That May We Be One

“Joey” Alan Le, Ph.D.

March 23, 2025

Icebreaker: How are you at ‘goodbyes’?

John 17:20–23

20 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 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. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

In ancient times, dying or departing leaders, prophets, and rabbis would provide final words of instruction for their disciples who remained behind (Wilkins et al., Loc. 68,817).

So, it is safe to assume that this prayer was not said in private. It was Jewish tradition to pray it aloud so that all of Jesus’ followers could hear (Wilkins et al., Loc. 68,861).

Jesus is about to be betrayed, arrested, and killed in a gruesome, shameful way. He is about to face our evil, bear the sin of the world in his body, and go through hell on our behalf (Keller, 82).

He needs to say, “Goodbye.” And he wants to tell us his deepest hopes for his followers and those who follow him today. Which of the three prayers -- security, holiness, and unity -- do you pray for most? How would you rank Jesus' priorities?

Jesus is very specific about the kind of unity he wishes his followers would have:

v. 21a — that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
v. 22b — that they may be one as we are one.
v. 23a — I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity.

The highest good, the most flourishing outcome that Jesus could imagine for us, is that we would have the same oneness that he and the Father enjoy within the Trinity (Keller, 83). He wants us to be united like that.

What is the unity of the Trinity like?

Christian theologians use a term called perichoresis to describe the relationship shared by each of the three persons of the Trinity.

The Father makes space for the Son and the Spirit, and the Son and the Spirit yield to the Father, in gestures of mutual respect, yielding, and affirmation (Louth, 31).

It’s like an eternal dance where God gives God’s self away, gives God’s wealth, glory, and life away, utterly. And then God receives God’s gift with delight and joy (Hart, 268).

We can only describe the eternal life of the Trinity with analogies. But there really is no earthly comparison. The unity of the Trinity is the absolute highest type of oneness (Lenski, 1155). This is what Jesus wants for us: to also be like a perpetual movement of love.

How does this dance analogy help you understand the relationship shared by each of the divine Persons?

What Unity is Not

Christian unity does not mean that we agree on everything.
Christian unity does not mean uniformity.
Christian unity doesn't mean accepting all lifestyles or beliefs.

Can you expand or add this list of what Christian unity is not?

One thing is plain—that we must love the strife-maker; another is nearly as plain—that, if we do not love him, we must leave him alone; for without love there can be no peace-making, and words will but occasion more strife. To be kind neither hurts nor compromises. Kindness has many phases, and the fitting form of it may avoid offence, and must avoid untruth (George MacDonald, The Hope of the Gospel: God's Family).

Sermon Points

We are never closer to one another than when our hearts are focused on God.
We are never further from one another when our hearts are distracted from God.
Disunity diminishes our witness of God (Jn 17:21).
The world can’t see God, but they can see Christians. And what they see in us is what they will believe about God. If they see love and unity, they will believe that God is love. If they see hatred, division, and violence, they will believe that God is hateful (Wiersbe, 371).
Some Christians believe that God’s kingdom would be established by imposing their Christianity on others. But Jesus did not say that the world will be convinced of the truth of Christianity by our politics, our policies, and our power. Rather, the world will be convinced of the truth of Christ by our unity.

Ways to Build Christian Unity

Remember what you share in common in Christ.
Try to see the world from someone else’s moral and emotional point of view.
Focus on shared values — like the desire for safety, fairness, and well-being.
In your conversations, try to deepen relationships rather than tear people apart. Be willing to engage differences rather than suppress them with an attitude of humility, respect, and love.
Try working together for a common goal.

Reflection

What does the world learn about God when they look at your relationships with other Christians?
Do your conversations unite people or divide them?
How will you seek unity with other disciples of Jesus this week?
How does your love for God translate into your love of neighbor?
Is your view of Christians you disagree with accurate and charitable? How could you learn to see them the way God sees them?

Works Cited

Hart, David Bentley. The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2003.

Keller, Timothy, and Sam Allberry. 90 Days in John 14-17, Romans & James. Explore by the Book: The Good Book Company, 2017.

Lenski, R. C. H. The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961.

Louth, Andrew. Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology. Digital ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2013.

MacDonald, George. Hope of the Gospel: Public Domain, 1892.

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996.

Wilkins, Michael J., David E. Garland, Darrell L. Bock, Gary M. Burge, and Ajith Fernando. NIVAC Bundle 6: Gospels, Acts: Zondervan Academic, 2015.

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