Three in One. Jesus' Deepest Desires Part 1
The last few moments of a loved one are so precious. During such moments,
unless they are unconscious, they will always try to share one last important
message to us.
My dad was nearing the end of his struggle with brain cancer. He had
miraculously recovered from his initial surgery, and was given the opportunity
to set his life in order. But now, three years later, he lay on his deathbed,
and he could hardly speak. Nevertheless, seeded deep within was the desire to
share one last message. My mother, who was the one fortunate enough to be the
recipient of this message, told me that he weakly raised his hand and held up
three feeble fingers. He then lowered two of the fingers, but continued to point
into the air with one. This was his last message just before he died. I
understood his message immediately. You see, once he was gone, our family unit
would consist of just three: Myself, my brother, and our mother. He wanted to
encourage us to stand united, as one!
Moments before His arrest, Jesus, too, shared what was on His heart. His
message? "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name - the name you
gave me - so that they may be one as we are one." (John 17:11 NIV)
Jesus' message was also one of unity, and He knew what unity was all about. In
fact, He was part of the most perfect unity of three that will ever be: The
Godhead, three in one, each perfectly attuned with the other, always working
together in peaceful harmony. Sadly however, the message of unity seems to have
become a foreign concept, even in the Christian world!
But is it really all that important?
It was important enough that Jesus repeated it three times in His last prayer
for His disciples!
"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of
them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be
in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:20-21) NIV
"I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are
one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the
world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
(John 17:22-23 NIV)
That unity was not only important for the community of believers, but even more
so for the world. How can the world believe if the followers of the Risen One
are constantly bickering with one another?
But then, unless we look to Jesus as our example, we will never truly understand
what unity means! Even marriage, which is a sacred commitment, has been
disregarded since its inception, now even more than ever.
"This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,
and the two are united into one." (Gen 2:24 New Living Translation)
May we join Jesus in his ardent prayer and obey His deepest desire.
Three in one! I still remember my dad's last message, and even
more importantly,
Jesus' deepest longing.
How will we respond to His prayer?
Rob Chaffart