Chapter seventeen of John’s gospel consists of a prayer, offered by Jesus to the Father. It is a remarkable prayer. First of all, it’s the longest prayer of Jesus which is recorded in any of the gospels. Jesus was known to pray for long periods of time, but usually he went off by himself to do so. Luke 6:12 tells us of a time, immediately prior to calling the disciples, that “. . . Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God”. And so this is not by any means his longest prayer. It is, however, the longest of his prayers whose contents are revealed to us. Why? Why did Jesus offer this extended prayer, in the hearing of his disciples, with the intent that John would later remember it and record it here in his account of Jesus’ final hours? Well, earlier in John we have a clue. In chapter eleven, as Jesus is preparing to call Lazarus to life from the dead, he prays,
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” -- John 11:41-42
So here Jesus is speaking at length with his Father, in the hearing of his disciples, in order to build their faith. That’s important, because it means that this is not just an interesting historical record, it is an intentional act by our Lord and Savior to communicate something. By this action, he is showing them, and us, that the things he is praying for are very important. Jesus has only a few hours left on the earth. And so the things he is choosing to ask God for at this time are among his greatest desires for his people, his highest purposes. And he is also communicating that these are things for which they, and we, need God’s power. They are critically important. But if we are to have them, we must also ask God for them. These are things we need. We can receive them; his power is sufficient. However, we have to pray; they have to come from God. That’s what he’s telling us.
But before we look at the content of the prayer, I’d like to address one very significant point, and it concerns the application of this passage to our lives today. Let’s look at verse 20. He says,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message”
“My prayer is not for them alone” — that is, not just for the disciples — but “also for those who will believe in me through their message”. That’s us. Jesus is praying for us. For you. For me. And not just as anonymous members of a group — “the church”, or “Christians”, or some nebulous “whomever may believe”. He is not just praying for whomever “might” believe, but specifically for those who “will” believe. And I suggest to you that he had each one of us in view when he prayed this prayer. Because we were known to him as his own even then. Why do I say that? Because in this gospel of John, chapter ten, we read this,
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. . . . He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” -- John 10:2-3, 14-16
Jesus knows us, and calls us, “by name”. As individuals, not only as members of a group. And so, when he says here in chapter 17 of John, verse 20 that he is praying, not only for the disciples, but also for those who will believe in him, through the message his disciples would bring to the world, he could have stated all of our names. He could have said, “Father, my prayer is not for them alone, but also for [pastor’s name]. My prayer is not for them alone, but also for [name of church member]. My prayer is not for them alone, but also for [list several names of church members] ” And for . . . you. Let’s try it. As I read, insert your own name and hear Jesus stating clearly that he is praying for you. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for [pause].” Doesn’t that make you want to know what he is about to pray, knowing that he is praying for you personally”?
I’m going to extend this point just a bit, because it’s significant, not just for this prayer, but for everything that Jesus did throughout his life, from his birth to his death. He didn’t come into the world as an infant born of Mary, grow to adulthood, minister publicly for three years preaching and teaching and performing miracles, finally suffering crucifixion and death, and rising from the dead — he didn’t do all of that for a nameless, faceless mass of humanity. He did those things for people. Real, individual people. With names, and parents, and histories, and personalities, and relationships, and hopes and struggles. He did those things for you and for me. Again, what did Jesus say in John 10:14?
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
“I lay down my life for the sheep”. For anonymous, unknown sheep? For sheep-kind in general? No. For his sheep. And we are his sheep, whom he knows, and whom he loves. As intimately as he knows the Father and Father knows him.
You might say, but how could Jesus possibly know me two thousand years ago? I wasn’t even born yet. My great-great-great-great grandparents weren’t even born yet. And yet, he did. Ephesians chapter one, verses 3-4 tells us this:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
When did he choose us? Before the creation of the world. That’s what you call long-term planning. In Jeremiah 1:5, God is even more specific. He tells the prophet, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”. Before he formed each one of us in the womb, he knew us. We were known to him, and a part of his plan, long before we came into existence. How can that be? It’s beyond our comprehension. But it’s true.
I emphasize this point because I want us to understand that reading this portion of God’s Word, this prayer, and treating it merely as an interesting history lesson, and then going on about our business unaffected, is not an option. Jesus is praying for you here. He wants something for you and is asking the Father to grant it to you. You can choose to ignore it, you can choose to turn away. But he is praying for you, and he wants you to hear what he is asking God for on your behalf. So listen up.
And by the way, Jesus is also praying for this church, for [name of church]. No, I don’t have a verse to prove that. But if he is praying for each of us here this morning as individuals, then certainly he is praying for us as a unique body of believers. And so we as a church need to hear, and heed, what he is saying as well.
