John 17:20-26
That They May All Be One
Read the passage
20I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message,
21that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—
23I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
24Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me.
26And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus' prayer reaches beyond the disciples listening to Him. He prays for people who will believe through their message. That includes believers who will hear about Him long after these disciples are gone.
He asks that they may be one, as the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. Their unity grows from belonging to Him together. Jesus says this shared life will help the world recognize that the Father sent Him and loves His people.
The prayer looks beyond what others will see in believers. Jesus also wants His people to be with Him and see His glory. The Father loved Him before the foundation of the world; now Jesus desires that the Father's love be in them too.
We often pray for people we know by name. Here Jesus prays for people His disciples have never met. Before they have carried His message into the world, He is already asking the Father to gather those future believers into His love.
Questions
1 For whom does Jesus pray beyond the first disciples?
AnswerHe prays for those who will believe in Him through the disciples' message. His prayer includes future believers.
2 Why does Jesus ask that all believers may be one?
AnswerHe asks for their unity so that the world may believe the Father sent Him. Their life together is meant to show the Father's love.
3 What does Jesus want His people to see when they are with Him?
AnswerHe wants them to see the glory the Father gave Him. He speaks of the Father's love for Him before the foundation of the world.
4 How could our family care for other believers as people who belong to Jesus with us?
AnswerWe could pray for another congregation, welcome someone new at church, or help a believer whose needs we have overlooked. Jesus' prayer gives us reason to care beyond our own circle.
What This Means for Us
Following Jesus joins us to people we would not necessarily have chosen as friends. We may differ in age, background, or temperament, yet we have received the same message about Him. His prayer gives us a reason to seek one another's good.
Consider how you speak about other Christians at home. Children can learn contempt from an adult's careless remark, but they can also learn to pray for people with whom we disagree. Unity leaves room for honest disagreement and addressing wrongdoing. It asks us to remember whose people we are while we do so.
Pray for a Christian family or church outside your usual circle. Give thanks that Jesus wants them, as well as you, to be with Him and see His glory.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for praying for those who would believe through Your disciples' message. Help us love the people You have gathered to Yourself. Let our life together show the Father's love, and keep us looking forward to being with You. Amen.