Easter 7A
May 17, 2026
John 17:1-11
INTRODUCTION
This is the final Sunday of the Easter season, a season which lasts as long as Jesus walked the earth after his resurrection (40 days), plus the 10 days between his ascension into heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit – fifty days total. So, at this point in the biblical narrative, we find ourselves in the 10 days between, this liminal time between when Jesus has left the disciples (again) and the arrival of this great gift he has assured them is coming “in just a few days.” I think remembering the context of this “in-between” place can help us to hear today’s readings.
First, we will hear the story of Jesus’ ascension into heaven as told in Acts. Ascension Day is 40 days after Easter, so, always a Thursday, but the lectionary gives us a taste of the story today, too. The Acts version of this story (compared to the version in Luke) tells us about what the disciples did while they waited for the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised them just before he ascended into heaven. Our second reading from 1st Peter will speak to the suffering that is all too real – often, but perhaps especially during this liminal waiting time the disciples are feeling.
And then in our Gospel reading, we hear the end of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse on Maundy Thursday: the High Priestly Prayer. This is a remarkable moment in which the disciples – and we, by extension – get to eavesdrop on an intimate moment between Jesus and his Father. And he uses this moment to pray for us! So enter into that prayer with him. Enter also into the anxiety of the disciples during this in-between time. And of course, enter into the love Jesus has for us. Let’s listen.
[READ]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Eternal life.” It’s a phrase we use so often in the church. We know it is a good thing, a thing that we want, but… what exactly is it?
Probably what comes immediately to mind is… heaven. And who hasn’t wondered what heaven is like?!
But here, in today’s Gospel reading, in Jesus’ high priestly prayer with his disciples, his last words with and to them… Jesus tells us clearly what exactly eternal life is. Did you catch it? He says, “And this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Did that clear it up for you?
I still have so many questions.
But at least we have something to start with. So, the first thing I notice about this description is that it seems to be talking not about some afterlife in some heaven far away, but rather about right here, right now. Throughout John’s Gospel, he has been telling us that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and came to earth out of love for the world, and that he came so that we would have life, and have it abundantly. He has said that life comes from having a relationship with Jesus, from abiding with Jesus. And here he hits home the point: eternal life means knowing God, knowing Jesus: not later, but right now, on earth.
So how do we come to know God, to know Jesus? How do we have a relationship with the One who is both all-knowing, and unknowable?
Big questions for a Sunday morning, right? So let’s think in more concrete terms. Think about your most important human relationships with people beyond your family of origin. What has forged and deepened those relationships? Real question, I want to hear from you: what are some ways you deepen relationships with humans? How do you get to know them?
[Spend time together, talk and listen, listen to their history/story, going through tough times together, seeing each other in vulnerable situations]
Okay, good, so let’s think about how those same things might happen with God.
Number one way to get to know someone, right, is to spend time together. That’s easy to imagine with a flesh-and-blood relationship. It’s an accessible option for the disciples who knew the incarnate God, Jesus. For us, we believe God is with us always, but not in such concrete ways. So, the first thing we need to do to spend time with God is to notice that God is there at all, and how. This can happen in prayer, in nature, in laughter, on the water, in a hug… and I believe God is all those places. But, I admit I don’t always notice and articulate it in the moment. And if I don’t articulate it, I am likely to leave God standing alone in a corner while I talk to my other friends, those whom I can see and easily notice.
To that end, I’ve been trying a new prayer discipline this month, in which I start the day by asking God not only to show up, but also to open my eyes to see it happen. Halfway through the day, I stop again to pray, that God would refocus me on this task (because Lord knows, I get distracted!). And then at the end of the day, I do what is called the Examen, an Ignatian practice in which you reflect back on your day and notice when you heard or felt God present (and give thanks), and also when you may have sinned during the day (and ask forgiveness). (And by the way, before you give me too much credit for my discipline, this is all through an app that reminds me to do each of these and leads me through them!) I do not do it perfectly each time, but little by little, with God’s help, I am training myself and strengthening my spiritual vision, to notice God, so that when I am spending time with God, I don’t miss it!
