THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE
THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE
John 17:1-26
Key Verse 21 “ … that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
1. After his last words to his disciples, what did Jesus do (1)? What does “glorify” mean? Why did Jesus want to be glorified (2,3)? How did Jesus glorify God on earth (4,5)?
2. What did Jesus do for his disciples and what was their response (6-8)? What was Jesus’ first prayer for his disciples (9-12)?
3. What did Jesus want to give to his anxious disciples (13)? Why does the world hate Jesus’ disciples (14)? What was Jesus’ second prayer for the disciples (15,16)?
4. What was Jesus’ third prayer for his disciples (17)? What does it mean to be sanctified by the truth? What did Jesus do for them (18,19)?
5. What was Jesus’ prayer for those who would believe through his disciples (20,21)? What did Jesus emphasize and why (21a,22b,23a)? What did Jesus want the world to know and how would they know (23)?
6. What else did Jesus pray for all believers (24)? What would Jesus continue to do and for what purpose (25,26)?
THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE
That All of Them May Be One
John 17:1-26
Key verse John 17:21 “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Before Jesus died on the cross, he had the last supper with his disciples. During the supper, Jesus gave them his last teaching, the “Upper Room Discourse,” which is recorded in John’s gospel, from chapters 13 to 16. Now here, in chapter 17, Jesus prays. In the gospels, we find many accounts of Jesus praying. In particular, he always withdrew to a quiet place to pray after an important event, such as the feeding of the five thousand (Mt 14:22). We also find that Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. Yet we are rarely told the details of what Jesus specifically prayed. Today’s passage is probably the only account where we find the content of his prayer. Praying means offering one’s earnest desire to God. When faced with having to die the very next day, what does Jesus pray for? What is the earnest desire revealed in his prayer? Through this passage, may God help us to know Jesus’ heart’s desire for us.
- Jesus’ prayer for himself (1-5)
Look at verse 1. “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.’” After Jesus finished teaching his disciples, he looks toward heaven and prays. How does he begin his prayer? “Father.” In a few hours, Jesus will be arrested, and after standing on trial, he will be crucified. Jesus knew that. It must have been painful for him knowing that he should end his life through such a cruel method of execution at the age of 33. Yet he does not blame God for that. At his most unbearable time of suffering, Jesus completely trusts in God and comes before him saying, “Father.” Jesus never doubts God’s love in any situation. “Father, the time has come.” Since the beginning of his messianic life, Jesus has moved toward the hour – the hour of his death on the cross.
How does Jesus view his crucifixion? “Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” Jesus prays that through his death on the cross he may be glorified. God the Son came into this world in the appearance of a man. Now he offers himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. Yet that is not the end. He will defeat the power of death and rise again. Jesus, the greatest man, became the humblest man, and through the cruelest death, won the most glorious victory. It is in this way that Jesus reveals his glory. Through him being glorified Jesus also prays that God may be glorified. The eventual purpose of Jesus’ life was to glorify God. God the Father was pleased with Jesus and granted him authority over all people. Therefore, Jesus can give eternal life to all those the Father has given him (2).
What is eternal life? Look at verse 3. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Eternal life does not just mean living forever. Those who enter hell will also live there forever. Eternal life means knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ. Here to “know” means to know personally with the heart, not just with the head. For this reason, those who know Jesus and, through Jesus, know God the Father, already have eternal life. I believe that even though we live in this world with our bodies which are restricted by time and space, we already have eternal life. Do you believe that you have eternal life? Is it real to you? The moment we personally believe in Jesus we receive eternal life, and as we come to know him more deeply we come to enjoy it more abundantly. Jesus has come so that his people may have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10). May God help us each and every day to know Jesus more deeply, and enjoy his life more abundantly.
As we read in verse 1, Jesus prayed that he would glorify God through his death on the cross. Actually he also lived the life that glorified God. Look at verse 4. “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” Jesus glorified God on earth by completing the work the Father gave him to do. What was the work God gave Jesus?
First, it was to reveal God the Father to the world (6). God is spirit. He is invisible. We as sinners, cannot see the holy God. Therefore, in order to let us know him, God revealed himself through his creation, and through the Scriptures. Most importantly, he also revealed himself fully through his Son (Heb 1:1,2). All the words Jesus spoke were from God the Father. All the power Jesus had was from God the Father. The Bible says Jesus is the exact representation of God’s being (Heb 1:3). Those who have seen Jesus have seen God the Father (Jn 14:10). Jesus came to reveal God to the world
The second work given to Jesus was, as the Messiah of the world, to save all men from their sins. Jesus came as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). In order to fulfill the will of God, he denied himself and offered himself as the Lamb of God. In this way, he redeemed from sin all who believe in him. Jesus came to save all men from their sins.
The third work Jesus completed was to raise the twelve disciples who would become the foundation of the church. Jesus wanted the gospel to be preached to the whole world through his disciples. He wanted all people to hear the gospel and be saved. For this purpose Jesus came to raise the Twelve.
