his Father. He then expects that others will believe as a result.

This relationship-based faith is massively different from the old ways of religion. Whenever we get into debates about religious rules, we tend to divide ourselves. Everyone has their own interpretation, and no-one can agree who is right. Jesus clearly wants something else for us. Is this possible? Do we want this? Or would we prefer the satisfaction of feeling right in our own ways instead of the “perfect unity” Jesus requested for us as we live in his way?

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God is relational. He cannot be understood only as thing that exists but as a Father. He wants us to know new life and get this through relationships rather than abstract study or self-improvement. In this new life, we will have a closer relationship with him than was ever possible when people tried to approach God through religious beliefs and rituals alone.

Jesus’ words here are remarkable, but what happens next shows that God is not just talking about changing the world. His plan for Jesus to be a sacrifice for the world is about to come to fruition in practice.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

On reflection, I find it easy to retreat from relationship into ideas and self-guided “rightness” too often. I’m reminded by Jesus’ prayer that the life he wants for us is only possible through relationships with him, the Father and each other.

So I’m going to spend more time in the new year sharing about where I am in faith and being open to help others too.

This walk with Jesus through John’s gospel has also reminded me how open he wants his followers to be to changing how we think about and deal with things we thought we understood. So I want to become more willing to grow relationships in which we share how God is changing our minds or prompting us to take a fresh look at his world.

Who am I going to share this with?

My family and others I follow Jesus with.