Jesus’ prayer for those who will believe
John 17:20-26
20 ‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, 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. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
25 ‘Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.’
In this section of the prayer Jesus focusses very directly on us – those who will believe because of the testimony of the disciples. The disciples told the story of Jesus and people who had never met Jesus became his followers, and that continued all the way down to us. So that today there are more than 2 billion Christians alive in the world right now.
Jesus prays that his followers would be one, in the same way that Jesus and God the Father are one. This vision of unity is larger than the local congregation, it spreads to all the followers of Jesus Christ around the world. It is not a call for us to be part of one denomination – but that we would within our differences understand that as Christians we are one and we will eventually have to spend eternity together. Also understanding that the unity Jesus prays for is not one that human beings bring about by planning or organizational charts – this unity is one that the Holy Spirit brings about. The purpose of this unity is to declare to the world that there is a way to end the divisions that exist in our world, to move past the fracture lines, and the only way is in Jesus Christ. The church finds its unity in Christ alone, and Christ is the only hope for the world to find its way to unity.
Jesus’ prayer ends with this powerful request: “I desire that those whom you have given me may be with me where I am.” There is no higher goal or deeper purpose than that – to be with Jesus where he is.
PRAYER:
Lord God, we pray that we might be with Jesus where he is. That we would find in that place a unity across all the lines of division that humanity so easily puts up. Draw us into the unity of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.