In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father and interceding on behalf of His disciples. These disciples are the beginning of the Church. His prayer is important because it reveals to us our Savior’s love for us and His passion for His disciples to make disciples and bring glory to God. In verses 1-5, Jesus prayed that as He is glorified (death, resurrection, and ascension) He would glorify the Father. In verses 6-19, Jesus prayed that His Father wouldn’t remove His children from the world, but would secure and sanctify them as they proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. In verses 20-26, Jesus prays that His followers will be united with each other, just as He is united with God. This Divine unity is a powerful witness to the world; testifying that Jesus has been sent by God. Let us consider more closely the unity and testimony that Jesus’ followers should possess.
The Unity of the Church
Jesus prays for the unity of the Church. This unity is from God and should be evident in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. This unity is based on grace and truth.
Unity with God and Each Other
Jesus’ followers are to be united with each other because they are united with God. For any group to be in unity, they must be united around one focal point. For an orchestra to sound beautiful all the instruments need to be turned together. How does a conductor accomplish this? In most instances, he/she begins with the oboe on the A note and all the others tune their instruments to that. Christians must be “in tune” with each other, but in order to do that they must first be tuned to Christ. Jesus said, “I pray for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…” (17:20-21). Jesus could have prayed for many things at this point, but His focus was on the unity of the Church. He wants the Church to focus on Him. Being united with God through the work of God, we can be united with one another. Jesus said, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…” (17:22-23). Our perfection (e.g., completion) in Christ is demonstrated in our unity with one another. This is what God wants for His children: unity with Him and with each other.
Unity with Grace and Truth
Jesus’ followers are united to God and each other because of Christ’s love. Jesus said, “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (17:26). Christians cannot love one another without Christ’s love within them. This is because true unity must be rooted in genuine, sacrificial love. John would later write, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7). Jesu said, I “have loved them as You have loved Me” (17:23).
Because Jesus is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14), our unity must be based on grace and truth. We should strive to be united on what God has revealed in His Holy Word. We should humble ourselves before God and others with grace. Augustine is most likely the one who said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” Because our unity is based on grace and truth, it must also be without compromise. We rejoice in the truth because we are sanctified by the truth (17:19).
The Testimony of the Church
Jesus prays for the unity of the Church so that it would offer a powerful witness to the world of hope and truth.
Testify with Hope
The unity of the Church is a powerful testimony of hope. Jesus said that the unity of Christians with God and each other is intended to be a witness “that the world may believe that You sent Me” (17:21). Later in verse 23, Jesus reiterated this when He said “…that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (17:23). The unity of Jesus’ followers is a powerful witness of hope because we testify that Jesus is the Christ who is the only giver of hope. Christians have hope in this life and in the next. Jesus prayed, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (17:24). The Apostle Paul, speaking of the return of Christ, said that we should “comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess 4:18) “lest you sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thess 4:13).
Testify with Truth
The unity of Jesus’ followers is a powerful witness of truth. Jesus said, “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me” (17:25). Christians testify that Jesus is the Son of God who has come into the world. We testify that God is righteous and He determines what is right and wrong. Truth is objective because God declares what is true and what is false. The Prophet Isaiah records the curse for those who pervert God’s truth. He said, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Is 5:20).
Jesus prays that His followers (17:20) will be united with each other, just as He is united with God. This Divine unity is a powerful witness to the world; testifying that Jesus has been sent by God. The Church is not just another benevolent organization. The Church is “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). What witness do we give to our community? Is it a witness of Christ’s grace and mercy demonstrated in our grace and mercy towards one another? Or, do we treat one another the same (or worse) than unbelievers treat one another? What witness do we give and what do we say about our Lord Jesus? Jesus prayed that His church would be united and this unity would be a powerful witness to the world. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2). Let us show that Jesus is worthy of worship and praise. Let us demonstrate that Jesus is the firm foundation for which we can build our life.
First Baptist Scott City, MO 
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