PROTECTION AND UNITY

John 17:11
I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are. (WEB)

In Jesus' intercessory High Priestly prayer that He prayed in John 17, He shows a loving concern for His disciples. Until this point, He was their shepherd and their protector. No one could hurt them when He was around. But now, He was getting ready to leave them as He was preparing to die on a cross. It was at this very tender moment, that He asked His Father to protect them by the power of His name. 

The NIV translation says John 17:11 this way... I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. 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. (NIV)

When we know that we are protected by Almighty God, we don't have to protect ourselves. When we don't have to protect ourselves, then we don't have to put up walls between each other. The more that we are all convinced that we are equally and completely loved by our God and Father, the more that we will see that we are truly part of the same family.

Because of the finished work of our Elder Brother Jesus Christ, we are all one in Him. Our common bond is not a doctrine or program, but a true connection of our hearts. My prayer today is that we would all have the assurance that Jesus' prayer was answered when He asked His Father to protect us by the power of His name. We have nothing to fear in life or in death for we live under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91).

Psalm 27:1
Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? (WEB)