John 17.1-11
17After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
6”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.
11And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
Thougths: This is known as Jesus' high priestly prayer. He is praying not only for the disciples present with him, but for all those who will come to know him. In a sense this is Jesus' prayer for you and me! Many folks like to think about his prayer for unity that we might be one over against the reality of the Christian church. I rather think of this unity already having been accomplished. We are one, because Christ makes us one. We might sin and get in fights over doctrine and interpretation; but none of these things can deter from what Christ has already done--made us one. No we are tasked with living into this unity that Christ has already established.
Questions: Do you think the many different churches and denominations are a gift or a curse? Why?
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