Good morning!
Text: John 16-18; Psalm 141
Today’s text in John includes Jesus’ “great high priestly prayer” for himself, his disciples and for you and me. This prayer comprises all of John 17. There is much here, and I have read it through many times. Like all of Scripture, each time I read the Lord speaks in a fresh way.. In today’s reading, these words stood out to me:
As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)
Whenever John uses the word “world”, he speaks of the world system of humans attempting to live life without God. The “world” is wicked, foolish, filled with deceit, hatred and dark evil. That said, it is into this “world” that the Father sent His one and only Son to die. And it is into this same dark world that Jesus sends us. We are not to be “of the world” (see v.14), but we must be in the world. This is our purpose – to be Jesus to this lost and dying world, motivated by love, for their blessing and salvation. These words are a clear statement of the mission of the Church and our reason for being here on the earth. A challenge for us all is to engage the world with self sacrificing love like Jesus did.
in Him, Mike