May 8, 2005

Mindekirken, May 8, 2005
 Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Jesus prays for all who are his John 17.1-11

A merchant searched for fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. This is how Jesus presented himself in Matt 13:45. I can imagine this merchant. The whole earthly life of Jesus was a search. Now finally he stands with the shiny pearl in his hand. He holds it up in the light and he sees that it is perfect. Then he mentions the price…

The NT teaches us a lot about the prayer life of Jesus. Our Father is the highlight of Matthew. In the gospel of John it’s a totally different prayer that is central. The so-called high priest’s prayer of Jesus in John 17 is both simple and deep, great and heartfelt, at the same time mystic and clear.

When I read this prayer I think of the merchant who held up the valuable pearl in the light and described its beauty. The pearl is the 12 fishermen, tax collectors and other poor people Jesus walked around with for three years. The pearl is also you and me; those who will believe in me through their word, v.20. When I read Jesus’ prayer today, I envision the merchant who held the pearl up in the light, enjoys it and then he mentions the price: He is willing to give everything for the pearl.

This is Jesus' prayer about being lifted up from the earth. He who was the Word from eternity, asks to be glorified with the glory I had in your presence before the world existed, v.5. One might understand this as a prayer of evacuation. In a war, soldiers are sometimes flown in behind the enemy lines. There they complete their mission, and when it’s finished, they ask to be brought out. Then they might for instance be lifted out by a helicopter during the night. Jesus was dropped behind the enemy lines on Christmas Eve. He completed his mission: To preach God’s word, heal and do well.

This prayer Glorify me with the glory I had in your presence before the world existed sounds like a prayer to be brought out and back to the Father. But Jesus wouldn’t only do a raid behind the enemy lines. He would win the war and defeat God’s opponents. But the way in which he would do that would be a total and dramatic surprise. Jesus delivered himself to his enemies on Good Friday. The gospel of John displays in a strange way how the glory of Jesus is revealed on the cross.

To be lifted up means to be lifted up on the cross, not on a throne. The King's crown has thorns. What is about to happen is awful. At the same time it’s awesome. How come? Jesus shows that the love of God didn’t come to an end even when he was tortured. He prayed for his torturers, prayed for his enemies, and showed the love which endures all. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Rom 5.20.

Jesus defeated the enemy on the cross. His mission was far more than a minor sabotage raid behind the enemy lines. He triumphed over the opponents of God on the cross. To give us a good example wasn’t enough. Jesus had to create reconciliation, to pay for the sin of man. He atoned the sin of the world. In that way he would be able to present to God the finest of all pearls, created and saved by him. The humankind which had been lost in the fall of sin would be united with God again.

Jesus’ prayer shows also how this unity looks from God’s angle. We often talk about faith in private terms. I received Jesus. That’s right. The greatest privilege we have is to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, John 1:12. Jesus also speaks about the joy of this. He wants that his joy may be made complete in us, John 17:13. From our angle it’s we who receive Jesus.

In today’s text the perspective is different. When a human comes to faith there is a heavenly presentation of gifts. According to the picture we have used today, we would have said that it’s Jesus who has paid for you and me with his blood, who can hand over the pearl, you and me, to the father. But the perspective in this text is greater than that. It’s the Father who gives his gift of love to the Son. They were yours, and you gave them to me. We have been given by the Father to Jesus, who in his turn has given us back to the Father.

Jesus’ prayer shows how he is perfectly one with his Father. And Jesus wants us to be part of that unity. The unity is described in terms of eternal life. This is an expression which focuses, not on endurance, but on quality. This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent, v.3.

Some of you have met King Harald. In a sense you know him. But if he would plan for a new trip to Minnesota, would you then get an email from the king or a letter from the royal palace telling you that the king looks forward to seeing you again? Hardly. After all, to know means to have a deeper contact. Eternal life is an expression which means a mutual contact. You and I are known by God. Even the hairs on our head are all counted. He knows us better than we know ourselves. God is near to us all the time.

To know God means far more than having a certain intellectual knowledge of him. A newborn baby has limited knowledge about its parents in intellectual terms, but on the other hand, he or she is totally dependant upon the parents. He or she doesn’t know another life than the life provided by the parents. Food and treatment, care and love; a newborn baby gets it all from the parents. It’s not without reason Jesus says that we all have to become like newborn babies in order to see the kingdom of God. Matt 18.3. To know God is to trust in him.

To know God is the most intimate and devoted relationship. In the OT the word know is used about the relationship between man and woman. Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, Gen. 4:1. Eternal life is not something which starts after this life and behind the grave. It begins here and now: In baptism, faith, prayer, fellowship and communion.

Today we have visitors from Norway here at Mindekirken. They are a group of students and adults from Dalsbygda school in northern Østerdalen. They have prepared well for the great America journey. At the church coffee today they will do a program on some folk singing from their home place and the seasons of Dalsbygda. We who don’t know anything about this place from before, will get to know something about Dalsbygda through these students. In a sense they bring glory to a small mountain place in Norway.

The disciples were supposed to bring glory to Jesus. They were to represent him. But we know that they failed when Jesus was taken captive. They fled. Peter even swore that he didn’t know Jesus. They brought dishonor instead of honor to Jesus. Even so, Jesus says that he is glorified through them. The reason is that Jesus doesn’t take their sin into consideration, only what he has done for them. And what he has done, is perfect. They are sanctified in the truth, v.17. They are protected in God’s name, v.11. They are protected by Jesus, v.12. We have nothing to boast about. But we glorify Jesus by receiving what he has done for us. You and I are a testimony about the glory of Jesus through the grace which was given to us in baptism. We are covered with the forgiveness of Jesus and by that we bring glory to his name.

Glory be to God, father, Son and Holy Spirit, one true God now and forever. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716