17:20
Jesus’ prayer is not limited to the apostles, but applies to all believers. Note that it is those who believe the apostles message. Those who deviate from the apostles’ message also remove themselves from the covering of Jesus’ prayer. This verse also highlights the purpose of the apostles, to preach the message of believing in Jesus. Jesus is the focus of it all, any “gospel” that focuses on anything or anyone else is no gospel at all.
17:21
Jesus prays that all of us may be one. So what do we see just now? On the face of it we are from this goal, and in a very real sense that is true. There are three main strands of Christianity: protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. Within these strands, especially within protestantism there are many divisions. Some of these are clearly between those who are faithful to Christ and those who are not, divisions on the issue of homosexuality is the most pertinent of these today. But there are also divisions between those who do believe the Bible, eg over baptism, over the age of the earth etc. So all this looks pretty depressing, yet here is also good news. I guess most of us have experienced the joy of meeting a Christian for the first time from some other part of the country, or from another nation, and finding that there is an immediate common bond between us. So there is both unity and disunity. When we are true to Christ it is the unity that dominates.
Jesus prays for us to have the same unity that He and the Father enjoy. And the purpose of this is that the world will believe that the Father sent the Son. In a time when society is increasingly hostile to Christianity I believe that as the opposition increases the unity, and the real expression of that unity, will increase, and the name of Jesus will be glorified in the midst of the opposition.
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