One. Series

In John the disciples account of Easter just prior to Jesus arrest, something is recorded that gives an understanding of Jesus and his relationship with God the Father and also with His followers that is mind boggling and gives an illustration of what Jesus sees His church being…its like His vision for the future church, that body of people from social misfits too social high flyers that would one day be his representatives bringing glory to Him as they go about their everyday lives.

What we find in John 17 verse 20 to 26 is a part of a prayer that Jesus prayed in the upper room for his disciples, were washing of the disciple’s feet and the last supper took place.

Part of that prayer was for those who where not disciples but for those who would follow them, a bit more to the point this prayer was prayed by Jesus for you and I, it’s true Jesus took the time to pray for us just hours before his arrest at that place down in the Kidron Valley. Lets have a look at this part of the gospel. (Read John 17:20-26)

What was it that Jesus had prayed for you and I?

1) Well when we look at verses 20 and 21 we see that Jesus wants us to be one, not just some of us, but all of us, these are the words of Jesus to his and our Father in Heaven that glory might be brought to him after he departs for heaven, and why did Jesus want glory to be brought to him? So that the Father might be glorified. We see even as Jesus was predicting his own death in chapter 12 and he was troubled by it he said; “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save me from this hour’? (That was a question, he then answers his own question) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father Glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28).

Here is this man, this very human man faced with a miserable death, knowing that he would like to avoid it, but within this whole picture this scene is something that is bigger than his moment, than this moment that has him troubled. This man is not just, this man…he is one with the Father, he is in all things, he was loved by the Father before the creation of the world (Vs 24) he is one with the Father, his will is the Fathers will, what he does, he does to bring glory to God the Father. It is his desire and his prayer that we will be one with him just as he is one with the Father.

Jesus being one with us and our being one with one another makes life better. What he wants for us is that we will be one that our will, will be his will, that the choices we make are bringing glory to him and because they do God is glorified.

So what does this look like?

2) Well Songwriters: ROGER COOK, ROGER GREENAWAY wrote a song for Blue Mink called Melting Pot, the chorus goes like this,

What we need is a great big melting pot,

Big enough enough enough to take,

The world and all its got And keep it stirring for a hundred years or more,

And turn out coffee coloured people by the score.

Well the oneness of the church, it doesn’t look anything like that, oneness is something that doesn’t come about by us being made into the same race of people, by being mixed up into a standard pattern so that we are all the same. Oneness in God comes from us having the same focus, us all wanting to bring glory to our Saviour, to him who through his willingness to carry our burdens to set us free, gave us freedom.

We have been set free, not so we can get caught up in the barbed wire of life again, so that we are dragged from that freedom that comes through a relationship with him, back to the scuzzeyness of some menial existence that Jesus saved us from.

When we have this oneness, what occurs is a wonderful thing, it is a glorious thing and it is that amazing that the world when it sees it believes that Jesus is who he is! Our oneness is a huge witness. Think about this; you might be concerned in your walk with God that you are not an evangelist, that you don’t have the words to bring another to faith. What is it that Jesus prays in verse 23 “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.”