Another reason that this prayer is remarkable is that it comes immediately prior to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. He doesn’t have much time left, and he knows it. In the previous chapter, he told the disciples, “I am going to Him who sent me”, and “In a little while you will see me no more”. Imagine what you would pray for your loved ones if you knew you had only a few hours to live. Would you pray for trivial things? Certainly not! Your prayers would be focused on matters of critical importance. And the same is true for Jesus in this prayer. The Scriptures tell us of many things that God desires for us. But those which Jesus speaks to here are among the most important, simply because he knows that his time is coming to an end.
All right. Have I convinced you to listen to what Jesus is praying for, on behalf of each of us, and on behalf of this church? Good. Then what are those things he is seeking on our behalf, from God the Father? Three things. First, protection and purity. Second, unity. And third, glory. Those are the things that Jesus considers to be of utmost importance for his people.
What’s the first important thing that Jesus prays for? Protection and Purity.
“11 . . . Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
We see here that Jesus links our need for protection from the evil one with the fact that we are in the world, but not of the world. He links protection to sanctification. So being sanctified is how we remain in the world while maintaining our identify as followers of Christ, how we remain in the world without being corrupted by it. And we need God’s protection to do that, because this world is constantly trying to make us into its own image. This world has powerful means of forcing us into its mold. So we need to be sanctified, verse 17.
What does it mean to be sanctified? The world “sanctified” simply means to be set apart for God’s use, to be dedicated to his service, to be pure with respect to our devotion to God and our love for him. And that requires that we separate ourselves from this world. Not that we withdraw from participation in human society, not that we go off into the wilderness to build some kind of Christian utopia. That’s not what God is calling us to do. We are to engage with the world, not retreat from it. But even while we remain in the world, we reject this world’s false values; its false morality, its false spirituality, and its false gods. Being in the world but not of it means that the goals we seek are different from the world’s goals, and the way in which we pursue those goals is different than the way in which the world goes about pursuing its goals, because this world is not our home, and our citizenship is in heaven.
The fact that Jesus prayed for protection and purity on our behalf tells us at least two things: first, that it’s important, and second, that it requires God’s power to accomplish. Because as I said, the world is constantly seeking to mold our thinking, and our values, and our behavior to it’s own false version of reality, in a thousand subtle ways. And the result is that often, we don’t even realize that we are thinking as the world thinks, instead of thinking as God thinks. We don’t realize that we are desiring the things the world desires, instead of desiring what God desires. We don’t even notice that we are acting as the world acts, instead of how God would have us to act. Jesus knew this would be a constant danger for his followers, and so did the New Testament authors. As Paul writes in Romans:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2
Do not conform, but be transformed. So let me ask you a question: to what extent do you believe that your attitudes, your opinions, your values, your desires, your view of reality, and your actions, have been shaped by the world around you, rather than by the truth of God? A great deal, a moderate amount, or very little? Think of your answer. [ ] All right, now let me ask this: how much of what you listen to, and watch, and participate in, is honoring to God, and reflects the values contained in the Bible? A great deal, a moderate amount, or very little? Because those things tend to go together. You are what you eat. If you are constantly feeding on movies, and television shows, and podcasts, and radio programs, and web sites, and Twitter feeds, and Facebook posts that are coming from a worldview that undermines or contradicts the truth of Scriptures, and you think it isn’t affecting you, you are fooling yourself. You are fooling yourself. You are being conformed to the pattern of this world, and you don’t even realize it. Because through all of those influences, Satan is constantly whispering in your ear, just as he did with Eve in the garden, hissing “Did God really say . . . ?” Through all of those influences, he is casting doubt on the truth of God’s Word. Denying the truth of God’s word. Under the best of circumstances, when we are exercising discernment as to what we allow our eyes, and ears, and minds to feed upon, we need God’s protection and power to remain devoted to Him. That’s what Jesus’ prayer tells us. But if we don’t even make the attempt to guard our hearts and minds, then we are conceding defeat right from the beginning. And we will be conformed to the world, rather than being conformed to Christ.
