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Easter-7(B) the Scripture Text Is Taken from John 17:6-19 One Sunday Morning, a Minister Was Giving a Children’S Sermon to All the Kids in Church

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Easter-7(B) the Scripture Text Is Taken from John 17:6-19 One Sunday Morning, a Minister Was Giving a Children’S Sermon to All the Kids in Church Easter-7(B) The scripture text is taken from John 17:6-19 One Sunday morning, a minister was giving a children’s sermon to all the kids in church. A bright-eyed three old girl was listening intently as he explained that God wanted them all to get along and to love one another. She was tracking with her pastor until he said, ‘God wants us all to be one’. To which the little girl replied, “But I don’t want to be one, I want to be four.” This little girl was on to something. Many of us don’t want to be one either. It’s much easier for us to splinter into four groups, or forty groups, or even four hundred different groups. While it’s difficult to get an exact count because the number keeps going up, but there are thousands of denominations, spin-off religious groups, and cults in the United States alone. For us today, living in the 21st Century, there is so much division in the world and so little unity. With the stress put on the importance of the individual and individualism where is the common ground? Where is the unity? Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” I Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 10-11. The disciples who spent three years with Jesus demonstrated more discord than accord. James and John caused envy and jealousy when they wanted to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His coming kingdom. On the night before Jesus selflessly gave His life, an argument arose among the disciples who should have known better. In the final moments before His arrest, Jesus could have prayed for strength. He could have requested that the eleven would support Him and stand by Him. His intercession to the Father could have been filled with a desire to make the disciples better teachers or servants or givers or leaders. Instead, His prayer was dominated by a single thought, and that was the unity of believers. Let’s take a closer look at our gospel narrative for today, as we look at the context to which it was set. If we were to look at chapter 13, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as a demonstration of servanthood and then challenged them with a new command in verse 34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.” In chapter 14, Jesus comforts the disciples by telling them that even though He’s about to leave, they can join Him in heaven if they put their faith in Him. In the meantime, Jesus is going to send the Holy Spirit, so that they will not be orphaned. In chapter 15, Jesus says that He is “the vine and you are the branches”, and reminds them that they can do nothing apart from Him. In chapter 16, Jesus teaches them more about the Holy Spirit and the peace that the Holy Spirit will bring into their lives. Then on the eve of His excruciating death, Jesus utters an appeal for unity. John, chapter 17, verse 1 begins with: “After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and prayed. This is the true; “Lord’s Prayer”. The other prayer that we commonly refer to as the “Lord’s Prayer” is actually a model for us to follow, or we could call it the disciple’s prayer. This prayer in John’s Gospel, chapter 17 is the longest prayer of Jesus. This prayer is long in two ways, its Jesus’ most protracted prayer recorded in Scripture and it’s the longest in the scope of time it covers because it extends all the way to us and to the church today. Look at verse 20: “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, as you Father, 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.” This prayer is saturated with urgency. You can almost hear the agonized intensity as Jesus pleads with His Father to make His followers one. In fact, He asks for unity four different times. This chapter has been called the “Holy of Holies” of the New Testament because we’re allowed a glimpse into what motivated the Master. This prayer was prayed aloud for the disciples’ benefit. His followers couldn’t help but be moved and convicted about their disregard for unity as they heard Jesus pour out His heart to the Father. Jesus prayed this prayer out loud so that His disciples could hear it, and take it in. If the early Christians struggled to maintain unity, and we do as well, its obvious that we need God’s help in this area. The very fact that Jesus prayed for unity indicates that we can’t accomplish this on our own. The last hours that Jesus had with His disciples ended in prayer. We could say this prayer that Jesus prayed, is committed to His church, presenting a witness of oneness to the world. Jesus prayers essentially about three matters: Verses 1-5 For Himself, verses 6-19 for the disciples to be protected and sanctified, and verses 20-26 for the church to be unified. Let’s look at verse 11 as Jesus prays for His disciples: “And 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.” Jesus knows that His time in this world is coming to an end, He is about to leave His believers behind in a very tough and unfriendly world. He can foresee the upcoming persecution and every temptation they are going to face. He knows how the “Deceiver” will work to divide His disciples and so He prays for their protection by appealing to the power of God’s name. Notice that He refers to God as “Holy Father”, indicating that the Father is far above the wickedness of the world. His “name” stands for all of God’s resources, power, and abilities. Psalm 79, verse 9 says: “Help us, O’God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name’s sake.” We should pray the same way, as we make requests for the glory of God’s name, not necessarily for the comforts of His children. Because of who the Father is, Jesus is asking Him to stand guard over those who have put their faith in Him by unleashing His protective oversight. This protection that Jesus prays in verse 11 has a purpose in mind: “so that they may be one, as we are one.” In the original this is even more forceful. The meaning is this: “that they may be one”. Notice that He ties this request for oneness to the type of relationship that He has with the Father. Just as Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit are one in essence and purpose, so too, His disciples share the same fundamental nature as brothers and sisters of the same Father. And we share a similar purpose with Jesus to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Using the relationship between the Father and the Son as an example, our union with one another, our fellowship with one another as Christians, as born again believers, is to be close, holy and complete. This request is amplified in verse 20, when Jesus expands His intercession to include you and me. What Jesus is saying in His prayer is that: My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through the disciples’ message, their testimony. It’s amazing to me that Jesus is praying for people who have not even been born yet. This reminds me of Psalm 22, verse 31: “and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.” Jesus was looking ahead to the church of today, to every believer from the crucifixion up to this very moment and beyond. Notice that belief comes through the hearing of the message, just as it always has. The disciples were faithful in spreading the word and millions of people have come to Christ in every generation because of that. Likewise, you and I must never forget that salvation is tied to the hearing and receiving of the good news of the gospel by faith. The Apostle Paul writes in the Book of Romans, chapter 10, verse 14: “But how are they going to call on the one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” And so, we’re included in Jesus’ request for unity.
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