Read: John 17:20-26
. . . 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. (v. 21)
When loved ones are close to dying, people often notice what they say, hoping for comfort, a blessing, their testimony, or final loving expressions. In a red-letter edition of the Bible, John 14-17 is mostly red, signaling Jesus’s final words with his disciples. These are essentially Jesus’s deathbed wishes, parting words full of weighty, valuable significance.
What does Jesus pray for? In verse 23, he asks for “complete unity” (NIV) or that his followers be “perfectly one” (ESV). What a seemingly impossible request! How could twelve men with such varied personalities and backgrounds agree with each other or be unified? Even today, there are, according to some estimates, more than 45,000 different global denominations. Believers have been notoriously divided throughout the ages, differing in both beliefs and practices.
Yet Jesus said that oneness among his followers will cause others to believe that he was sent by God. To the world, our unity is a witness of the Father and the Son’s perfect unity. Our ability to get along with each other is a serious matter. As we look at these final words of Jesus during the next two weeks, think about how his prayer for his followers impacts your life as well as the life of the church today.
As you pray, ask Jesus to open hearts and minds so that his prayer for all believers is answered.
About the Author
Denise Vredevoogd
Denise Vredevoogd is a private piano teacher who lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan. She enjoys reading, writing, gardening, and spending time in nature with her adult sons and daughters.
