Being One

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BEING ONE

John 17:20-23

20 "My 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. 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.

NIV

There it is, Jesus is praying for us because we have believed in his message.  But his prayer is not that we will do well, or that we will have all that we want. Jesus prays that we all will be one just as he and the Father are one. He prays that we will be in each other as he is in the Father and the Father is in him. What does that look like, being in each other? The picture we see is how Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus. But still, what then does that look like? How do we explain the two of them being in each other? We know that is a certain mystery to the triune Godhead, but it is real and they are all God, yet each is his own person. We understand that somewhat as we see ourselves being created in his image. We are a spirit who has a soul that lives in a body. We cannot separate ourselves, so we are three in one, as God is.  Now, what do we do with that concept in regard to each other? When we marry, we believe that the husband and wife become one flesh and that what God has joined together, let no man separate. Still both of us, husband and wife have very distinct personalities, but God says we are one flesh. Still how does that all relate to Jesus praying that all of us believers would be one as he and the Father are one? Is seems his prayer has not been answered as it appears we all are not one but have divided ourselves up into factions, which we call denominations.  Even within a single church, we can find little groups, who simply do not entertain others and certainly are not one with anyone outside their little circle. Of course, not in our church, but others. So again, we ask, what does being one as Jesus and the Father are one look like? Then we have to grab hold of the idea of being one with God, with the Father and Jesus so that the world may know the Father sent Jesus, and the reason for his death on the cross for our sins. If we are not out there in the world doing that, would that imply we are not truly one with the Father and Jesus? As Jesus prays, he includes the fact he has given us his glory, so we can be one as he and the Father are one. We have all we need to truly be one with each other, we have his glory. Yet, Jesus continues to pray that we will come to complete unity, but for a specific reason. Our complete unity has the sole purpose of letting the world know that the Father sent the Son and he loves them as he loves Jesus. God so loved the world that he gave his only beloved Son so that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Again, we have to ask, what does complete unity look like? How does being one look like?