25Jesus Prays for All Believers—Part 1: That They Would Be Presently United in Truth  (John 17:20–23)

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:20–23)

As noted in the previous chapter of this volume, the unity Christ prayed for is not an outward, organizational unity, but the inward, spiritual unity based on believers’ life in Christ. Because of their union with Jesus Christ—since “the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1 Cor. 6:17)—all believers are one with each other as well (Gal. 3:28). In the words of the Westminster Confession of Faith, “The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (25.1).

How does that spiritual unity manifest itself in practice? In Philippians 2:2 Paul listed four marks of the unity that characterizes the true church.

First, unity results in believers “being of the same mind.” That does not mean that they share all the same likes and dislikes. Nor does it entail complete agreement on all the secondary doctrinal issues that godly men differ over. Rather, it signifies that true believers are controlled by a deep knowledge of the Word of Christ that is energized in them by the power of the Spirit (cf. Col. 3:16). Because they walk in the Spirit, they maintain the same spiritual attitude.

Second, unity results in believers “maintaining the same love;” that is, they love each other equally. That does not mean that they have the same emotional commitment to everyone, which is impossible. The love in view here is agapē love, the love not of emotional attraction, but of will and choice. It is expressed when believers are “devoted to one another in brotherly love; [and] give preference to one another in honor” (Rom. 12:10). It has been “poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

Third, unity results in believers being “united in spirit.” The Greek word literally means “one-souled.” It refers to a passionate, common commitment to the same spiritual goals. By definition it excludes such divisive attitudes as personal ambition, selfishness, hatred, envy, jealousy, and the countless other manifestations of the evil fruit of self-love.

Finally, unity results in believers being “intent on one purpose.” Because they are of the same mind, love each other, and are united in spirit they have the same goal—advancing the kingdom of God. But believers can interrupt their spiritual unity by fleshly behavior and need to be exhorted to have “one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).

But in our obsessively tolerant age, the opposite extreme poses a far more serious threat to true spiritual unity. In the name of love, many work hard to achieve a superficial, false, sinful unity that is broad enough to embrace false Christians and even those who deny the central truths of the Christian faith. Genuine biblical love, however, cannot be divorced from biblical truth (Eph. 4:15). Far from compromising it, God’s people are called to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). The true church of Jesus Christ cannot unite with those who deny the essential truths of the gospel (2 John 7–11), or who affirm a false gospel (Gal. 1:6–9). “Do not be bound together with unbelievers,” Paul commanded the Corinthians, “for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14–15). True unity is the reality among true Christians.

As He concluded His magnificent High Priestly Prayer, the unity of His followers was very much on the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ. Having prayed for His glory (vv. 1–5) and for His disciples (vv. 6–19), the Savior expanded His prayer to include all future believers—those who would come to Him through the power of the Word (v. 17), the witness of the disciples (v. 18), and the sacrifice of the cross (v. 19). The Lord made two requests on their behalf: that they would be united in the truth, and that they would be reunited with Him in eternal glory. The first of those requests is the subject of this chapter.

The Lord’s first request may be examined under four headings: the root of true unity, the request for true unity, the representation of true unity, and the result of true unity.

THE ROOT OF TRUE UNITY

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; (17:20)

The opening words of verse 20 introduce the third thing for which Christ said He was not praying. In verse 9 He made it clear that He was not interceding on behalf of the unbelieving world (see the discussion of this point in chapter 23 of this volume), while in verse 15 He said that He was not asking for the disciples to be removed from the world. His words I do not ask on behalf of these alone introduce another group distinct from the then-living disciples for whom He had just prayed (vv. 6–19). Jesus looked ahead through the centuries and prayed for all the believers who were to come in the future. Although the vast majority had not yet been born, they nevertheless were and had been for eternity on the heart of the Savior. He knew them all, since their names have “been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life” (Rev, 13:8; cf. 3:5; 17:8;20:12, 15; 21:27; Phil. 4:3). Christ’s intercession for us, which began with this prayer 2,000 years ago, continues to this day, “since He always lives to make intercession for [us]” (Heb. 7:25).

Jesus further identified these future believers as those who would believe in Him (John 1:12; 3:15–16, 36;6:40, 47; 7:37–38; 11:25–26; 20:31; Acts 13:38–39; 16:31; Rom. 10:9–10; Gal. 3:22), reminding all again that salvation comes through faith alone, “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:9; cf. Rom. 3:20–30; Gal. 2:16; 3:8, 11–14, 24). The Lord’s reference to believing in Him again preserves the biblical balance concerning salvation. On the one hand, only those given by the Father to Christ will come to Him (v. 6; cf. 6:44). But on the other hand, their salvation does not take place apart from personal faith (cf. Rom. 10:9–10). In much the same way, the reality that the Lord will draw those whom He chooses to Himself (John 6:44; Acts 2:39; 11:18; 13:48; 16:14) does not obviate the church’s responsibility to evangelize the lost (Matt. 28:19–20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8).

