Jesus Invites Us to His In-Crowd

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. 

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.

Jesus, we belong to you. 

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen. 

John 14:10–11, 20

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

CONSIDER THIS

Did you have an in-crowd in your high school? If so, do you remember how it seemed as though many of your classmates were endlessly thinking about who was in and who was out? If we weren’t talking about it, whispering about it in the stands of a football game or the back of math class, many of us were preoccupied with thinking about our place in the social pecking order.

The in-crowd represented not only popularity, being liked, or feeling appreciated. The in-crowd also represented the idea that someone might see us, know us, value us, love us—for who we were. For those of us who felt like we were on the outside, looking in on someone’s else’s in-crowd, we often created our own.

If you found your people, a friend or friend group that was healthy and truly did see you, know you, value you, and love you for who you were, then it felt like you had found your place in the world. With that little group of friends, you felt at home, you were part of one another, and you moved as one.

Jesus came to put us all in the in-crowd with the Trinity. And this passage is where that story finds its source. If you are a follower of Jesus my brother, my sister—you are in the in-crowd.

In John 14:10–11, 20, we see Jesus addressing his disciples with a question.

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?”

“Yes,” they may have answered sheepishly, knowing their answer was probably right—though it could be a trick question.

Jesus continued:

“The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”

Surely this teaching must have been shocking when the disciples first heard it. They would have quickly recalled the moment in John 10:30 when Jesus told the teachers of the law, right there in front of God and everyone in the temple courts, “I and the Father are one.” Hearts stopped. Stones were picked up. Faces flushed red with anger and disbelief. They accused him of blaspheming, of claiming to be God. 

Now, in John 14, Jesus is saying it again, only to the disciples in private.

Jesus wanted them, and wants us, to understand an essential truth of the faith: When we see Jesus, we see the heart of the Father (John 14:8–9).  Jesus and the Father are one. This is Jesus saying that he has made his home in the Father, and the Father has made his home in Jesus. It is a special, trinitarian relationship with the Spirit that is irreplicable. The Trinity is a divine union unto itself.

But then an in-crowd twist comes in verse 20: 

“On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” 

Wait. Jesus, did you just include us in the in-crowd?

Let’s be honest. We can sometimes get confused when Jesus talks like this. Yes, we understand there is mystery to all of this, but what exactly is he saying? Just how “in” are we?

Some italics may help us here. Jesus did not say that we are Jesus or the Father; Jesus said we are in Jesus who is in the Father. Jesus did not say that Jesus is us; he said Jesus is in us. There is a big difference here. As an old adage goes, “There is a God. You are not him.” However, we are invited to share life together with Jesus—intimate, relational life—being at home in one another, moving as one.

This is the language of relationship, abiding, and communion. It is the language of sharing, participation, and being embraced by divine love.

And here’s the very big deal for all those who have ever felt on the outside looking in with God’s love.

According to Jesus—as his follower, you are in the in-crowd with the Trinity! We are full participants in the life and love that exists within the community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We retain our distinction, yes, but we are part of that family, part of that communion, part of that fellowship that exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

We are on the inside of the in-crowd with Jesus—and we are looking outward to bring others in along the way! We will bear witness to his indwelling presence, his incomparable love, until everyone who is outside, or feels outside, is inside his community of grace.

Today, know that you are accepted. You are seen. You are known. You are valued. You are loved. You are an insider, within the love of Jesus. If you ever felt like an outsider, misunderstood and not appreciated, let this be the day of your liberation. You have found your people—and have been found by your God.

THE PRAYER 

Lord Jesus, I am in you and you are in me. I am just beginning to understand how loved and accepted I am by you. I can be hard on myself, but knowing that you value me even in my worst moments is a healing balm to my soul. Reveal to me how much you love me, and how completely in the circle of your love I truly am. In Christ Jesus, I pray, amen.

THE QUESTIONS

Have you ever taken the time to think about what it means to be in the in-crowd with the Trinity? Do you feel like you could ever consider God distant again, knowing this truth?

For the Awakening,
Dan Wilt 

Subscribe to get this in your inbox daily and please share this link with friends.