Our unity reveals God’s love.

The world needs to know that God sent his Son & loved us as He loves His Son, Who took on human flesh, suffered under the hands of His own people and the Roman authorities, willingly went to the cross to make atonement for the sins of the world. God has called each of us, equipped us with gifts, called us to die to self, and placed us with others (who may be hard to love) so that the world would know that Jesus is the Messiah.

God has called us together to make His truth & love known, not just through words—but also through our actions toward one another.

Moments before Jesus is betrayed, abandoned, and arrested, He finishes the prayer that was pricelessly recorded for us in John 17.

Jesus often repeats Himself, but the repetition in this section is especially noteworthy:

Three times, Jesus says He does something or the Godhead is something so that we might be one.

Three times Jesus speaks of the unity of the Father and Son.

Three times He speaks of people knowing or needing to know that the Father sent Jesus.

Three times He speaks of glory being given or made known.

Three times He speaks of the love the Father has for the Son.

Who is this beautiful, momentous prayer for?

We see that Jesus applies the whole of the prayer to those who would believe through the disciples’ words. That’s anyone who has put their faith in Christ down through the centuries! The message has been faithfully passed on, from person to person, to this very moment as you read this!

This prayer is for those, specifically, who will believe through the disciples’ message, which is the gospel. We do not get to choose what we believe and then expect God to conform eternity to our desires. The demands of the gospel and the benefits that flow from it are authored by God and not up for amendment. Despite polls that consistently show a good number of professing ‘Christians’ believe simply being good gets you to heaven, that is not the message of the gospel. It is only through repentance and faith in Jesus as the only means for forgiveness of sins that we are reconciled to God.

And the offer is real! The hope of the resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, & the peace that comes from a relationship with God are real.

Jesus prayed for our unity.

“I ask … that they may all be one.” (John 17:21) Our unity, He goes on to say, is modeled on the unity of the Father and the Son. And it’s not just modeled on that, it stems from our union with God. Jesus continues, “that they may also be in Us.”

You cannot have unity with your brother or sister without living in the unity of Father, Son, and Spirit through faith.

It is by grace through faith that we are united with God. And it is an all-encompassing unity: from new birth, to resurrection, and how we live day to day. Galatians 2:20 Unity with Christ will deepen, expand & bring new purpose to all our relationships.

What is the result of this unity with one another & the Trinity?

The world will know that the Father sent Jesus: that is, that He is the Messiah. Jesus wants us to display unity in the local church so that the world will gaze upon the One that should have our whole allegiance. Our obsession with or distress over other leaders will fade when our gaze is fixed on Him!

So, how are you fostering unity in the local church & the broader body of Christ? Are you praying for & with one another? Are you seeking to spend time together? Are you serving others together?

Good intentions or feelings will not do much to build unity. We need to adjust our schedules & make time for one another just as we must adjust our schedules & make time for communion with God. It takes time and nearness to build the kind of love that is noticeable to others.

“The fruit of the Spirit (that is the result of our union with Christ) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” As we take on these character qualities of God and we express them toward one another, unity is strengthened & God’s glory is reflected!

Once again in verse 23, we see Jesus repeat the result of unity, “that the world may know that You sent Me” adding, “and loved them, as You have loved me.”

We want people to know that God loves them! And they will, as we display God’s love through our actions toward one another.

One last thing…Jesus doesn’t just pray for the here and now. He prays for our eternity: He wants those the Father has given Him to be where He is! (v.24) In other words, He wants us to inhabit eternity with Him. Why? So we can really see what glory looks like!

We see, here, through a glass darkly. We may see or even shine God’s glory pretty brightly in a dark world. Our love for one another and our unity despite differences may, even, at times be blinding to a non-believing world!

But you ain’t seen nothing yet. One day we will see Him as He really is. We’ll see this glory, this love that existed before the foundation of the world and led to the creation of all we see. We’ll know that love completely and fully.

That is what Jesus wants for us. This is what Jesus prayed for us.

To believe- that we might know God’s glory and love- so that we might truly love one another and show the world, through our unity, that Jesus is the Messiah.

God fulfilled His promise & sent Him to show us what it means to…

walk with God,

love others in a serving, selfless way,

and give up all that others may live.

May we pray & seek to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer- so the world might know our God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

-adapted from a sermon by Michael Herrington