Jesus devoted his whole life to completing the task God gave him to do. In completing his work, he was not swayed by the pressures of his generation. He did not quarrel or cry out but silently and patiently committed himself to God. On the cross, just before he breathed his last, he said, “It is finished.” Jesus showed us the perfect example how we should live. No matter what other people may say, we believe that the life committed to completing the task God gave us to do is the most precious. We do not have time to hesitate. Life is too short to waste. May God help us to do our best to complete the work God gave us to do.
- Jesus’ prayer for his disciples (6-19)
From verse 6, Jesus prays for his disciples. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word” (6). Here the words “those whom you gave me out of the world” refer to the Twelve (12). They were appointed by Jesus. Yet Jesus says that they are basically those God gave him out of the world. Jesus taught his disciples so that they would know God. It was because they belonged to God (9). We belong to God. God forms the spirit of man within him (Zec 12:1). The Bible students we serve are not those whom we just met at the campus. They are not our possession. They are God’s possession.
Look at verse 10. “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.” Jesus’ words that “all I have is yours, and all you have is mine” are an amazing claim that Jesus is God. The Son and the Father are two separate persons. Yet they are one. This is a mysterious truth which is beyond understanding. Jesus received glory through the disciples – through their changed lives and their testimony that he is the Christ. Jesus receives glory through our changed lives and our testimony about him.
What then does Jesus specifically pray for the disciples?
First, “protect them by the power of your name.” Look at verse 11. “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one.” While Jesus was on earth he protected his disciples from the devil. Now as he is about to leave the world, he prays that the Holy Father would protect them. Look at verse 11b again. “…so that they may be one as we are one.” Jesus prays that they may be one as the Father and the Son are one. What can we learn here? Becoming one or becoming divided is not a matter of personality or character. Division is what happens when we are not protected from the devil’s attack. The devil causes believers to envy, hate, and quarrel. The devil causes believers to distrust each other and cools down our love for God. The devil causes the community to become divided and eventually collapse. We are vulnerable and we need God’s protection.
Another reason why the disciples need God’s protection is that the world hates them. Look at verse 14. “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” Why are the disciples hated by the world? It is because they live by the word of God. When we live by the word of God we are persecuted in the world (2Ti 3:12). But we must know that we were called to suffer for doing good (1Pe 2:21). If we fear the world, it will ensnare us. We will be drawn to please the world and we will end up leaving God. Therefore, we must take a clear stance. Jesus does not pray that God may take them out of the world but that God will protect them from the evil one (15).
Second, “sanctify them by the truth.” Look at verse 17. “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” What does it mean to “sanctify them”? It means to help the disciples not to follow the pattern of the world but to live holy lives before God. Further, it means to help them to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God (Ro 12:1). How can the disciples be sanctified? “Sanctify them by the truth.” They can be sanctified by the truth. What is the truth? The truth is the word of God. In order to live holy lives before God, we must have the word of God.
Some people are zealous for God. They have a strong desire to do God’s work. Yet they do not study the word diligently. They just want to serve God on their own terms. But when they do not have the word of God, many things go wrong. It is not good to have zeal without knowledge (Po 19:2). Also some people just want to pray all the time. That is not good either. If anyone turns a deaf ear to the word of God, the Bible says even his prayers will be detestable (Pr 28:9). Without the word of God it is impossible to live a holy life.
Why do many believers live nominal Christian lives? Why do people stop growing spiritually? Why do we not have joy and fruit in our lives of faith? There is only one answer, and that is, that we do not eat the word of God deliciously. The word of God gives us joy. It enables us to be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2Ti 3:17). As long as we keep learning the word of God we will not get old. Instead we will come to be full of the energy of youth. Personally, every morning I receive spiritual energy from three sources. First, from daily bread and personal prayer. Second, from memorizing Bible verses. Third, from having faith in God holding onto Mk 11:22, “have faith in God.” The word of God gives us the strength and wisdom we need. The word of God is the fountain of all joy, strength and wisdom. May God help us to study the word of God fervently and obey it so that our community will continue to be filled with spiritual energy and the wisdom of God.
III. Jesus’ prayer for the believers (20-26)
From verse 20, Jesus prays for those who will believe in him through his disciples. Look at verse 21. “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Jesus’ prayer for all believers is not that they may lead comfortable lives or that they may be successful and famous in the world. Jesus prays for a totally different thing – that they may be one.
Now are we not sitting here together? On Sundays, do we not gather together for worship service? Do we not meet in the name of Christ? Does this mean that we are one? No. Jesus’ prayer has a deeper meaning. It means that all of us may be one, just as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father. In mathematics, if A belongs to B, and B belongs to A, it means A is B.
The Father and the Son are two different persons but they are completely one. Each one of us is an independent individual. The characteristic of an individual is unique. Each individual is different. We all differ in our personalities and talents. We differ in character and appearance. There is nobody who is identical to another person in the world. We are also all self-centered. There is a story. One day, two pastors quarreled on the street. They quarreled a lot but could not agree. One pastor said, “OK, that’s enough. Now you go your way! I will go the Lord’s way!” Everyone thinks that he was right. How can we be one?
