John 17:21
“that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.”
BEREAN.AI
Title: That They May All Be One
Scripture: John 17:21
Jesus prays these words right before He goes to the cross. This is His great high priestly prayer, and He prays for you. He prays that you would be one with other believers. Not that you would agree on everything, but that you would be united in Him.
The world hates this kind of unity. The world says Christians are divided, always fighting, always splitting. Jesus says our unity is the proof that the Father sent Him. When we love each other despite our differences, the world sees something supernatural. They see that the gospel actually works.
This doesn't mean we ignore false teaching or pretend sin doesn't matter. Jesus prayed this after He spent the whole night teaching His disciples the truth. Unity is built on truth, not on feelings. But unity means I treat the brother who disagrees with me on baptism the same way Jesus treats me. With patience, with grace, with a commitment to love.
You will get hurt by other Christians. That's guaranteed. The question is whether you will run away or stay and work it out. Unity costs something. It cost Jesus His life to make us one with the Father. Now He asks us to pay the smaller cost of forgiving each other, of bearing with each other, of choosing to stay in fellowship.
This prayer destroys our excuses for division. You can't say "I love Jesus" and hate His body. You can't claim to follow the One who prayed for unity and then gossip about the church down the street. When you refuse to forgive, when you refuse to reconcile, you are working against Christ's specific prayer request.
Start small. Pick up the phone and call that Christian you've been avoiding. Ask forgiveness for the harsh words you said about another church. Teach your children that Christians who baptize babies or only baptize adults are still our brothers and sisters. The world is watching whether we actually believe the gospel we preach.
Prayer: Father, forgive us for the times we've valued being right over being united. Show us where our pride keeps us from loving our brothers and sisters. Make us one, even as You and the Son are one. Amen.
