Opening illustration: I know, there are so many great verses from John’s remarkable story: “In the beginning was the Word….”, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” “For God so loved the world…,” “In my house are many mansions…,” and more. Why, then, do I love this verse? Simply because in it we hear Jesus praying for us. Yes. Jesus…nearly two thousand years ago…is praying…for us.
Our Lord chose as disciples’ men who were radically different in temperament, personality and political philosophy. It was because of their glaring differences that their unity was so evident.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches that diversity is not opposed to unity; it is essential to it. How could the body function rightly if every member were an eye, or an ear, or a mouth? True unity demands diversity, and diversity displays true unity.
I say this because some churches seem to be trying to turn out ‘cookie cutter Christians’ who look alike (dress codes), think alike (creedal codes, often concerning non-essentials) and act alike (codes of conduct). Sad to say, such legalism does not display true unity, nor does it constitute true spirituality. It simply teaches Christian conformity. But when the peer group changes, so does creed and conduct. This is all too frequently seen as our young people go off to college. We have not taught them to think, but to conform.
If unity is not to be found in uniformity, it is to be seen in union. The unity of the trinity is unity of being, of essence and of purpose. We are the children of God by faith if we dwell in God and He dwells in us (verse 23); there is then essential unity, between the believer and God, and also between one believer and every other.
Notice that UNITY is a vitally important matter. In the last moments of our Lord’s earthly ministry, He prayed for it. It is the way Christians are identified in a world where everyone ‘does his own thing’ and values personal independence and liberties above all else (verse 23). Here is the mark of the Christian community - UNITY.
In verse 24 the Lord prayed for reunion. He will shortly be led away to His trial and execution. After His ascension He will no longer physically walk among His people, until they are reunited with Him. It is for this reunion that our Lord prayed.
Finally, in verses 25 and 26, Jesus prayed He might continue to minister to His own, even in His physical absence.
It is a great prayer which our Lord allowed His disciples to overhear in their hour of anxiety and distress. It is little wonder that the Spirit of God has preserved it for us as well.
Introduction: Today, we are looking at a prayer Jesus made. It is not just any prayer. Many call it Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. In this prayer, Jesus prayed for Himself. Jesus was about to be betrayed, arrested, beaten and then crucified. He prayed to the Father in Heaven that He would glorify His Father in Heaven. Jesus then prayed for His disciples. He knew they were about to face tough times. He would not be with them, so He prayed the Father would keep them safe. Look at the following verse:
John 17:11 “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
What did Jesus pray here? That His disciples would be one. Think about what was about to happen. Jesus was going to be killed. The disciples were going to be scattered. The church was going to face persecution. They needed to be united. A house divided cannot stand. Jesus then prayed for “those who will believe in [Him] through their word.” That is, you and me. Jesus prayed for those who would believe in Him. He prayed for us.
One thing we should recognize is the importance of prayer in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus would often get alone to pray. Prayer is our direct line with the Father. We need to pray. On the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus was praying for His disciples and He was praying for us. When we go through difficult times, do we think of others, or do we think primarily of ourselves? If I was about to endure what Jesus did, I would probably be praying a lot more for myself. Jesus had love and concern for others. Even though He was about to endure a very painful experience, Jesus prayed for others.
What was the FOCUS of Jesus’ final prayer?
1. One with Christ (vs. 20-21)
What did Jesus pray here? That we would be one. He already prayed that His disciples would be one. Now He prayed that those who would come to believe in Him, you and me, would be one in Him. Many people get this part of Christianity wrong. They believe that if they say a prayer or attend church faithfully or give their money, time or talents to God, then they have done enough. They want to compartmentalize their lives with God. They will give some area of their life to God, but not another. God does not want part of you — He wants all of you. He does not want your name on the church roll. He does not want your money, or your talents, or anything else you want to give. God wants you! If He does not have you, then you can take everything else and just keep it. He is not the least concerned with what you give Him until you have first given yourself to Him.
Maybe you say to yourself that you are “one in Christ”. Maybe you say to yourself that you are united with Him. Once you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are saying that He is Lord of all. You are saying that it is His way and not your way. Every member of God’s church is united in Christ, and from that union, should flow every thought, decision, and action we do. If you say you are united in Christ, then what do your actions say about it? How is your relationship with Christ? Does your life show a oneness with Him? When people look at you, do they see Christ? He does not want the left overs you give Him. He wants you all in or He does not want you at all. Remember what He said about being lukewarm. He would spit you out. (Revelation 3:15)
Our vertical relationship with God must be right for our horizontal relationships with one another to be right. This goes for our marriages, our families, our friendships, and our church family. A church’s unity results from each member being united in God. If there is disunity in the body of Christ, then ask yourself if you are united in Christ. Are you where you need to be with Him? Are you loving Him as you ought? The answer to that question should be the same for all of us. We could all love God better. If your relationship with Christ is not where it should be, then pray to Him to show you what needs to change and then repent of it. If your relationship with Christ is not where it should be, then your relationships with others will be off. This leads us to the next point.
