Thank you Pr. Ken Kelly and Michelle Van Loon for the
introductory thoughts on Mother’s Day!
John 17:20-26
"Jesus' prayer for you"
"Jesus' prayer for you"
Today is Mother’s Day.
I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the loving God, who was born of the
promise to a virgin named Mary.
I believe in the love Mary gave her son. A love that caused
her to follow Him in His ministry and stand by His cross as He died.
I believe in the love of all mothers, and its importance in
the lives of the children, they bear. It is stronger than steel, softer than
down, and more resilient than a green sapling on the hillside. It closes
wounds, melts disappointments, and enables the weakest child to stand tall and
straight in the fields of adversity.
I believe that this love, even at its best, is only a shadow
of the love of God, a dark reflection of all that we can expect of Him, both in
this life and the next.
And I believe that one of the most beautiful sights in the
world is a mother who lets this greater love flow through her to her child,
blessing the world with the tenderness of her touch and the tears of her joy.
And yet, for some, this day is a mixture grief and sadness.
They are lonely. There are those who've suffered the loss of parent, or a
child. There are those who have had to
deal with infertility. So this day is especially difficult.
Mother’s day is hard, awkward and cruel. They yearn for a
brighter tomorrow. But this day is not one of them. That’s why we a duty bound to pray for them
and for others. Especially today. According to their needs. Zion Friedheim - be
a house of prayer!
Become a place where we don’t simply talk to God. But a
place where take our burdens, our joys, our worries and our cares to the throne
room of grace. And be thankful as the Savior answers each petition.[1]
So then, how should we pray? Especially, when we come to our Lord in the
midst of our sorrow and our weaknesses?
In the same way, the
Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but
the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every
way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the
throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:25-16
Today is Easter 7.
The last Sunday in the season of Easter. The Savior goes to
the Father to pray - for you! Jesus prays: "My prayer is not for the disciples alone…I pray for those who will
believe through their message…"
So what is Jesus' request for you? Consider His prayer on
your behalf. Yes, Jesus. Your Jesus, has said a prayer for you…
I. Is a request for unity and faith. Jesus prays to the
Father: "may they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know You sent me and have loved them"
A. He prays: "May
they be brought to complete unity…"
1. Unity comes with a
common faith. There is in Christ "one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all"
2. Because there are
differences of doctrine in our world today the question must be raised:
"can there be true unity?" As long as there are differences,
there will be matters of doctrine. May we pray for a perfect unity, which comes
in a complete unity of faith.
B. The Savior continues to
pray: "To let the world know You sent Me and have loved them"
1. The true united doctrine is
the doctrine of Christ. When we are one in Christ, we have a complete
understanding of not only who Jesus is but what He has done for us.
a. And what has he done? He offers Himself. And he died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised
again. 2 Corinthians 5:15
b. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong. 2
Corinthians 12:10
2. By this we know of the
Father's love. When we know Jesus, we know of the Father's great love for us.
When we know of Jesus, we have a complete and perfect unity of faith.
II. Jesus’ prayer for you is a request for us to be
with Jesus in glory. Jesus prays to the Father: "I want those
you've given to me to be with me where I am and see my glory"
A. His desire is for us to be
where He is.
1. Our goal is to be with
Christ in glory. To leave this veil of
tears to our home with Christ in glory.
2. Remember the hymn
verse "I'm but a stranger here, heaven is my home" A question;
"how strange is the world to us?" Are we familiar with this world, or
do we look for another home? A more perfect and complete home? Where we will be
with Christ in glory?
B. Jesus has a desire to
receive believers in glory.
1. This was Jesus'
ultimate mission to come to draw sinners to Himself. He drew you in your
baptism and continues through Word and Sacrament to draw you to Himself, so that
where He is you shall be also.
2. Just over a month
after he took over as Prime Minister of England Winston Churchill
delivered a speech to the House of Commons after the French had sought an
armistice. This was, he said, our finest hour. What will be your
finest hour? Your "finest hour" is the hour of our death. When
we close our eyes in death, we leave this world only to enter into that world
which has no end. When our eyes close in death we take a walk - from one end of
the kingdom to the other…we cross over from the kingdom of grace into the
kingdom of glory.
III. Jesus' prayer for you is a request to know God's love.
Jesus prays to the Father: "I will make You known to them and
continue to make you known in order that the love You have for Me may be in
them and that I Myself may be in them"
A. Jesus will continue to make
the Father known to us.
1. Through the message of
the Gospel - that we may grow in Christ. That's why we are always connected to
His Word and Sacraments; that we may grow in grace.
2. As we grow in Christ
we know more and more about Jesus. Remember the salute of faith; … ascent,
confession, trust… the mind, the lips, the heart.
B. So that the love the Father
has may be in us.
1. God the Father loves
you. That's why He sent Christ in the first place! To know and understand
God and His great love for you.
2. Having experienced
this love it is now a part of us. It is now ours not only to experience but
also to live each day in a daring and confident manner and to express it with
those with whom we meet.
In the midst of His busy ministry; His healing,
preaching, teaching and serving Jesu took the time to pray - for
you! His prayer is answered in your hearing of His Word this
day! May you continue to draw close to Christ as you grow in unity
of faith, in knowing God, in being received into His glory!
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