The Gospel of John The Lord s Prayer ~ Part 5 John 17:20-26 T HE DOUBLE FENCE Church unity is fine as an idea, but it is another thing entirely when we deal with application. I read this story recently, and it illustrates my point well: Between two farms near Valley-view, Alberta, you can find two parallel fences, only two feet apart, running one-half mile. Two farmers, Paul and Oscar, had a disagreement that erupted into a feud. Paul wanted to build a fence and split the cost, but Oscar refused. Since he wanted to keep cattle on his land, Paul built the fence anyway. After the fence was completed, Oscar said to Paul, I see we have a fence. What do you mean, We? Paul asked. I had the property surveyed and built the fence two feet into my land, Paul continued. Some of my land is outside the fence, and if I see your cows trespassing, I ll shoot them. Oscar knew Paul was serious, so when he eventually chose to use his land next to Paul s for pasture, he was forced to build a fence two feet away. Unity in practice is time-consuming, costly, distracting and difficult at best to attain. It means sacrificing our preferences and desires. So why bother? Before Jesus was arrested, he prayed, I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 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 (John 17:22, 23 NIV). Unity in practice is sometimes painful, and it does mean we must sometimes give up our preferences, tastes and traditions. So why bother? To fulfill our mission to make disciples for our God, who sacrificed His Son to remove our sin and bring us back to a covenant relationship with Him! ~ Mike Wittl Old Union Reminder 1 VIII The Upper Room Discourse Chapters 13-17 F. The Prayer of Christ Chapter 17 1. Giving Glory to God Verses 1-5 2. Giving Words from God Verses 6-19 3. Giving a Body to God Verses 20-26 Introduction: Through this entire prayer we have seen Jesus teaching the disciples. He was opening His heart to the Father but in a way that allowed the disciples to see it. And in doing so He was preparing them for the rest of their lives. He was encouraging them with the truths they would need to carry them beyond the crucifixion, the burial, the resurrection and His ascension to the Father. These truths would also carry them from their current role as disciples into their new responsibilities as Apostles. For after Pentecost, they become the foundation of the of the Church. Under the power and leading of the Spirit, just as had been the case with Christ, they now become the teachers and arbitrators of God s truths to all those who follow after them. 1 Steele, Jr., Richard A. and Evelyn Stoner, eds., Heartwarming Illustrations, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, 1998.
Now we come to one last transition. Initially Jesus focus was on His relationship to the Father and that His work on the Cross would bring mutual glory. Then Jesus shifts to a focus on the disciples and their dependency on the Father, and by inference and previous words, on the promised coming of the Holy Spirit. Finally Jesus, while still speaking of the disciples, moves His focus into the future and to His body the yet to be born Church. 3. Giving a Body to God: And as we see here in Verse 20 it is no long an inference that Jesus concerns were for more than just the disciples. He now makes it clear. They are their first hand testimonies of all that they had seen and heard. And eventually their words become the New Testament. Their words, which I m sure they never expected, become scripture and on an equal footing and combined with their scripture, the Old Testament. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me (1 Corinthians 15:3 8 ESV). Now remember as we consider Jesus prayer here, first, He made it clear He was not praying for the world, that is the lost. Second He was praying for His disciples because of what they were to be facing over the coming days and years. And now, He prays for His disciples, His followers, down through the centuries. Listen to Him speak, because He is praying for you and me. And what is He praying for? Verses 21: He is praying that we first would experience the unity that the Father and the Son experience within the Godhead. When an individual is saved, they are immediately sealed into the body of Christ. And that body is a unified one. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another (Romans 12:4 5 ESV). Jesus also identifies why it is vital that we live out the reality of that unity. It is this very unity, a body is made up of so many diverse people that is a testimony to the Lord. The Church can only survive and function if it is empowered supernaturally. the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the ) 408 (
members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body (1 Corinthians 12:14 20 ESV). The underlying premise here is that this unity is grounded in being a follower of Christ, a true believer. And Christ s Church has frequently done a poor job of demonstrating this unity. While we are unified in Christ, the problem is we frequently don t demonstrate it in spite of Christ s command to do so. