Read: John 17:20-26
. . . I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (v. 23)
A hymn written by John Fawcett echoes Jesus’s prayer: “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love . . . Before our Father’s throne, we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares.” We have many commonalities. Yet we often focus on differences rather than similarities. Jesus wants us to seek unity. Peter Scholtes penned these words for another song based on John 13:35: “We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord . . . And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
Jesus prayed earnestly for all believers to be one, see his glory, and know and share his love. It’s an intimate plea for connection, based on love. Love is a verb, not just an idea or feeling. To Jesus, love meant self-sacrifice. How do we express love? As the song above notes, “We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand . . . We will work with each other, we will work side by side; and we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.” It takes work and cooperation and a focus on love.
After praying, Jesus left with his disciples to go into the garden of Gethsemane, where he demonstrated his love. May his prayers for peace, joy, glory, and unity become our own as we learn to live like him.
As you pray, ask for strength and wisdom to live into the fulfillment of Jesus’s prayers.
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.