Again, I’m not suggesting that we withdraw from the world, but that we be discerning in what we consistently fill our minds with, what we allow into our cerebral cortex. In John Bunyan’s book, The Holy War, an allegory of the Christian life, there are five gates into the city which represents a man’s soul, and two of these are called eye-gate and ear-gate. In the book, those are the gates through which the devil, Diabolus, manages to enter and overthrow the city. The novel was written in 1682, so it hasn’t been on the New York Times bestseller list recently, but nothing about human nature has changed in the last three centuries. Eye-gate and ear-gate are still the primary means by which Satan enters into the “city” of our soul and seeks to undermine our devotion to Christ. And so as you are choosing what to watch on television, or what internet sites to visit, or what books to read, just ask yourself; will this tend to draw me closer to God and help me to think and live as Christ would have me to do? Or will it tend to pull me in the opposite direction? And yes, I realize that dragons are cool, but still. Ask the question. Don’t just swallow whatever the world is spooning out.
At this point, you may say, “lighten up!” Don’t be such a prude. It’s just a harmless — fill in the blank — just a harmless TV show, movie, book, concert. It doesn’t affect me. Maybe not. After all, as Jesus taught us, it isn’t what goes into a man that defiles a man, but what comes out of him. Fair enough. So let me ask you, how satisfied are you with the output that your input is producing? How satisfied are you with the holiness of your speech, your thoughts, your attitudes, your actions? Does your life; that is, your speech, and your thoughts, and your actions, reflect the kind of invincibility to worldly influences that you claim to have? If so, congratulations. Then you can watch, and listen to, and participate in whatever you want, secure in the knowledge that no harm will come of it. But if you haven’t yet achieved such a lofty state of holiness, you may want to consider whether your “diet” has something to do with the state of your spiritual health. And if that is the case, consider the remedy:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2
What is it that transforms us, that acts as an antidote to the world’s poisonous influences? The word of God. As you read, and think about, and act upon, the truths contained in this book, you will be continually renewing your mind and building up your resistance to the world’s lies, and falsehoods, and false promises. As Jesus states in this passage,
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” – John 17:17
His word is what sanctifies us, what purifies us, what sets us apart.
So that’s the first thing Jesus prays for, the first critically important thing we need, and for which we need God’s power. Purity and Protection
The second thing Jesus prays for is unity.
“20My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, 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. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
What does Jesus pray? (v. 21) “that all of them may be one”. (v. 22) “that they may be one as we are one”. (v. 23) “that they may be brought to complete unity”. And what does Jesus mean by this? Unity of opinion? No. We know that’s not what Jesus means, because Paul states in Romans 14:5,
“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.”
“Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind”. In other words, unanimity on every matter of belief or practice is not the goal. It isn’t God’s goal, and it shouldn’t be our goal either. Because pushing for agreement on every point is a recipe for unnecessary conflict and endless arguments. As Paul instructs us,
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” -- Romans 14:1
Some people love to argue over little things. Don’t engage with them. Don’t take the bait. At best, it’s a distraction; at worst, it leads to dissension and strained relationships. There’s simply no value in it.
So if unity of opinion is not the kind of unity Jesus is praying for, what is it? I think you know. It’s love. Love for one another. The kind of care and concern for one another, the kind of goodwill toward one another, that provides indisputable evidence to the world that something supernatural is going on. Because the way that we relate to one another is so astonishingly different that it can’t be explained any other way.
“21 that all of them may be one, 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.”
“23 . . . .Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
So. Here’s where I go from preachin’ to meddlin’. Let me ask: to what extent do we experience this kind of unity here at [name of church]? Do we value this kind of unity as highly as Jesus did? Do we desire it? Do we yearn for it, strive for it, seek after it? Do we pray for it? Do we grieve when it is lacking? Or do we regard unity as a nice-to-have, as something which either happens or it doesn’t, certainly a good thing but not one of our highest priorities. Let me ask another question: Is our focus instead on being right, and being proven to be right, and winning the argument, rather than on achieving unity? Let me be clear: I’m not talking about sweeping things under the rug in order to maintain the appearance of unity; like in a dysfunctional family where there are certain things you just don’t talk about. That’s actually the opposite of real unity. I’m not talking about avoiding disagreement or conflict. I’m talking about what our goal is when conflict arises. Is your goal to be right? Is your goal to win? To prevail? To be vindicated? To be victorious? Is that the goal? Or is your goal to find common ground with your brother or sister in Christ, to find a way forward together, to reconcile, and above all, to express, in all of your interactions with them, even in the midst of disagreement, that you love them. Which of those is your motivation? Which of those would your conduct suggest is your motivation?
Let me ask it another way. Let’s ask some diagnostic questions. If we did value unity as highly as Jesus does, what would it look like? Let me suggest a few things.
• First, we would pray for unity. In our small groups, in staff meetings, and elder meetings and deacon meetings, in men’s fellowships and women’s Bible studies. And in personal devotions. We would pray for unity. How could we not pray for something that Jesus considered important enough to pray for when he was just hours from death?
