Wesley Word – March 30, 2022

Carolyn Lemaster   -  

To go along with service on: Sunday, April 3rd 

Experiencing Grace

Exploring Truth

Famous Last Words: Jesus Prays For Us

John 17:1-26

This week is the last Sunday of our Lenten series… Famous Last Words: Jesus’ Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John. However, we will be looking at John 13 during the Holy Thursday service on April 14th and the Seven Last Words from the cross during the Good Friday Service on April 15th  This week, we look at chapter 17 and what is called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.

During this prayer, we see many of the themes of the Farewell Discourse repeated: The departure and return of Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the continuing mission of the disciples, and the warnings about persecution and the promise of strength to endure.

Jesus does not pray that the Father would take his disciples out of the world. Instead, He prays that the Father would protect them from the evil one. It is important to remember that while we are called to be different than the world, separate in a moral sense, we are not called to abandon the world. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. We have to be in the world because that is where the mission is.

Jesus prays not just for his disciples that are there with him that night, but also for all who will come to believe through them. That’s us! Everything Jesus prays in this prayer, He is praying for us.

Jesus prays that we may all be one. At first, we might think this prayer may not be answered because we look around and see so many different churches. However, different churches does not necessarily mean that the Church is divided. There are many churches, with many different ways of doing church, but there is only one Church. Jesus’ prayer is that we live into that.

 

Questions for Reflection/Discussion:

  1. What does it mean to you that there are many churches and still only one Church?

 

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New Testament in a Year: https://wesleyonline.org/biblereading/

  • March 30    Luke 8:40-9:6
  • March 31    Luke 9:7-27
  • April 1        Luke 9:28-50
  • April 2        Luke 9:51-10:12
  • April 3        Luke 10:13-37
  • April 4        Luke 10:38-11:13
  • April 5        Luke 11:14-36
  • April 6        Luke 11:37-12:7

 

Expressing Love: Family/Mission Activity

Find a picture of Jesus online and print it out. You could use this one. Cut the picture apart into several pieces before everyone is together. Give the family the pieces and ask them to put it together (don’t tell them what it is).

Once all the pieces are together, ask what it is (Jesus). The picture is like the Church. There are many churches (pieces), but when all the pieces are put together, they represent Jesus. Individual churches, even though in separate buildings, places, etc. still create one whole Church.

 

Announcements:

  • Worship Help Needed: We are in need of 6 readers in each service on Palm Sunday, April 10th. We also need 7 people to help with handwashing and serving Communion at the Holy Thursday service on April 14th. If you would like to help in these ways, contact Pastor Brian. (brian@wesleyonline.org)
  • Easter Egg Hunt, April2, 10 am, 4th St. Park-Kids through 6th grade are invited to hunt for candy-filled eggs, hear the story of Jesus’ resurrection from Pastor Brian…and MORE!