First, we can be one when we have the same life purpose. What is the ultimate purpose of our lives? It is to glorify God. He is the Creator. He is the living God. Our life came from him and will return to him. To praise him and worship him forever is the greatest purpose of our lives. One of the main reasons why believers are not one is that they live for their own glory and not for the glory of God. When we give up the desire to seek our own glory and start seeking God’s glory we can be one.
Second, when we humble ourselves and serve each other we can be one. Jesus was one with the Father by humbly and absolutely obeying the Father. The Father was one with the Son by loving him and entrusting to him all judgment, so that all would honor the Son (Jn 5:22,23). When we humbly serve others we can be one. When someone says to another person, “I want to serve you as your servant,” will he say, “No, I don’t like you. Go away”? The way to be one is to humbly serve others first, assuming the lower position while exalting others. But when we do that what usually comes to our minds? “Good for him but what about me? I lose, I sacrifice, I become lowly, no one acknowledges me… what do I get?” When that happens, what must we believe? We must believe that God knows everything. He sees everything and knows everything. If he knows all, that’s it. Period! If God wants to give honor he can give it. He can give blessing and all kinds of grace to those he wants to give. When we believe that this is our God, we can lower ourselves and gladly serve others with humility. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” We believe that those who receive God’s blessing are truly blessed. May we completely become one by humbly serving others.
Third, in order to be one we should acknowledge that we all are different. Imagine an orchestra. Everyone plays different instruments. If all the members played the violin, they would not make a beautiful harmony. If they all beat drums, they will quickly bore the audience. All the orchestra members follow the instruction of the conductor yet make a beautiful harmony by playing different instruments. Likewise, we differ in our characters and talents. Who is our conductor? Our Lord Jesus Christ! In a narrower concept, our conductor is the spiritual identity we all share together. Our identity is very simple: UBF. As our name means we are a campus mission community. And we accept the Bible as the word of the living God. We are not an organization like a business corporation. We are a community like a family. We believe that we have been called to obey Jesus’ world mission command through laymen ministry. Under this clear spiritual identity, when we acknowledge our differences and co-work together we can become one.
If the essentials are the same, we should tolerate the differences of the non-essentials. Our true enemy is not within but without. If we conflict with our co-workers over trivial issues, we will get exhausted and have no remaining energy to fight our real enemy outside. We should co-work with one heart and mind to work for the glory of God. When we forgive and love first the person whom we feel most difficult to be one with, God will surely be pleased and bless us. May God help us to forgive each other, love one another, and build up a community of perfect unity.
What will happen when we become one? Look at verse 21b. “…so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The key message of the gospel we preach is God’s love. People see whether we just preach God’s word with our mouths or we actually practice our teaching in our lives. In the first century, the Christians were an absolute minority. Compared with the Roman Empire, they were a tiny group of people. The Roman Empire seemed to last forever. Yet it was conquered by Christianity. What power did Christianity have that it could conquer Rome? It was the power of love. Roman fathers just threw newborn babies away when they looked weak. The Christians took the abandoned babies and brought them up with love. The ethics of the Romans was not strong. Many husbands were not faithful and had mistresses. However, Christian husbands loved their wives and remained faithful. Christians dearly loved one another. The Romans saw this and said, “Look! How the Christians love! They are ready to die for each other!” What they saw was the love of Christ. Through the Christian community they came to know Jesus’ love and believed him as Christ.
Evangelism cannot just be done with words. It also needs to be done with genuine love. If someone says, “I find this community is full of love that I cannot find elsewhere; I want to belong to this group,” that is the most effective way of evangelism. People see and know how we live. If they find our community cold and indifferent to each other, who will want to stay with us? Do you want to remain in such a community? That kind of community has already failed as a church of Christ. I pray that we may truly forgive each other, love, and humbly serve each other. May God help us to love one another until other people say, “Look! How dearly UBF people love one another! They are ready to die for each other. I want to belong to them! I want to be loved by Christ!”
What did Jesus do for us to be one? Look at verse 22. “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:…” Jesus gave us the glory. What glory did he give us? The glory that we become the children of God. Therefore, becoming one means becoming one as the family and children of God. What is the eventual purpose of us becoming one as children of God? Look at verse 23. “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” The words “I in them and you in me” mean that the Father, the Son and the children all become one. This is the ultimate purpose of God’s salvation of the world. That is, all believers by becoming one with the Father and the Son participate in the utmost bliss and glory of God and enjoy him forever and ever. This community is a loving spiritual community that abounds with God love.
In conclusion, what was Jesus’ prayer for us? Still now Jesus is praying for us at the right hand of God. What is he praying for? For our comfortable lives and success in the world? I believe he is praying that all of us may be one, just as the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in him. Becoming one with the love of Christ is the most important work of God that we have been given. Complete unity itself is our most powerful message to the world. In the coming year 2019, may God help us, as those who received God’s redeeming love, to embrace each other, dearly love one another, and build up a loving spiritual community. Amen!
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