Second important way to get to know someone with whom you want to be in relationship: have a conversation, one in which one person does not do all the talking. If you are like me, your prayer time is often a one-way street, one where you are doing most of the talking, and maybe hoping and expecting God to do your bidding. Thinking about your human relationships, how would this approach to friendship fly? It makes me think of the woman at a book launch party. She met the author, and all he could do was talk about himself and his book. On and on he went, never asking her a single question, talking about himself. Finally, he seemed to come to his senses, and said to the woman, “I’ve been doing all the talking! Enough about me. What did you think about my book?”
It's funny because we have all met (and rolled our eyes about) people like that. And yet, that is so often how I engage with God: talking, talking, talking, then asking God to tell me – more about myself. That’s not how relationships are deepened. If we want to know God, we need to give God a chance to do the talking sometimes.
How do we do that? Partly it is simply being quiet, perhaps in meditation (something extremely challenging for an extrovert like myself!). But we also have a really great resource for listening to God’s words, something we even go so far as to call “God’s Word”: the Bible! Here we have a collection of ways God has spoken through history to God’s people, and how they have talked to God. We understand this to be the living Word of God, meaning it was not written for one time and place, but that it speaks to all people across time, however is needed. Through scripture, we also get to hear some of the history of God’s action – because another important part of getting to know someone is to learn their history and the stories that have most shaped them. Here in scripture, we can learn this about God. What a great idea!
I don’t mean to be flippant about it. I know that the Bible can also be really difficult to read on our own. It can feel too far removed from our current realities. It can be hard to decipher what’s going on, hard to picture. I have three degrees in religion, and literally spend my work days studying and writing about it, and I still struggle at times. If you read my sermon notes, they are full of questions like, “What is this supposed to mean?” A study Bible helps. Numerous commentaries help. Conversations with other faithful people helps, a lot. But sometimes all that feels way too daunting, and we are already such busy people, so who has time to look up a commentary when we’re trying to get to know God here!
Of course, I feel that way sometimes in human relationships, too. And that is part of the joy! My best and deepest relationships are the ones that not only offer love and support, but that also challenge me, that help me think differently about something, that push me to be a better version of myself.
So how can we let scripture do this for us, when it can truly be so hard to grasp? Here’s my recommendation: start by simply reading all the way through one of the Gospels. Then another one. Or, read the Psalms, which are the prayers of the faithful over many generations. You don’t need to start with, you know, Leviticus or 2nd Chronicles or something – that’s setting yourself up for failure. Start with what already feels accessible, and branch out from there.
Then when you read, find one word or phrase that captures your attention or imagination, and dwell on that for a while. Don’t get caught up in the weeds of details you don’t understand. Write down that word or phrase and look at it periodically through the day or week. Maybe doodle around it over breakfast, or put it on your mirror. Or, write down one question you have of the text. It could be, “Why did Jesus say that?” or, “How would it feel to have God say that to me?” or, “I wonder how it smelled at this event?” Give yourself a moment to dwell in the questions, without needing to know the answers.
Even better, think of someone else, maybe someone in this congregation, who can commit to doing this with you, and you can text each other each day what verse you are looking at. Or call each other on the way home from work. Because in my experience, talking about God’s Word in community is the best way of all to hear God’s voice.
All this might not make a difference for you right away, I admit. I also don’t become close friends with someone after a single meeting. But I assure you that over time, you will come to know God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom God has sent. Your relationship with God will deepen. You will abide with Jesus, and he with you. And by this, you will experience eternal life, the life that comes from being connected to the one true God, whose deepest desire is that we would have life, and have it abundantly – not only later, but right here and now.
Let us pray… Holy Father, you sent Jesus so that we would come to know you, and by that relationship, to have eternal life. Open our eyes to notice when you are near. Open our ears to hear your word. Open our hearts to gather with your people, so that together we can draw closer to you in relationship. And all this for your love’s sake. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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