The apostles and their associates were the human authors of the New Testament (John 14:26; 16:13–15; cf. Eph. 2:20), therefore all who would be saved in the future would come to Christ through their word. Some would hear that message directly from the apostles’ own preaching (e.g., Acts 2:14–42;3:11–26;4:8–12;5:30–32; 13:14–41; 16:11–14; 17:22–34; 18:4–11). Most, however, would hear the apostolic message through the written Word of their Spirit-inspired writings. The early church was reading the truths of Scripture when reading “the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42; cf. Jude 17). Through the centuries all who have preached the true gospel have preached the apostles’ word. As Paul wrote in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (lit., “a speech about Christ”)—the apostolic message of salvation.

The disciples at that point hardly seemed ready to turn the world upside down (cf. Acts 17:6). One of them, Judas Iscariot, had turned traitor, and was at that moment preparing to lead those who would arrest Jesus to Gethsemane (18:1–3). Their brash, bold, seemingly fearless leader, Peter, would soon cower before the accusations of a servant girl, and repeatedly deny the Lord (John 18:17; cf. vv. 25–27). The rest of the disciples would abandon Jesus after His arrest and flee for their lives (Matt. 26:56).

But Christ’s prayer ensures that the apostles’ ministry would be successful. In His omniscience, Jesus knew that they would fulfill their role in redemptive history. The gospel would prevail, despite the apostles’ weakness, the world’s hatred, and Satan’s opposition. Empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:1–4), those early disciples would begin the chain of witnesses that continues unbroken down to the present day (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2). All of the church’s evangelistic success is the result of the Lord’s request in verse 20 for those who would believe in the future. This request guaranteed the successful establishment of the church, and the success of its evangelistic ministry from apostolic times to the present. “I will build My church,” Jesus declared, “and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18).

THE REQUEST FOR TRUE UNITY

that they may all be one; (17:21a)

Despite their outward denominational differences, all true Christians are spiritually united by regeneration in their belief that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, in Christ alone, and their commitment to the absolute authority of Scripture. All those who savingly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ “are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). D. A. Carson notes that the unity for which Christ prayed “is not achieved by hunting enthusiastically for the lowest common theological denominator, but by common adherence to the apostolic gospel, by love that is joyfully self-sacrificing, by undaunted commitment to the shared goals of the mission with which Jesus’ followers have been charged” (The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991], 568). By the power of God, believers, united in spiritual life, are also united in purpose, share the same mission, proclaim the same gospel, and manifest the same holiness.

The actual fulfillment of Christ’s prayer began with the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost. Suddenly, sovereignly, supernaturally, believers were united by the Spirit into the body of Christ and made one positionally (Acts 2:4). All who have been saved since then have immediately received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by which they were placed into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Consequently, there is an extraordinary, supernatural unity in the universal church; it is the “the unity of the Spirit,” not created by believers, but preserved by them (Eph. 4:3). In Ephesians 4:4–6 Paul lists seven features of that Holy Spirit-created unity.

First, there is “one body,” the body of Christ, which is comprised of all believers since the church’s inception on the day of Pentecost.

Second, there is “one Spirit,” the Holy Spirit, apart from whom no one can believe savingly in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:3). The Spirit is also the agent by which Christ baptizes believers into His body (1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Matt. 3:11).

Third, there is “one hope,” in the promised eternal inheritance guaranteed to every believer by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13–14).

Fourth, there is “one Lord,” Jesus Christ, who is the sole head of the body (Col. 1:18; cf. Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:12).

Fifth, there is “one faith,” the “faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3); the body of doctrine revealed in the New Testament.

Sixth, there is “one baptism.” This probably refers to water baptism, the believer’s public confession of faith in Jesus Christ. (Holy Spirit baptism is implied in ? 5.)

Finally, there is “one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” The one true God is the sovereign ruler of everything, including the church.

THE REPRESENTATION OF TRUE UNITY

even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, … The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity (17:21b–23a)

The unity of nature Christ prayed for reflects that of the Father and the Son, which is expressed in Christ’s words You, Father, are in Me and I in You. Because of His unity with the Father, Jesus claimed in John 5:16ff. to have the same authority, purpose, power, honor, will, and nature as the Father. That startling claim to full deity and equality with God so outraged His Jewish opponents that they sought to kill Him (5:18; cf. 8:58–59; 10:31–33; 19:7).

The unique intra-Trinitarian relationship of Jesus and the Father forms the pattern for the unity of believers in the church. This prayer reveals five features of that unity the church imitates.

