Reaching the Spiritual Mountain

Reaching the Spiritual Mountain

Jhn 17:20-24 NIV - "My prayer is not for [My disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "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.

Some people proclaim religion is like climbing a mountain, where the journey is difficult but at the top we see God. I’m not so sure religion is quite like that. That does not mean, however, that we must throw out the analogy altogether. Heaven is somewhat like climbing a spiritual mountain, only we do not do the climbing ourselves. Pastor David Platt once said that the difference in Christianity and other religions is that every other religion wants you to reach the top of some mountain to see God, but only Christianity preaches that God comes down from the mountain Himself, picks you up, and carries you in His arms.

That is what we see here in the Lord’s Prayer(the actual Lord’s Prayer, not the Model Prayer). Christ prays that His disciples may be strengthened. He prays that “all of them may be one.” He prays that “they also be in [the Trinity] so that the world may believe that [the Father has] sent [Christ].” Here we see that it is not we who climb the spiritual mountain, but Christ who carries us in His arms. Very rarely do we stop to consider that God Himself prayed for us before His death. Romans 8.26 tells us that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” God is continually there to help us climb the mountain to reach Him.

We can be assured that Christ wishes us to reach the top of the mountain, not kick us in the pits of hell. I’m afraid there are many who believe God to be an insane, bloodthirsty tyrant who enjoys torturing His creation. This is not what the Scripture teaches. Jesus “want[s] those [the Father has] given [Christ] to be with [Jesus] where [He is].” He wants us to “see [His] glory, the glory [the Father has] given [Christ] because [He] loved [the Son] before the creation of the world.” Jesus wants us to be with Him! He desires to be with us so much that He jumped off the top of the mountain and came and picked us up through His death and resurrection!

I pray that you will continue your journey up the spiritual mountain. Always remember that God is there helping you—you don’t climb alone. We have a Father who has climbed the mountain Himself before; He knows the way up. Trust Him to guide you up. Amen.

With love in Christ,



Austin Aldrich