Listen here.

John 17:20-26

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. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. ²⁶ I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Christ is ascended!
He is ascended indeed! Alleluia!

Jesus prays for you. That’s right, just before He was arrested, tried, condemned, crucified, and killed Jesus prayed for you. John 17 is often called Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” In this prayer, Jesus prays for Himself (v. 1-5), He prays for the disciples because they will remain in the world (v. 6-19), and here, in this text, Jesus prays for the whole Church who will believe in Him through the word of the Apostles. That means, dear saints, Jesus prays for you. The part of His prayer that we will focus on today is this, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me [Jesus means you], may be with Me where I am to see My glory.”

Well, where is Jesus? Right now, where is He? We’ve confessed that He ascended into heaven where He is “seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” This past Thursday marked forty days after Easter when Jesus ascended. He was taken up before the disciples. A cloud took Him out of their sight. Jesus’ physical body, His human nature, was lifted into heaven. The dust from which Jesus’ was taken is now sitting on the throne of heaven. In the Ascension, your flesh is given the ultimate upgrade because Jesus, your Savior and brother, now rules and reigns over all creation. And He is everywhere. Ephesians 4:10 says, “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”

But just because Jesus has ascended does not mean that Jesus is not interested in you anymore. Just the opposite. Before Jesus ascended, He told the disciples, “I am with you always,” (Mt. 28:20) and He promised, “Where two or three of you are gathered in My name, there I am” (Mt. 18:20). You don’t see Him, but does that matter? If Jesus has said that He is with you, then He is with you – even though you don’t see Him.

Actually, the fact that you don’t see Jesus physically is a good thing. Speaking of His ascension, Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away” (Jn. 16:7). If Jesus still appeared like He did for those forty days after Easter, you would have reason to doubt that He is always present with you. You would have to check the news or the “Where is Jesus Now?” app. Russia? Trinidad? Indonesia? Well, if He’s there, then He can’t be here.

Dear saints, Jesus is with you. He is ascended to God’s right hand where He lives and reigns to all eternity. But the devil likes to tempt you to disbelieve what Jesus says. The devil wants you to believe that he is running the show here on earth. Satan takes your focus off of the risen and ascended Jesus to focus only on yourself and the things going on around you.

Just think about this: Remember the last verses of the Gospel of Matthew, what is often today called “The Great Commission”? I bet if you talked to one hundred average Christians coming out of church on a Sunday and asked them to summarize the Great Commission, they would say something like, “Yes, Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations.” I would also guess that most of them would leave out that the Sacrament of Baptism is how Jesus tells us to make disciples, but that is for another time.

Now, Jesus instructing us to disciple all nations is very important. But, for now, simply hear what Jesus says in those last verses of the Gospel of Matthew, without the part about making disciples. Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Hear it again, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Satan would love nothing more than to rob you of these beautiful promises of Jesus. So as you watch the world fall apart around you, as you watch babies being killed and sold for parts. As you watch ISIS slaughter Christians in the Middle East. As you watch our country care more about which bathroom .3% of the population uses than about caring for our veterans. As you watch all of this, remember Jesus still has all authority in heaven and on earth. Remember that He is with you until the end of the age to keep you and bless you.

Yes, it is hard. You see so much evil and sin surrounding you. You are living in the tribulation (Jn. 16:33). But remember Jesus’ prayer for you is, “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am to see My glory that You have given Me.” Jesus is with you here and now, in His Word. Jesus is with you in His Sacraments. Do you see Jesus’ glory? Maybe not with your eyes. But that’s ok. As one pastor has said, “The eye of faith is the ear.”

So look with your ear. Find Jesus as He speaks to you through His Word. Jesus is with you as that Word is read and vibrates your eardrums, or as that Word shines into your eyes from the pages of your Bible. Find Jesus in the waters of your Baptism. Find Jesus in the Bread and Wine of His Supper. Find your Savior where He has promised to be and see His glory. See that He rules and governs all things by His mercy and for your benefit. Amen.

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.