March
19, 2003
JESUS
PRAYED FOR YOU AND ME
"I
do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe
in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You,
Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one
in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John
17:20, 21, NKJV).
"I
do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe
in Me through their word."
Jesus prayed for you and me, and for all that have come to
put their faith and trust in God because of the testimonies
of men and women of old who have walked with Jesus and with
God and have shared their stories with us through the pages
of scripture. Through their word, the word of Christ's witnesses,
their preaching, teaching and writing, men and women have
come to know Jesus and God through their testimonies. Jesus'
prayer was for all believers to the end of time.
Christ's
appeal to His Father was that we, His followers, be in unity
with Him and His Father, "that
they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You;
that they also may be one in Us". The unity of
the blended lives of Christ's followers with Himself and with
God is a testimony to the world of God's lovingkindness. "I
give you a new commandment: love one another; as I have loved
you, so you are to love one another. If there is this love
among you, then all will know that you are My disciples"
(John 13:34, 35, NEB).
God's
values of "lovingkindness, justice and righteousness
(see Jeremiah 9:24), and His great acts of acceptance, healing
and mercy as exhibited in the life of Jesus is a testimony
to all mankind of God's genuine love for us and His fairness
to us. When His followers have experienced and recognize His
great kindness, forgiveness and Presence, they also will become
like Jesus in character and exhibit in their lives His virtues
and values.
By beholding,
we are changed. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding
as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed
into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit
of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). When we realize the
values that God brings to our lives and become one with Jesus
and God as Jesus prayed, we will become more like Him and
the world will become convinced that "God was in Christ
reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Then Christ's prayer will be fulfilled, "that
the world may believe that You sent Me."
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