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34 35 ESV). As I was thinking about this it reminded me a bit of the tenses of salvation. I was saved, that is justified. I am being saved, that is sanctification. In other words, our salvation is a fact but we don t always live accordingly. Our unity is grounded in Christ and therefore we are unified with all other believers. Unfortunately this doesn t always work out well. Boice notes Considering all the divisions that have plagued Christendom for two thousand years, it is amazing that God has continued to use the church to extend his kingdom. This statement by John White, an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship worker and writer, introduces us to the subject of Christian unity in two important ways: first, by portraying the unfortunate lack of unity that has plagued the church throughout its history and, second, by suggesting why Jesus asked that the church might be marked by unity at this particular point in his high priestly petition. The divisions that exist today are too obvious to need comment. They lie both on the surface and within. Battles rage. Highly praised church mergers not only fail to heal these divisions but also usually lead to further breakups involving those who do not like the new union. So far as Christ s reasons for praying for unity go, it is simply that he foresaw these differences and so asked for that great unity that should exist among his own in spite of them. 2 So practically it seems the church doesn t often live in the reality of its unity. It appears local bodies will go to war over secondary issues, losing their testimony and calling to make disciples rather than lose their dignity and/or distinctives. And one way or another, the same thing goes on with each body. Of course this is nothing new or Paul wouldn t have had to say I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV11). So we are unified in the Body of Christ and we are unified in our relationship to the Father and the Son. It is the Spirit who is the sealing of this unity which in turn becomes a testimony to the reality of Christ s claim to have been sent by the Father. 2 Boice, James Montgomery, Boice Expositional Commentary, Peace in the Storm (John 13-17), Baker Books Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI 1999, p. 1327 ) 409 (
we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV). Where once in Judea Christ s signs and wonders served as His credential as Messiah, now we are His credentials before a fallen world. Unfortunately, our credentials aren t always that clear. Verses 22-23: But Jesus wants more than just practical unity for us. He gives us the gift of the same glory He received from the Father for Himself. Stop and think about this for a moment. God glorified Christ for His work on the Cross. Christ is asking God to give this same glory to us. How can this possibly work? those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified (Romans 8:30 ESV). The verse itself answers the question. If, by definition as believers, we are one with the Father and the Son, that means we are glorified by the Father because of Christ s glorification. It is imputed to us in the say way His righteousness is imputed to us. It is His in us, not ours. It is one more way of demonstrating Christ s presence and the reality of who He is before a fallen world. The emphasis here is on the unity found within the Triunity being manifest within the community of believers. Just as godly marriages are an illustration of Christ s relationship to the Church, practical unity is an illustration of the unity within the Godhead and a testimony to God s glory in that relationship and within the Church. When we practically demonstrate this unity we are manifesting God s glory. When we fail to do so, we bring disrepute on Him. Verses 24-26: And so we come to the end of The Lord s Prayer. Jesus expresses a desire and a prophetic recognition of its fulfillment. He is about to be separated from His followers and this isn t His desire. He would like them to come with Him. He would like them to see the fulfillment of His work and the restoration of His glory in the Father s presence, the glory He had before time. Obviously this was a desire that wasn t to be fulfilled then. It is a desire that will be fulfilled one day. For the disciples it was fulfilled at their death. For us it is the same, unless of course the Rapture occurs. Jesus final words are a summary of the underlying truth of His pray and would serve, eventually, as a reminder to the disciples of who they are in Him and how blessed they are in that relationship. The most important truth of all is: First, the world doesn t know God the Father. By know Jesus means they don t accept God for who He is or come to Him on His terms. But the im- ) 410 (
portant thing is that Jesus knows the Father, of course. And second, the disciples know that He is the one sent by God for their salvation. And the purpose of Christ continuing to make the Father know to His followers is that they themselves might experience God s love for His Son. And of course the way He will continue to make the Father known is through the leading of the Holy Spirit. And through His leading, we know the Father, praise Him and present Him to the world. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you (1 John 4:13; Psalms 22:22 ESV). Dr. McGee summarizes Jesus prayer this way: In review, this is what this prayer says about believers and the world: 1. Given to Christ out of the world (v. 6) 2. Left in the world (v. 11) 3. Not of the world (v. 14) 4. Hated by the world (v. 14) 5. Kept from the evil one (v. 15) 6. Sent into the world (v. 18) 7. Manifest in unity before the world (v. 23) These are the requests of Christ for His own: 1. Preservation (v. 11) 2. Joy fullness of the Spirit (v. 13) 3. Deliverance from evil (v. 15) 4. To be set apart sanctify (v. 17) 5. Unity be one (this is not union) (v. 21) 6. Fellowship be with me (v. 24) 7. Satisfaction behold my glory (v. 24) 3 Conclusion: There are many truths found in this last section. The one that should have the most impact is that we are one in Christ, greatly loved and, through the Holy Spirit, allowed to receive the Father s love and pass this on to others. And the way we can demonstrate this love and oneness is by living it out through the body. We are to be in practical unity, not just positional unity. Blum says, speaking of this unity This verse is a favorite of promoters of the present ecumenical movement. Admittedly the divided church is in many ways a scandal. The cure, however, is not institutional union. Jesus was not praying for the unity of a single, worldwide, ecumenical church in which doctrinal heresy would be maintained along with orthodoxy. Instead, He was praying for a unity of love, a unity of obedience to God and His Word, and a united commitment to His will. There are great differences between uniformity, union, and unity. 