John 17:11-21

In the gospel of John, Jesus prays for his disciples, saying: "Father, may they all be one, just as you are in me and I am in you, so that they may also be in us and the world may believe that you sent me."

This prayer by Jesus is found only in the gospel of John. Jesus is praying for his disciples, because he is about to be killed and they will be left alone in the world. But Jesus tells them that they will not be alone. They are united by the mystery of God, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus also prays for those who come to have faith in him through the ministry of his disciples.

This prayer was written to strengthen a young church struggling to define its faith over against Jews, who saw Jesus as a teacher but not as the messiah. As a teacher, Jesus was dead. Only his words continued to live. As the messiah, however, Jesus is resurrected and so lives on, not only in his words, but in the flesh through the life of the church. In this gospel passage the church for which the gospel was written proclaims it is the continuing word of Jesus Christ, because it is united not only with Jesus by keeping his commandments but also with God by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Grace and peace...Bob