Devotionals for May 2, 2024

Our next Water Baptism will be on May 19th. CLICK HERE for more info!

John 16:7-8; 17:20-21

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

How could it be that Jesus’ “going away” is “to our advantage?” Jesus is saying that the Spirit of God, the Helper, is His mediating presence. By the Spirit, we walk with Jesus as the disciples did, though not physically. This presence would be crucial for the disciples who would face persecution and resistance in their world. Jesus’ prayer for the unity of the church is to be understood as His desire that they stick together in what will become a hostile world for them. This prayer for unity is also aimed at us, His current disciples, who face different forms of hostility. The church must be unified if it is to proclaim the good news of the gospel to the world, and this unity must be one rooted in the Spirit of God.

Q: What does “being one” as the Father and Son are one look like?

Q: Is there any way you are sowing or participating in disunity?

Q: How does Christian unity relate to interacting with other traditions (denominations) within Christianity?

"Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."

Lord, forgive us for participating in disunity. Help us to encourage the unity of the church in the way we live. Amen.