What kind of unity does Jesus request for his disciples?
John 17:11-12; John 17:20-21; John 17:22-23
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is the longest recorded prayer we have of Jesus. It is overwhelmingly deep, and it would take a lifetime to fully probe the dimensions of its truth. It is often called the “High Priestly Prayer,” because we learn from Hebrews that Jesus is our great high priest, and this is an example of how Jesus prays. I want to focus on Jesus’ prayer for the unity of his disciples.
It is easy for us to deal very lightly with this topic, as if he were only praying that Christians would “get along better” in church, not squabbling or backbiting. While this is certainly important (see Paul’s appeal to Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4), it only begins to scratch the surface of what Jesus asks. Each of the scriptures referenced above contributes to our sense of this prayer.
First, Jesus seems acutely aware of the awful spiritual danger his followers are in as they continue to live in this world. He is going back to heaven, leaving them surrounded by terrible foes. Knowing that the world, the flesh, and the devil will assault their faith continually, Jesus prays for the Father to protect them from these dangers, “so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:21). He goes on to explain more of this, namely, that none of them would be lost.
Lost means apostate, forsaking their faith in him. The oneness Jesus prays for means being part of his body, the church, a branch abiding in him as the true vine (John 15), or even a branch connected fully into the cultivated olive tree (Romans 11). Still believing, still spiritually alive, still a member of him through active faith. That’s what unity means in that context.
Second, Jesus prays for the unity of others who will believe in him through the spreading of the word of the gospel… that they also may be one as God is one. Again, it is the same sense of unity, sinners made alive in Christ through faith—including wild olive shoots grafted into the cultivated olive tree (Romans 11; Gentile converts to Christ).
As they live out this beautiful and supernatural unity, …the gospel will shine as the heaven-sent message it really is.
Third, Jesus prays for an ever-increasing display of unity among his followers on earth so that the onlooking world may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and have life in his name. This is very much like the Euodia and Syntyche situation, and it extends to all believers in families and churches all over the world. He is praying that they may be one in heart and mind, having the same faith, the same love, the same purposes and goals, the same truth, the same Savior. As they live out this beautiful and supernatural unity, including former enemies (e.g. Jews vs Gentiles), the gospel will shine as the heaven-sent message it really is.
Finally, the true unity Jesus prays for is patterned after the Trinity, “as we are one, you in me and I in them.” The Father and the Son are perfectly one, agreeing heart, mind, and soul about everything—every massive issue and every tiny particle. In heaven, every follower of Christ will be as one with God and with each other as the Father and the Son are one. That is the perfection of heaven—individuality harmonized into unity.
And Jesus gets everything he asks for in prayer, because he always prays according to the will of the Father.