4 3 McGee, J. Vernon, John 2: The Gospels, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1991 4 Blum, Edwin A., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, John, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1983 ) 411 (
Our unity is to be worked out in two ways. First, in love, we must demonstrate that unity within our own body. This doesn t mean we have to agree with one another on every point. It means we can agree to disagree on secondary issues with a loving Spirit. We are one. This is the truth. The question is, are we living that truth. Again quoting John 13 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34 35 ESV). This is a command, not an option. Look at those around you. These are your family. You may think some are weird, as I m sure some think you are, but we are called to love and minister to one another. This isn t just for our own sakes. It is for Christ s, for our testimony and for His and the Father s glory. And we can only live this way in dependency on the Spirit. Each local community of believers is to relate to one another in the same way, in dependency on the Holy Spirit, empowered and committed to the fundamental truths of the gospels and always serving one another in love. Yes, we are to depend on the discernment of the Spirit to know when and when not we can serve in other community, based on what we and they know of scripture. But never forget, that just as individuals within a community of believers are one in the Lord, so are individual churches. Just as each believer has a role in their church, so each church has a role in its community. Just as battles with a church undermine its testimony so do battles between godly local congregations. An old legend tells of a noisy carpenter s shop in which the tools of the trade were arguing among themselves. Brother Hammer was told by his fellow tools that he would have to leave because he was too noisy. To which he replied, If I am to leave this carpenter s shop, Brother Gimlet must go too; he is so insignificant that he makes very little impression. Little Brother Gimlet arose and said, All right, but Brother Screw must go also; you have to turn him around and around again and again to get him anywhere. Brother Screw said, If you wish, I will go. But Brother Plane must leave also; all his work is on the surface, there is no depth to it. To this Brother Plane replied, Well, Brother Rule will have to withdraw if I do, for he is always measuring others as though he were the only one who is right. Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper and said, I just do not care, he is rougher than he ought to be and he is always rubbing people the wrong way. In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He had come to perform His day s work. He put on His apron, and went to the bench to make a pulpit. He employed the screw, the gimlet, the sandpaper, the saw, the hammer and the plane and all the other tools. After the day s work was over and the pulpit was finished, Brother Saw arose and said, Brethren, I perceive that all of us are laborers together with God. Is it not wonderful how God uses all of us and our unique gifts in the building of His pulpit! 5 May we all in Christ not just be a unified body which we are. But let us live out this on a practical basis bringing God glory and a demonstrated message of salvation to the lost. 5 Kyle, Ted, and John Todd, eds., A Treasury of Bible Illustrations, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN, 1995. ) 412 (
The Gospel of John The Lord s Prayer ~ Part 5 John 17:20-26 VIII The Upper Room Discourse Chapters 13-17 F. The Prayer of Christ Chapter 17 1. Giving Glory to God Verses 1-5 2. Giving Words from God Verses 6-19 3. Giving a Body to God Verses 20-26 John 17:20-26 Introduction: 3. Giving a Body to God: (1 Corinthians 15:3 8) Verses 21: (Romans 12:4 5; 1 Corinthians 12:14 20; John 13:34 35; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:4-6)
Verses 22-23: (Romans 8:30 Verses 24-26: (1 John 4:13; Psalms 22:22)
Dr. McGee summarizes Jesus prayer this way: In review, this is what this prayer says about believers and the world: 1. Given to Christ out of the world (v. 6) 2. Left in the world (v. 11) 3. Not of the world (v. 14) 4. Hated by the world (v. 14) 5. Kept from the evil one (v. 15) 6. Sent into the world (v. 18) 7. Manifest in unity before the world (v. 23) These are the requests of Christ for His own: 1. Preservation (v. 11) 2. Joy fullness of the Spirit (v. 13) 3. Deliverance from evil (v. 15) 4. To be set apart sanctify (v. 17) 5. Unity be one (this is not union) (v. 21) 6. Fellowship be with me (v. 24) 7. Satisfaction behold my glory (v. 24) 1 Conclusion: (John 13:34 35) Personal Application: What can you do to contribute to the unity within our church? Prayer for the Week: Help be a contributor to a lived out unity within my church. Amen. 1 McGee, J. Vernon, John 2: The Gospels, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1991