2. One With Each Other (v. 22)
The basis for Jesus prayer for unity of the disciples and for all those who will believe in Him, is the unity He had with the Father. We ought to be united in love and in purpose as the Father and Son are united. Would the Father say to His Son, “I do not like what you are doing, so just get away from me?” Would the Son say to the Father, “I do not want to follow You anymore, so I am leaving?” Would the Father or the Son ever not love one another so perfectly that they cease to be in fellowship? No! If we are His church, should we be any different? No! I have heard stories of people in church who threaten the pastor or other members in the church because things are not going a certain way. Is that supposed to honor God? Is that being one with Christ? Is that being one with each other? No, it is not!
If you say you love God and follow Jesus Christ, then ask yourselves: How well do you love others? How well have you treated those who might be a little different from you or a little difficult to be around or not exactly the kind of people you want to associate? Is the church about Christ or is about you? The way some Christians act, it is clear that church is all about them. The greatest danger to a church is not from without — it is from within. The Devil already has those in the world. He is working on those in the church. If He can sow seeds of discord in the church, then he has accomplished his purpose. Are you being a tool of Satan or a servant of Christ? Which is it? Of course, no one would say they are intentionally trying to hurt the church. I believe we all think we have good intentions. But think about these things:
• Do you avoid other church members instead of talking with them about a problem?
• Do you blame others in the church for a problem rather than looking to yourself?
• Do you believe it would be better for some to leave than for us to work together?
• Is having things your way more important than seeking God’s will?
• Are you seeking God’s will?
How can we be one with Christ when we are not one with each other? How can we say we love God if we cannot love those around us? If we are in discord, we are giving Satan the opportunity he needs to destroy God’s work.
Illustration: In New England, a two-year-old child wandered off into the forest. The entire tiny town spent the day searching for this youngster but could not find him. The next day, they decided to join hands and cover the entire area. They found the boy, but unfortunately, he was dead after having spent the night outside. The distraught mother cried, “Why didn’t we hold hands sooner?”
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to come together, join hands, and pursue a common kingdom goal. Since we are going to enjoy the same place, the same presence, and the same Person, we need to all learn to enjoy one another. When we cooperate in Christianity unity, the world will see Jesus clearly revealed through His bride. This brings me to the final-point.
3. One with the Mission of LOVE (vs. 23-26)
The third area of oneness that Jesus prayed in this passage has to do with our mission as the church. Once we are united in Christ and we are united with each other, the church is equipped to show Jesus to an unbelieving world. Once we are unified, we will be able to bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Son of God sent to save an unbelieving world. Twice in this passage, Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one so that the world would see Him. Look at the verse below:
John 17:21 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Jesus prayed that His people, the Church, would be united in Christ and united with one another so that the world may believe in Him. Jesus prayed that the church would be so united that through their unity the world would know about Him. It is a beautiful thing when a church is so together that those outside the church say, “I know those people are all about Jesus.” People are looking for hope in this dark world and the church has the answer. Do you know who is hurt most by a church which fights amongst itself? The unbeliever. God’s people are more concerned about the building, the flowers, parking lot, the cemetery, or any other material thing, and the Gospel gets lost. When we are fighting amongst ourselves instead of reaching others for Christ, we are not doing the Lord’s work. It is nothing but a distraction that Satan is happy to use.
Surely those in the church who endure conflict are hurt by it. Those who leave the church because of conflict in the church are also hurt by it. But, the greatest tragedy of a church that is in conflict is those who will never hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People in the community will never see the Jesus whom the Father sent to be their Savior because His church is too busy caring about other things. Folks, how can the world see Jesus if His people are not showing Him? How can the world see Jesus if all they see is a people more concerned about things than Christ? How can they see Jesus? We say we love Christ and we say we follow Him, but what do our actions reveal?
Jesus prayed to His Father in Heaven, “The world does not know you, but, I know you, and these disciples know that you have sent me.” Why would Jesus mention that the world does not know the Father, but His disciples know that the Father sent Jesus? Might it be because His disciples will so love Him and love each other, that they could not but help tell others about Him? Might it be that the disciples would love others so much, that they would put away pride, hate, bickering, and selfish desires and reach the world for Jesus Christ? The Church is not about us. The Church is about Christ and we need to get serious about showing Christ to the world and not ourselves.
Illustration: There is a story told about a journey he took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the subject of atheism. Addressing the crowd, he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insults, argument, and proof against it. An hour later he was finished. He looked out at what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of men’s faith. “Are there any questions?” Bukharin demanded. Deafening silence filled the auditorium but then one man approached the platform and mounted the lectern standing near the communist leader. He surveyed the crowd first to the left then to the right. Finally, he shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: “CHRIST IS RISEN!” Then the crowd responded with the ancient Orthodox response “He is risen indeed!”
Where is the church today? Will we in unity proclaim the Lord’s Resurrection to the world …
Application:
• How can I be “one in Christ”?
• What sin do I need to repent in order to be closer to Him?
• How can I better demonstrate “oneness” with my fellow church members?
• What act of unkindness do I need to repent?
• Who do I need to forgive or seek forgiveness in order to be one with them?
• How can I better show Jesus to others?