• Second, when disagreement or conflict arose, we would identify as our goal from the very beginning, not only to decide the question or settle the issue, not only to find the “right” answer, but most importantly — most importantly — to do so in a way which demonstrates our love and concern for one another and actually results in deepening our love for one another.
• Third, when our unity was damaged, we would immediately, and without delay seek to restore the relationship. Jesus teaches us this in Matthew 5:23-24:
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Jesus is telling us that, as important as it is to be regular in attendance at worship, if we are aware of a damaged or broken relationship, we will view reconciliation as even more important. If we value unity as he does, when the Holy Spirit convicts us that something is amiss, we will drop everything to go to that person and reconcile. That’s how important unity is. Because continuing on with business as usual, when there are broken and damaged relationships littering our path, is not taking seriously Jesus’ teaching. If we do not love one another enough to be serious about reconciliation, as a church, God will not be impressed with our smoothly running programs, or our attendance figures, or our beautiful grounds and facilities.
• And, if we valued unity as Jesus does, we would not rest until that restoration had been achieved, or until we concluded that we had done all that could be done. As Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” –- Romans 12:18
“If it is possible”. It isn’t always possible. It takes two to tango. Sometimes the other person just doesn’t want to reconcile. But before you decide that’s the case, make sure you’ve done everything in your power to reconcile. Again, Paul writes:
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” – Romans 14:29
“Make every effort”. Don’t just make a half hearted attempt, and if you don’t succeed at first, give up. “Well, I tried”. Continue to seek reconciliation until it is clear that there is simply no willingness on the part of the other person. Have you done that? Have we done that?
Why do we do this? Good question, because let’s be honest, reconciliation is hard. It can be uncomfortable, and embarrassing, and inconvenient, and just plain unpleasant, at least until it succeeds. Then it’s wonderful. But it doesn’t always succeed, and even when it does, the road to a restored relationship is often long and difficult. So why do it?
Well, first of all, we do it because this is the essence of our witness to the world. This is what makes us different. If we aren’t committed to loving one another, which includes persisting in our efforts to reconcile when relationships become damaged, then the world has no reason to believe anything we say about the transforming power of the gospel. This is where the rubber meets the road; this is what proves that our claims about Christ are true. Again, as we read in John chapter 17:
“20 I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, 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. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
The demonstration of genuine, heartfelt, sacrificial, persistent love between and among Christians is the most powerful evidence there can be of the truth of the gospel, of Jesus’ power to save sinners.
But there’s another reason. We seek unity, we love one another, not only so that others may see Christ in us, but because Christ first loved us. Christ sought reconciliation with us. Christ loved us when we were unlovely, when were still sinners, when we were his enemies, when we didn’t deserve it, when we had no interest in being reconciled to God. When we were still in that state, he loved us and sought us, and drew us to himself, and we rejoice that he did. That’s our model.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” – Romans 5:10
“10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” -- Luke 19:10
We all were at one time estranged from God. Separated from Him. The relationship was broken because of our sin. But even though all the fault for that broken relationship was on our side, God took the initiative to reconcile with us. He didn’t wait for us to come to him, he didn’t wait for us to make the first move. Instead, he sought us out. He sent his Son. While we were still sinners, while we were still his enemies, he took the initiative to reach out to us and reconcile, at great cost to himself. That’s our model. That’s fundamentally why we do this. Because Jesus did it for us first. Amen?
Do you have a damaged or broken relationship with a brother or sister in Christ? Then don’t wait for them to make the first move. Reach out to them. Tell them how much you regret the breach between you. Forgive and seek forgiveness. Do it to show the world the power of the gospel. Do it to follow the example of Christ, your lord and savior.
That’s the second thing Jesus prays for, the second critically important thing for which he need God’s power, and for which his power is sufficient. Unity. And finally, the third thing Jesus prays for is that we should be with him where he is, and to see his glory.
“24 Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” – John 17:24
This is the finale, the consummation, the glorious conclusion which is really just a beginning. We will be with Christ where he is, in heaven, and we will see him as he truly is, revealed in all of his glory. And not only will that vision inspire awe and worship, it will also transform us, fundamentally and gloriously:
“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
“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” (Speaking of a future event in the present tense, because it is certain to occur.) – Romans 8:30
When we see him face to face, we will be like him. We will be glorified. What that means, we cannot now understand, it is literally incomprehensible. But it will be wonderful, and amazing, and everything we ever hoped for, and far more. Isn’t that worth committing ourselves to seeking purity and unity? Yes. Indeed it is.
Amen.
