John 17:20-26 CSB
"I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. [21] May they 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 you sent me. [22] I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. [23] I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. [24] "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world's foundation. [25] Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. [26] I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them."
1 Corinthians 15:19 CSB
If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
One in the Lord
This passage marks the conclusion of Jesus’ longest recorded prayer before His betrayal. While He would pray again in Gethsemane, this “High Priestly Prayer” follows a beautiful, purposeful order. First, Jesus prayed for His own glorification so that He might glorify the Father—not a selfish plea, but a commitment to hold fast to the ministry He had been given. Second, He prayed for the disciples gathered around Him, knowing they would soon undergo the darkness of trials. Finally, in this last portion, He prays for us—those who would come to believe in Him through the Apostles’ word, their personal witness, and the writing of Scripture.
Notice that Jesus never confuses His unique identity with that of His disciples. The union between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a perfect, eternal bond. His prayer is that we, as believers, might be drawn into that perfect union. This means that when we pray, we should do so without harboring bitterness against a brother or sister. We are called to worship together in love, which is the flowering outreach of our union with Christ; if we find ourselves walking in selfish ambition, we check our hearts and confess our sins.
Those outside the church often look to our love to see if Jesus is real. They catch a glimpse of the Father through how we treat one another, because God is love.
Life is often heavy, and many of us arrive at church feeling worn out and defeated. In those moments, we can lean on the truth that our hope in Christ isn’t just for this life, but for eternity. This is why many of us cherish those old-fashioned services—singing songs together, repeating scriptures together, and kneeling at a single altar for Communion. It’s a visible bond of love, a chance to worship the Father and Son in the Spirit. Not watching a worship service, but being part of one. Jesus prays that we will one day be where He is—in Heaven with our forever family, still together.
Jesus’ prayer is not only for our unity with each other, but for our real unity with Him and the Father, being filled with the Holy Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 6:17 tells us, “anyone joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.” This is echoed in 1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.”
We have a living fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. This reality drives out selfish division among us, replacing it with a bond of love and a readiness to forgive. We are one because He has made us one.
Reflection Questions
- Jesus prays for those who believe “through their word.” How does it change your view of the Bible to know that Jesus was specifically praying for you as you read the words the Apostles wrote down?
- Why is “old-fashioned” unity—singing, reciting Scripture, praying, and taking Communion together—so vital when we feel “worn out and defeated” by the world?
- If our hope in Christ is not for this life only, how should that eternal perspective help us resolve conflicts or “selfish ambitions” within our local church today?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that Jesus had us in His heart and on His lips before He ever went to the Cross. Thank You for the gift of Your Word, which has reached across centuries to bring us to faith. Forgive us for the times we allow selfish ambition to break the unity You have given us. Remind us that we are part of a forever family, joined to You and to each other. Help us to love one another so that the world may see Your glory and know that You sent Your Son to save us.
Amen.