First, the Father and the Son are united in motive; they are equally committed to the glory of God. Jesus began His prayer by saying, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You” (v. 1), as He had done throughout His ministry (v. 4). In verse 5 He added, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” Finally, in verse 24 Jesus expressed to the Father His desire that believers would one day “be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me.” In John 7:18 Jesus declared that He was constantly “seeking the glory of the One who sent Him.” He did not need to seek His own glory (8:50), because the Father glorified Him (8:54). Both Jesus and the Father were glorified in the raising of Lazarus (11:4). In John 12:28 Jesus prayed, “‘Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” Shortly before His High Priestly Prayer, Jesus had said to the disciples, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately” (13:31–32). Jesus promised to answer the prayers of His people “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (14:13).

The church is also united in a common commitment to the glory of God. “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do,” Paul wrote, “do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

Second, the Father and the Son are united in mission. They share the common goal of redeeming lost sinners and granting them eternal life, as Christ made clear earlier in this prayer:

God chose in eternity past to give believers to Christ as a gift of His love, and Christ came to earth to die as a sacrifice for their sins and redeem them. That the church lives to pursue the one goal of evangelizing the lost is clear from Jesus’ words in verse 18: “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (cf. Matt. 28:19–20).

Third, the Father and the Son are united in truth. “The words which You gave Me,” Jesus said, “I have given to them” (v. 8), while in verse 14 He added, “I have given them Your word.” Earlier that evening Jesus had told the disciples, “The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works” (14:10; cf. 3:32–34; 7:16;8:28, 38, 40; 12:49).

The church is also unified in its commitment to proclaiming the singular truth of God’s Word. In Romans 15:5–6 Paul prayed, “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 2:42, 46; Phil. 1:27). Far from dividing the church, a commitment to proclaiming sound doctrine is what defines it.

Fourth, the Father and the Son are united in holiness. In verse 11 Jesus addressed the Father as “Holy Father,” and in verse 25 as “righteous Father.” The utter holiness of God is expressed throughout the Old and New Testaments. God’s holiness is His absolute separation from sin. In Habakkuk 1:13 the prophet declared, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor.” In Isaiah’s vision of God the angelic beings cried out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa.6:3; cf. Rev. 4:8). The writer of Hebrews described Jesus as “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). In Revelation 4:8 the heavenly chorus unceasingly cries out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

When they see believers united in the pursuit of holiness, unbelievers will be drawn to Christ. In Hebrews 12:14 the writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” If a church tolerates sin, it not only obscures the glory of Christ it is called to radiate, but also faces the discipline of the Lord of the church (Rev. 2:14–16, 20–23).

Finally, the Father and the Son are united in love. In verse 24 Jesus affirmed that the Father had “loved [Him] before the foundation of the world.” In John 5:20 Jesus said, “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing” (cf. 3:35). Both at His baptism (Matt. 3:17) and at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5), the Father declared Jesus to be His beloved Son. Similarly, love is the glue that binds believers together in unity (Col. 3:14; cf. 2:2), and it is that love for one another that is the church’s ultimate apologetic to the lost world (John 13:34–35).

Though not to the same infinite divine extent, the spiritual life and power that belongs to the Trinity belongs also in some way to believers and is the basis for the church’s unity. This is what the Lord meant when He said, The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity. That stunning truth describes believers as those to whom the Son has given glory—that is, aspects of the very divine life that belongs to God. The church’s task is to so live as to not obstruct that glory (Matt. 5:16).

THE RESULT OF TRUE UNITY

“so that the world may believe that You sent Me …. so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (17:21c, 23b)

The observable unity of the church authenticates two important realities. First, it gives evidence to the world so that it may believe that the Father sent the Son. That familiar phrase summarizes the plan of redemption, in which God sent Jesus on a mission of salvation “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). It is so used throughout John’s gospel (e.g., 3:34;4:34; 5:23, 24, 30, 36, 37, 38; 6:29, 38, 39, 44, 57; 7:16, 18, 28, 29, 33; 8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42; 9:4; 10:36; 11:42; 12:44, 45, 49; 13:20; 14:24; 15:21; 16:5; 17:3, 8, 18, 25; 20:21). Jesus prayed that the visible unity of His church would convince many in the world concerning His divine mission of redemption. The church’s unity is the foundation of its evangelism; it demonstrates that Christ is the Savior who transforms lives (cf. John 13:35).

The church’s unity also authenticates the Father’s love for believers. When unbelievers see believers’ love for each other, it offers proof to them that the Father has loved those who have believed in His Son. The loving unity of the church made visible is used by God to produce a desire on the part of unbelievers is produced to experience that same love. On the other hand, where there are carnal divisions, strife, backbiting, and quarreling in the church, it drives unbelievers away. Why would they want to be part of such a hypocritical group that is at cross-purposes with itself? The effectiveness of the church’s evangelism is devastated by dissension and disputes among its members.

It must be the goal of everyone who is part of the body of Christ through faith in Him to do their part in maintaining the full visibility of the unity that believers possses, as Paul wrote: