Still in the World

Read John 15:1–17:26

6. “I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
7. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you,
8. for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.
9. My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you.
10. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory.
11. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.” John 17:6-11

Some newspaper headlines can depress even entrenched optimists: crime and taxes on the rise, school test scores on the slide. But we shouldn’t be surprised when we see these headlines. Bad news has been grabbing people’s attention for a long time.

Even Jesus shared bad news occasionally. This passage records him talking about the hatred, grief, separation, pain, and injustice that lay ahead for his followers. But behind every dreary headline, he assures us, is a promise and a hope, realized in part now and in full later. Our reunion with Jesus is coming. The last headline is really good news.

In his final prayer for the disciples, Jesus told his Father that he would send them into the world as he had been sent into the world. He asked not that the disciples be isolated from hatred and persecution but that they be protected from falling prey to the devil. He asked that God would strengthen them and teach them through the opposition they would experience. Their presence in the world would be vital, and by God’s grace and power, they would thrive there (John 17:13-18).

A glance around at our painful world may make you wish for an escape. But Jesus sends you, if you follow him, into that painful world the same way that God the Father sent him. He has not left you alone. The Holy Spirit lives inside you, protecting, guiding, and teaching you. His Spirit will work through you to tell others of Jesus, ease others’ pain, and further God’s work.

Jesus has sent you into the world. Carry on Christ’s message today, trusting God for his protection of your soul even though your body and spirit may suffer.