+Points to ponder

1. What are ways that we can connect and foster unity with our fellow Christians/congregants?
2. Has the unity of the church been a subject of your prayers? Why or Why not?
3. What impact does Jesus’ promise in John 14:2-3 have on your life in faith?

+Sermon Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father, and our Lord and King, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Let us Pray: Risen, ascended Lord, as we rejoice at Your triumph, fill Your Church on earth with power and compassion, that all who are estranged by sin may find forgiveness and know Your peace, to the glory of God the Father, Amen.

You are packed and ready to go, anticipating the journey ahead of you. But what will you do if you are expecting to be gone from your home and loved ones? Many of us will have someone watch over our place with detailed instructions. Some of us know this very well. We tell the pet-sitter or the baby-sitter what to do; we do not want our pets or our kids to starve or be completely out of synch with their regular schedule. So, leaving copious instructions is a sign that we care about our property and family.

The Gospel for today shows us how much Jesus cares for us. Right before his betrayal and death, Jesus prays to His heavenly Father. He was praying for the dear children entrusted to Him – for you and me. And this prayer, often called ‘Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer,’ is a demonstration of what Jesus is up to all the time since. Jesus praying for us the night before his crucifixion teaches us that

OUR SAVIOR IS PRAYING FOR US,

yes, every moment right now.

How amazing! When Christ was praying to His Father as we hear in our text, it was the last days of what we call His state of humiliation, the years Jesus did His saving work on earth, when He voluntarily chose not always and fully to use His divine attributes, His powers as God. But He did use those attributes when they contributed to saving us.

Omniscience is one of Jesus’ divine attributes; He knows everything. On this night, in our Gospel text, Jesus is using His omniscience to know that this very night He was going to be betrayed and the next day die the excruciating death of the cross. Knowing that, what was Jesus’ concern? Not Himself, but us.

Anticipating His physical absence from His children, Christ wanted His Father in heaven to be with them and to protect them. Our Savior knew very well that the world will hate God’s children, because they belong to Christ and they do not belong to the world. The world is controlled by the prince of this world – yes Satan himself. And the goal of the evil one, is to lead children of God away from the Lord in any way that he can. Knowing the impending attacks, Christ fervently prayed for His followers.

The interesting fact is that God the Father entrusted these followers to Christ in the first place. Jesus did everything in His power to keep them safe. And another of Jesus’ divine attributes is omnipotence, being almighty. The almighty Christ could have protected His children simply by taking them out of this evil world. But he did not. Instead, he prayed for them: “[Father,] I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.”

How noteworthy, exciting even – the gift of prayer is one of protection! This prayer of Christ is known as His ‘High Priestly Prayer’ because it reflects Jesus’ role as our priest.

The job of a priest in the Old Testament was to be the intercessor for the people, since people were sinful and needed someone to represent them to God – someone to go into the holy of holies on their behalf. Now, the earthly high priests were sinful as well, but God anointed them for His purposes. The human high priests experienced the wages of their own sin, which is physical death.

Our ultimate high priest, Jesus, is perfect and sinless. He did not deserve to die, but for our sake He chose to die the death of a criminal that we truly deserved.

That was the sacrifice our great high priest offered with His prayer to the Father. Because of that sacrifice, offered by God’s own beloved Son, the heavenly Father listens to Jesus’ prayer.

So, how did God the Father respond to our Savior’s prayer to protect His children? Christ Himself became the answer to His own prayer.

First, God’s wrath toward sinners was satisfied by our Savior on the cross. They were forgiven. Second, His resurrection defeated the ultimate enemy, death. Death can no longer bully God’s children. We might die physically, but we are protected by God.

What about Satan and his malevolent underlings? Christ’s victory vitiated and vanquished them. They can accuse us about our sin all they want; but they know they have lost the war against God. Yet, the prince of this world will do his best to harass God’s elect – to hound and pester His beloved ones.

God the Father dispatched the Holy Spirit to be with the children of God as they struggle in this world. The Third Person of the Trinity is strengthening the faith of Christians and preserving their lives. He is calling us by the Gospel, enlightening us with His gifts, making us holy, and keeping us in the one true faith.

And more, the children of God not only have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, but they have fellow believers for mutual consolation. That is why our praying Savior asked His Father for unity among His children.

The devil will try to destroy the Church by schisms, factions, and frivolous rifts among Christians. But we hear Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel: “… I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Yes, not even hell can overcome the Church. But true unity in the Christian Church can only be created by God Himself. True unity is the divine act. You see, we are not talking about artificial and superficial unity, but true concord. We all know about the name Concordia. What does that mean? It means “from the heart or with heart.” The hearts of believers are truly united in faith in Christ Jesus.

This is why, as this pandemic wanes, we are trying to be intentional here at Redeemer, about connecting with each other – that we would be ‘Home in the Body of Christ.’ A few examples - Share groups are forming and thriving, I am hoping we can celebrate together West Virginia day on June 20th with a bonfire of disposable masks, and a meal that would befit a good Lutheran soiree; and your elders are looking to begin to sponsor some dessert socials (for lack of a better name) that we would reestablish connections, make new connections, and to live with and love each other in the unity for which Jesus prays.

Beloved, our Savior not only prayed for us – past tense – but He continues to pray for us. Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, imploring His Father to protect and unify us. The apostle John, who recorded this prayer of Jesus, also wrote in his first epistle, “We have [present tense] an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Jesus’ prayer in our text is ongoing; yes, even today, even in this moment, Jesus is still interceding for us.

And Christ’s prayer is being answered even now. In not just the disciples’ lives, but ours. Christ not only forgave us, but He continues to forgive us and love us. Christ not only protected the disciples, but He is protecting us. Jesus not only bound the first Christians together in unity of faith; He still unites us as brothers and sisters in Christ – albeit sinful ones – with all who trust in Christ Jesus. Our praying Savior will never ever abandon us. He is with us. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, as He gathers us together around His body and blood, He is there so we can taste His goodness towards us and so be strengthened in the faith which He has gifted to us.

And when we face difficulty on this side of eternity, we remember and hold on to what Jesus promised: “In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Our praying Savior is also our advent Savior, who will keep His promise by coming back to take us to be with Him in eternal peace. Amen.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Sermon study helps from Rev. Thomas Park, assistant professor, Concordia University, Irvine, California (Concordia Pulpit Resources – Vol 31, Pt2, YrB, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Missouri)