John 17:6-19 Dear Partner in Preaching, Just two observations on this complex portion of what we often call “the High Priestly Prayer” when Jesus’ intercedes on behalf of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion. Both are prompted by the repetition of key words. The first is “world” (kosmos). According to John’s Jesus, the world is not a friendly place. It has rejected Jesus, it poses threats to Jesus’ disciples, and it is something that occasions Jesus’ request that God protect the disciples from it. Although some of John’s theology feels a bit gnostic in its portrayal of a remarkably dispassionate Jesus, I...

John 17:6-22 Dear Partner in Preaching, In this passage from the “farewell discourses,” Jesus prays for his disciples and…. Wait. Let’s not rush to all the other things Jesus does for or says to his disciples. Let’s just stop there for a moment. The evening before his crucifixion, and while anticipating an immediate future that will include betrayal, trial, condemnation, beating, and execution, Jesus. Stops. Everything. And. Prays. For. Those. He. Loves. Incredible. To think about…, but also to experience. And perhaps it’s this experience that may form much of this week’s sermon. Because here’s the thing: prayer isn’t...

Dear Partner in Preaching, As if often the case, context is everything in biblical interpretation. And the context of this passage – Thursday evening, the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion and departure from his disciples – matters because it helps set the scene for Jesus’ words of promise to his disciples tucked into a prayer he offers to his heavenly Father. There are three parts to this prayer and promise, each of which holds, I believe, import for our hearers today. 1) The world can be a difficult place. This perhaps doesn’t seem like much of a promise, or at least good news. But it’s the truth, and given how many voices in our...