Jesus, the God-man: Gospel of John
“All for the One and the One for All!”
John 17:20-26
Introduction: Most of us have probably either read the book or seen one of the many movies about The Three Musketeers. What I have always enjoyed about the musketeers was their motto: “All for one and one for all!”
This motto meant that the group would support the needs of the individual and each individual would support the needs of the whole group. They had a sense of unity and purpose although they were quite different from one other.
As Jesus begins to pray for us we notice the same request being made that His church would also experience unity although we can be quite diverse. However Jesus’ request is different in that we pledge our allegiance not to the church, but to the One that died for it and now lives to empower it. You will notice a slight tweak to the motto as Jesus desires that we be “all for the One and the One for all!”
1. Jesus wants us to unite around Him. (vv. 20-23)
“these alone” – Not praying just for apostles.
“those who will believe…their word” – Here’s the mark of the one for whom He now prays.
He only prays for believers.
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. John 17:9 (NIV)
If you have given your life to Christ in response to the Word then Jesus prayed for you! What great love! Before you were even born or thought of, Jesus prayed for you.
v. 21 – Here is what He prays – “that they all may be one.” His desire is that we would be united. There is strength in numbers or “I’ve got your back.”
He wants unity not uniformity or unanimity. We don’t all think or act alike, but our purpose, mission, and focus are the same – to glorify God!
Who is His example of unity? The Trinity. Father in Jesus, Jesus in the Father. The oneness of the Trinity.
“be one in us” – We unite around Jesus and His Lordship. The Father loves the Son and He loves anyone that loves the Son (more about that in a moment).
There is NO unity unless we agree about Jesus and Trinity.
This is why Paul warns the Corinthians to not be unequally yoked with unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 6:14.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
If you are unequally yoked, you lack unity of purpose!
Instead we are to unite around the mission of Christ. He was sent to the world to save people and we continue that mission together.
Everyone pulls in the same direction. FOCUS! Many times we want to fight each other instead of sin and the devil.
Great picture of unity:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV)
They came from different places and cultures but they all agree about Jesus – that is unity!
v. 22 – He has given us His glory (a taste of heaven) so that we can be one even as the Trinity is one. God is all about His glory!
Our focus ought to be the same – unified for that reason.
v. 23 – Repeats the phrase from v. 21.
“Made perfect” – Made complete or whole.
So the world will know the Father sent the Son and He loves His followers in the same way that the Father loves Him.
2. Jesus wants us to be in heaven with Him. (v. 24)
“Desire” – There are 2 different ways to translate the Greek word thelo translated as desire. One means a wish and the second means to purpose or the firmly fixed will of God.
“My will is that those that are mine would be with Me forever.” Jesus wants us in heaven with Him.
Think about that. Is there anyone that you would want to be around 24/7? Yet Jesus prays for us to be with Him forever!
Many times we focus on how much we want to be in heaven, but have you ever thought how much Jesus wants for you to be there with Him?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:3 (NIV)
Remember His promise to the thief on the cross?
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 (NIV)
“You want to be in heaven? Absolutely!”
Reason? It’s all about the glory! “Behold My glory!” He wants us to see His glory!
Have you ever had something that you really wanted people to see? Example: John’s new camera. Put pictures online.
“I WANT THEM TO SEE MY GLORY! I can hardly wait for them to get here.”
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV)
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 (NIV)
The glory was given to show the Father’s love for the Son.
“before the foundation of the world” – This reminds us of the eternal existence of Jesus. He is preeminent!
3. Jesus wants us to know we are loved. (vv. 25-26)
“righteous Father” – focus is now righteousness not holiness
“world has not known You” – The reason why is in the word “righteous”. The world is not righteous so it does not know or care for the One that is.
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:19-20 (NIV)
“But I have” and “these know you” – He has made us righteous so that we can share in His glory and His righteousness, holiness, and heaven!
v. 26 - “declared” – “made known, made it possible to recognize or help to gain knowledge of or have a thorough knowledge of.”
“Your name” - God’s character and nature
“will declare” – Will continue to make the Father known through the Spirit and through the “sent out” ones.
“that” – For this reason.
“The same sacrificial love with which You loved Me, You will place this love in them, my followers.” This love comes with Jesus when you invite Him in.
to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:6 (NIV)
We are loved so that in turn we can love others like Jesus.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 (NIV)
You may say, “I don’t love them.” That may be true so you need to depend on God’s love in you to love through you.
Conclusion: Happy is that Christian who cares for nothing so much as to be holy and loving like his Master, while he lives, and a companion of his Master when he dies. –J.C. Ryle (1816-1900), Expository Thoughts on John
Jesus desires and prays that we might be united around Him, come to live in heaven with Him, but in the mean time to know that we are loved by God. Do you know that? If so, your motto can be “All for the One and the One for all!”
