All of Them

Scripture: John 17:20-21 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (John 17:20-21 NLT)

Jesus prayed for us, friends! Just as specifically as if he had mentioned us each by name in this prayer, he looked down through the generations and centuries and saw an unbroken line of believers and prayed for us all! A couple of days ago when I was writing about Jesus’ words, “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me…”, I was struck by the thought that Jesus was letting go of these disciples and entrusting them to the Holy Spirit and to the Word of Truth he had taught and lived for them. The Plan was for them, after receiving the Holy Spirit, to live and tell the message everywhere they went. That was the plan, and there is no other plan!

The plan is working! Through good times and hard times, in seasons of favor and opposition, across deserts and seas, across national borders and language barriers, the message has spread from person to person and from generation to generation. Our faith is directly descended from this prayer Jesus prayed in an upper room, just prior to his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus chose this double handful of men from among the multitudes who followed him and entrusted the message of the Kingdom of God to them just before they deserted him and scattered in fear! This is perhaps the greatest act of faith in the history of heaven and earth!

Friends, sometimes, like Jesus was at this point, we’re called on to let go! Sometimes we must release our grip on the most precious, most important thing in our lives and trust it to God. Let’s always be encouraged by Jesus’ great act of faith and release! Jesus trusted the Father, he trusted the Spirit, he trusted the Message of Truth, and he even trusted us! Amazing!

But the prayer is for our unity! That we will be one as Jesus and the Father are one! We’ll never be one in doctrine, at least not until we focus on the command to love God and love each other. We’ll never be one in methodology and organization and structure. But we must become one in Spirit so the world will believe!

Prayer:

Father, May we all become one, just as you and Jesus are one, so the world will believe! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!