John 17:20-23 – Jesus’ desire for the church to have unity

In these last seven verses of John 17, Jesus’ prayer has the longest reach. His prayer not only covered the ministry of the first disciples but all who would come to know Him through their ministries. This list of people they had reached include us today. We are people who are brought to faith in Jesus Christ through the faithful ministry of a long line of believers after the apostles. These followers of Christ persisted in sharing His message passed down from the apostles. Our faith finds its ground in the teachings of the apostles of Christ. Because of them, we have had the opportunity to know Christ. They had faithfully discharged their God-given responsibility. What about us? Are we also discharging our responsibility in propagating the Gospel? So when Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word,” He had us in mind. He also had in mind that we would be doing the tasks assigned to the apostles. We see that in this last segment of Jesus’ upper room prayer. He asked for the church’s unity, her ultimate destiny and her continual intimacy. Our reflection will be on verses 20-23 where Jesus prayed for unity for the church.

What is evident is that He not only had the eleven apostles in mind, He also had us believers of today in His mind. We all have come to believe Him because of the Apostles faithful effort in sharing the Gospel. What they shared were faithfully passed down till it reached us. Now, Jesus’ desire is for all believers to share the same faith the apostles had in Him. Our faith rest on the witness of the apostles. We find oneness in faith as we embrace the teaching passed down from the apostles. Jesus’ desire is clearly expressed in verse 21. He wants us to share the same life that He had with the Father. The same oneness He shared with the Father. He wants us to experience that life so that the world will clearly see that God had indeed sent Him to us. The oneness Christ came to create had made us brothers and sisters regardless of our age and nationality. Whether we care to admit it or not, we share the same life in Christ.

Notice that the element that would bring about this is: love. The Son’s glory is in the Father’s love for Him. He found His strength in that love. Jesus said that He had given us the same love so that we may be one. As we obediently love each other, we will generate the oneness He desires. Hence our prayer should also constantly echo the desire of the Lord. Let us live to demonstrate our oneness in Christ by loving each other. So we say:

Father make us one,

Father make us one,

That the world may know

That you’ve sent your son,
Yes, Father make us one.