‘Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ‘Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’ (John 17:24-26 NIV)

this is a continuation of the prayer that Jesus prayed just before going to the garden and being captured. he’s praying specifically for all the believers that would follow the disciples, right up to the present time. i think the coolest part of this passage is in the last verse: I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’

Jesus knows what he’s about to do. he’s about to go to an agonizing death on the cross. why? so that you and i can know the love of God. more than that, so that we can have the same love that God had for Jesus within us. and more than that, so that Jesus himself might be in us. honestly, i really don’t know how that last part works. i believe that it does, but i really don’t know how. the love of God thing, though, that i can understand somewhat. i think that’s what we’re all really searching for anyway. we try to fill that void a million different ways, but the thing we really want is to have the love of God in us. for believers, we should be experiencing that, right? but sometimes it seems that we either don’t feel it or don’t trust it for some reason. i don’t know why that is. i guess it’s the old sin nature just not wanting to die, or it’s the enemy trying to rob us of the full life that God intends. regardless, we should be on the lookout for anything that blocks us from experiencing the love God wants to implant in our souls. it’s the one thing that will truly satisfy the longings of our souls.