12/05/2025
Devotional: āLoved as Jesus Is Lovedā
āI in them and You in Meāso that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.ā John 17:23
This is one of the most breathtaking statements Jesus ever prayed.
In the final hours before the cross, Jesus is thinking about you. Not just the disciples around the tableābut everyone who would ever believe in Him across the generations.
And in this prayer, Jesus reveals the deepest desire of His heart:
āI in them⦠and You in Me.ā
This isnāt spiritual poetry. This is a mystery of the kingdomāa reality Jesus wants you to experience, not just believe.
āI in themā
Jesus isnāt beside you. He isnāt simply near you. He is within youāliving, guiding, strengthening, speaking, loving.
You donāt have to beg for closeness. You already have union.
āAnd You in Meā
The same intimacy Jesus has with the Fatherāthe same unbroken fellowship, the same perfect love, the same eternal connectionā
is the pattern for your relationship with God.
This is what Jesus prayed you would walk in.
Then Jesus says something almost too beautiful to grasp:
āā¦that the world will know You have loved them even as You have loved Me.ā
Pause and let that settle over your heart:
The Father loves you the same way He loves Jesus.
Not a lesser love. Not a diluted love. Not a āone day when you get it rightā love.
The same love.
You donāt have to earn it. You donāt have to qualify for it. You donāt have to strive for it.
You simply receive it.
This is the love that heals identity. This is the love that breaks shame. This is the love that fuels unity. This is the love that empowers forgiveness. This is the love that makes the world take notice.
The unity Jesus prayed for isnāt forced. It flows naturally when His love fills us.
When you understand the Father loves you like He loves Jesus, you stop competing, stop performing, stop comparing, and start abiding.
This is the birthplace of unity. This is the evidence of Jesus to the world.
šļø Prayer
Father, help my heart receive the truth that You love me the same way You love Jesus. Let that reality sink deep into every part of meāhealing insecurity, lifting shame, and grounding my identity in Your affection. Unite my heart with Yours, and unite me with others through the love of Christ living in me. Let my life reflect the unity and love that reveals Jesus to the world. In His name, Amen.