Walk in Belief
Seventh Sunday of Easter (June 1, 2025)
Revelations 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
John 17:20-26
The scene of today’s scripture in John takes us back to the time just prior to Jesus’ arrest because of the betrayal of Judas.
Jesus knows his horrific times are ahead, and he takes this time to pray to the Father God for his disciples. This prayer goes on for several verses before we get to our reading today.
Jesus has prayed for the safety of his disciples from the “evil one.”
He prays to the Father God for his disciples, because like him, he says, they do not belong to this world.
He pleads that God protect them and sanctify them in the truth, or in other words, the word of God which is truth and which gives life.
Remember, in biblical terms, to sanctify or sanctification means to make something or someone holy. It’s a transformative change where individuals are freed from sin, align themselves with virtuous principles, are cleansed through repentance and prayer, and adhere to the word of God.
As we pick up in our scripture today, Jesus is praying beyond his disciples that are with him currently to include the disciples that are to come in the future; those who will believe in him that he does not yet know. Those he has not yet walked with on earth, those who will come after his death, resurrection and ascension.
Jesus is praying for us.
Jesus prays that “they,” he and the disciples now and the ones to come, are all one, just as he and God are one. This is a HUGE statement, a huge prayer prayed by Jesus on behalf of his disciples, on behalf of us. We are not outside the bubble of the Trinity. We are within it. We are one with it.
Together we are all one spiritual body in Christ and God the Father professing the word of God so that the world may know Jesus was sent by God because of the love of God for Jesus and for us.
Jesus then moves from praying for those on earth, to praying for them to be with him in heaven so that all may see his glory that has been given to him by God.
Jesus says the world does not know you, but these, the ones who are here with me, they know the truth and believe in the truth. These are the ones you sent to me….they know the truth.
And why do they know the truth? Because, I Jesus, made your name known to them and I’ll make it known through the love that you have shown to me and me to them.
When I read something like this regarding the love of God that flows through Jesus that flows through us that flows to others, I’m reminded of the Celtic knot that has no end. The love continues to flow throughout eternity.
In that eternal flow is the promise found in Revelation when Jesus speaks of his return.
Jesus, being the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, will return and repay with the gift of eternity those who have believed in the word of God that he is the Lamb of God, the Son of Man, the one that came to earth being sent by God.
We who know the truth and profess it will inherit the tree of life and the living water as a gift.
Last week we talked about Jesus giving us the gift of peace, and today he brings the gift of life through eternity in heaven.
When I look at the picture on the front of the bulletin, it makes me smile because it is such a cute picture.
But what that picture really says to me, is that if we truly believe in Jesus and the word of God, and acknowledge his love for us, we would hold on to him with everything that we have within us. We would hold on tightly.
We wouldn’t just be going out for a morning walk to church with him, or having a Wednesday afternoon twenty minute centering prayer with him.
We wouldn’t be just calling on him when we find ourselves in trouble or in need of healing.
When we consider all that our Christ, our Lamb of God has provided for us, has done for us, and has prayed on our behalf. When we consider all of the gifts he provides for our security and protection, peace and eternity.
When we consider all of these wonderful things, we would not just be going out for an occasional walk with him, we would be holding on to him with every ounce of our being.
Sometimes it takes pictures like this one to put it into perspective for me, because I get off track thinking about all the things that “I” can do, rather than what he can do through me for others.
As we end our Season of Easter and look toward Pentecost next Sunday, let us remember our walk through the wilderness, our walk with Jesus on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week, our joyous resurrection walk leading up to today.
Let us hold on to Jesus so tightly every minute of every day as we remember the gift of eternal love that is ours when we testify, “Jesus is coming soon.” Let us walk in belief so that all may see.