Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year A.
May 17, 2026John 17:1-11
Rev. Misa Furumoto
Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter, also known as Sunday after the Ascension of the Lord. Last Thursday, May 14, was the Ascension Day this year. Jesus was crucified and died, but rose again on the third day and stayed on earth with His disciples for 40 days; on the 40th day, after promising His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, He took them to Bethany and blessed them by lifting His hands. Then, while blessing them, He left them and was lifted up to heaven. This is how it is described in the Gospel of Luke.
Ten days later was the day of Pentecost. According to the Book of Acts, while the disciples, including Mary and the other women, were gathered in a room to pray, a sound like a violent wind came from heaven and filled the house. Then divided tongues as of fire, appeared and rested on each of them. And what happened? They were filled with the Holy Spirit and received power and courage from God. Then they went out into the world and preached the gospel of the Lord.
So, what kind of day is today? Jesus physically left this world three days ago and the Holy Spirit will not descend until next Sunday. It seems like we are in the midst of some very sad and hopeless days. The disciples must have felt the same way. I wonder how they were able to keep their minds and remain calm during this time?
Before the Lord Jesus died on the cross, there were three things He left to His beloved disciples. The first, as I mentioned earlier, was the promise to send them the Holy Spirit, called the Advocate. Jesus said that this spirit would teach the disciples everything and remind them of everything he had said.
Second, Jesus promised that He would eventually return. He said He would go to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them. He told them not to let their hearts be troubled, for there would be many dwellings there. Do not to worry, for all would be well.
So, the Lord Jesus’ promise to His disciples was that God would send the Holy Spirit and that He would return. But that wasn’t all. There was another thing He did for His disciples. It was a prayer. He prayed for the disciples so that they would be okay without him. Not a short and simple prayer like we do before we go to bed, but a very long and deep prayer that Jesus did in front of the disciples the night before He was arrested.
On Sundays, we read the Bible according to our lectionary on a three-year cycle, Year A, Year B, and Year C. Every year on this Seventh Sunday of Easter, also known as the Sunday after the Ascension, a portion of Jesus’ farewell prayer from the Gospel of John, Chapter 17, is taken up. This chapter is divided into three parts: the first part is read in Year A, the middle part in Year B, and the last part in Year C.
We all know how powerful it would be to have someone praying just for you in front of you. Jesus prayed God in heaven just for his disciples so that they would not be left orphans. And we must not forget that this is not an event that has ended in history, but that He is still praying for each of us until the day He Himself comes again.
The Lord prays for us. “I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
How powerful it is! Jesus is still praying intercessory prayers for us at this moment. He is asking the Holy Father to protect us so that we can be one, just as the Son and the Father are one. We must realize how small, weak, and foolish we humans are without being connected to Jesus, as He says, in John 15, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” What God wishes is that we become one through each of us being connected to Jesus. Knowing that the Lord is praying for us, let us pray together with Him in His prayer.
Did you get a little prayer journal called “Thy Kingdom Come” this year? This is a worldwide prayer movement of the Anglican Communion planned from Ascension Day to Pentecost. Now is the time to pray for your loved ones, for those who have lost hope, and for the coming of the Kingdom of God, that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And next Sunday is the Pentecost Sunday; the Holy Spirit will come to us. Holy Spirit is the power, love, and parental feeling of God the Father toward us. Sorry, we don’t have English service, but if you have time, please come to the 10:30 Japanese service. It will be a festive service. We are asking everyone to either wear or put something red to remember the divided tongues as of fire, appeared and rested on each of the disciples. Let us receive the Holy Spirit well so that we become one with the Lord Jesus and with one another.
Today is not at all a sorry day when we lost sight of Jesus. It is a time to not lose hope and to firmly keep in mind that our prayers will be heard.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
