Title: Jesus’ Prayer for Us
Text: John 17:20-26
Three Little Ninjas
In 1992, the movie Three Little Ninjas came out and was very popular. The movie was about three young brothers who spent every summer with their Japanese grandfather. During the summer, the grandfather would teach them martial arts. When their training came to an end one summer and the grandfather was telling them goodbye, he gave each of the brothers’ new names. He named the oldest brother Rocky because “he’s solid and cool as granite rock.” He named the middle brother Colt because “he’s fast and free and has the spirit of a young wild horse.” And he named the youngest Tum-Tum as a reminder that “ambition begins and ends with the tummy.” These names described the brothers and their different personalities. But the names also reminded them of who they are, especially during difficult circumstances that they eventually faced in the movie.
Jesus’ Prayer for us
John chapters 14-17 are known as the farewell chapters. This is when Jesus gives some last commandments and eventually prays for himself, his disciples, and for future disciples. This was the last chance for Jesus to speak with his disciples so what he said was important. At the closing of his prayer, he prays for the future church. In other words, before he’s arrested, he takes time to pray for us. Just like the three brothers were given names that would describe them and remind them of who they are, Jesus’ prayer describes us and offers us a reminder of who we are.
Unity
So, what did Jesus pray for? What was Jesus’ main concern for us? Our of all the things that he could say, what did he pray for? In the prayer for us, Jesus’ main concern is, as seen in verse 20, that we may all be one. Jesus is interested in our unity. He’s knows that he will be leaving soon. He knows that the church will face difficulties. Therefore, he desires that his followers will stay unified. He wants them to stick together.
You can put labels on the church, but one label that probably doesn’t fit us too well, especially in American, is unified. We just can’t seem to agree to disagree and save our reputation. Now the differences aren’t the problem. Jesus didn’t tell us to agree on everything and be the same. That would completely defeat the purpose of diversity within the body of Christ. Our problem is staying united, even when we disagree. One of John Wesley’s famous statement’s was: “In things essential, let there be unity; In things inessential, liberty; In all things, charity.” In other words, Wesley is telling us to be united, even when we disagree.
So, Jesus tells us to be unified. But why? Why is unity so necessary? One reason that unity is necessary is because it invites us into participation with God.
Unity invites us into participation with the Triune God.
John 17:20,21 “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
God is unity
Even before the world was created, God was a God of unity. We can see that in the relationship of the trinity. One part of God’s nature is unity. We see unity modeled in the triune God. Perfect unity.
Salvation is God calling us to participate with the triune God. Since God is unity, we must also practice unity. We can only participate with the trinity when we are unified. If we are not unified, we aren’t doing God’s work.
In Christ
To be in Christ means to join Christ in unity with His church. We destroy the unity of the church when we are divisive. There’s simply nothing worse than being divisive. Nothing good can come out of it. We are fortunate that we are invited to participate in God’s redeeming work in the world. Being divisive hurts that work. God can take normal, ordinary people and use them to do great things if they are united. Yet, even the most talented person is useless if they are divisive.
Duke basketball 2010
As you probably know, Duke won the National Championship this season. Being National Champions means that you are the best team for that year. What’s interesting is that Duke wasn’t the most talented team. There were several teams this season that Duke beat but Duke wasn’t as talented as they were. Do you know how they won it all? Team chemistry. They chose to come to Duke and participate because of the success of the program. Then, even through some tough seasons, they stayed together, built team chemistry, and it paid off for them. They didn’t have the most talent, but they were the best team. They didn’t allow differences to get in the way. They didn’t allow egos to get in the way. They simply played as a team.
Something greater
Unity is important and we can only participate in the ministry of the triune God when we are united. In God’s work, there’s no place for egos. There’s no place for division. We are called to participate in something greater than ourselves. Whenever we are divisive, we lose sight of the greater goal and make it about ourselves. But it’s not about us. It’s about God’s work. We are simply allowed to participate.
Unity allows us to participate in God’s work. Through unity, we can also share our faith with others.
Unity allows us to share our faith without words. (Evangelism)
v.21-23 says “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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 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 church being united is important because it allows us to share our faith with others. Whenever the world sees a unified church, they are more interested in joining.
Philippians 2:14,15 says “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation.”
How do we evangelize? How do we hope to see the church grow? I’m not sure about all the tactics for getting people to church, but I do not what would keep them away. Disunity: A church that’s not loving and can’t agree on anything.
Time-Share salesman.
Unity invites us to participate with the triune God, allows us to share our faith without words, and models a better and alternative community for the world.
Unity models a better and alternative community for the world.
v. 25 says “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.”
When we are united as the body of Christ, we model the kingdom of God for the world. We show them a strange way of living. For three years, Jesus Christ preached the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God was a new way of living and Jesus wants his disciples to live out the kingdom of God in the world. We aren’t to live by the patterns of the world but rather the patterns of the kingdom of God. The world preaches power. Jesus preaches humility. The world preaches war and violence. Jesus preaches peace. Jesus invites his followers to live in a completely different world. This world isn’t our home. We are aliens here. Our home is in heaven with God. The problem comes when the church lives by the patterns of the world instead of the teachings of Christ. Whenever we enter the family of God, we enter an entirely new way of living.
Whenever you get married, either on the first date or after a few years of marriage, you realize that you didn’t just marry your spouse but your spouses’ entire family. Growing up, one of my family’s regular routines was to eat lunch after church at my granny and papa’s. I still remember the first time that I took Jade over there whenever we first began dating. You see, we both have really good families, but our families are completely different. My family is really “huggy”. Jade’s family, not so much. My family holds grudges and are emotional. Jade’s family just let’s things not bother too much. So, the first time that Jade went over to my grandparent’s house, it was sort of strange. When she got there, she was bombarded with hugs, something that she was completely uncomfortable with. She thought, “Who are these strange people hugging me?”
Just like different families, henever people see the church, they should see a very strange community. We should look different. We should act difference. We should represent God’s kingdom in the world. We can only do this when we are unity. We can only show peace when we are unity. We can only show love when we are unity. Jesus prayed for unity, and it’s only through unity that we can model God’s kingdom on earth.
Unity invites us to participate with the triune God, allows us to share our faith without words, and models a better and alternative community for the world.
Conclusion
The truth is, we need one another. And that’s hard to admit for us. Jesus wants us to be united because we all tend to wander off by ourselves. It’s hard to keep community. It’s hard to be with people, especially those who are different from you. But we are the body of Christ and we can’t fulfill the Great Commission by ourselves. We need each other. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
