JN 17: 20-26 

Jottings on John… Easter 7…Revised 2019

As my late, great, teacher, Leon Morris wrote,¹ ‘The dominant concern in this section is for Unity & for the divine Glory’ (capitals mine). His two points offer us a focus more likely to be helpful than any more complicated theologising on prayer we may be tempted to try. In a passage harder to preach than Jesus’ more concrete teachings, let’s look at the Unity with Him & God & each other that Jesus prays for us to have. In the light of the divine Glory we recognise in Him.

That we can have any kind of One-ness with God is mind-boggling in itself. A One-ness literally brought down to earth in a new kind, a Personal kind, of One-ness we can enjoy with God & others. Jesus isn’t praying two things here, just the One. Being at One with God & each other is product of, & inseparable from, giving God that Glory that’s His due. Jesus shares His praying with us to encourage us to focus on that One-ness He’s praying for. Encourages us to become as One with God as He is. As One with our fellow human beings as He is through giving God the Glory. Does this mean many of us will need to re-focus our praying to the Jesus Way? Can we illustrate this in our congregation’s situation? 

Jesus’ praying focuses on His Servanthood among us, & the Self-Sacrifice He is about to accomplish on the Cross. (JN sees the Cross as Jesus’ Glory, rather than His Resurrection as others do, & we may be inclined to preach.) Jesus expects us not only to pray about changing ourselves & the world, but to go out & do it! Be that change for a world that doesn’t see itself belonging to anyone but itself! Cost what that may!  

I don’t believe Jesus is praying for what we refer to as 'Christian Unity' here. That kind of 'Unity' will be unachievable till we’re forced into it as a last ditch survival attempt! Too late! Jesus is praying here, for us to follow, in Unity with the ‘Mind of God’.Can we practise & preach a One-ness stemming solely from Glorifying God?

Jesus prays here that those God has ‘given Him’ will be with Him where His Glory is; i.e. wherever He sacrifices Himself & we identify ourselves with Him. He still prays we'll stay the distance, though His kind of Unity & giving Glory, is costly! ‘But, lo there breaks…..’ As the old hymn put it. 

Brian

Afterthought:  Can we be One with anyone, let alone whole in ourselves, until we are restored to the Oneness & Glory built into the Creation? Restored to Grace by Jesus the New Adam (in whom we can recognise the New Eve too.) 

¹ Gospel According to John, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1971, p. 733