The final prayer of Jesus

There's a moment in John's gospel that absolutely captivates me! Jesus is nearing the end of His life on earth. He knows what's coming. And yet, He takes time to pray for His disciples. Not just the ones present with Him, but in His own words:

"I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message." John 17:20 NLT

Can we stop right there and catch the gravity of this? Y'all, Jesus prayed for you and me! He looked into the future and prayed a specific prayer on our behalf.

And then Jesus says this...

"I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."

John 17:21-23 NLT

His prayer, His request, was that we would experience the kind of oneness He shares with the Father. Not just with each other, but with Him and the Father too!

But I got this wrong for a while. I saw it as a call to action, a need to gather people together and challenge them to get along. But I missed it! There's something happening here that I hadn't seen before.

This isn't a duty, it's a privilege!

Think about it. Jesus isn't giving instructions to His disciples. He's talking to His Father! He's making a request on our behalf. He's asking the Father to invite us into the kind of relationship they share.

Now don't misunderstand me. Jesus' teachings are full of challenges for us to love one another and walk in unity. But as I lean into the heart behind these words, I've discovered a treasure that I missed. He's asking the Father to open the door for us to share something they have together. It's like an invitation to their kitchen table! Wow, y'all, wow!!

What do I do with this? How do I step into this invitation? I'm gonna be honest, I don't fully know. But I find myself praying a simple prayer: "Lord Jesus, open my heart and my understanding. Help me discover the depth of what You were asking the Father to do in us. I want to experience the love and oneness You prayed for."

"May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."

John 17:23 NLT