Day: November 28, 2011

After Jesus prayed for himself and the existing believers of his, He takes time to pray for all future believers (followers) who would come to know him through the existing believers and interesting the crux of his prayer for these believers is unity. He first prays that the believer be as one. In other words, Jesus prayed that the believers be UNITED with one another  (John 17:22). Jesus then moves on to pray that the believers are with Him, where He is. In other words, Jesus prayed that the believer be UNITED with Him (John 17:24).

Come to think of this prayer, Jesus was praying that the believers follow the greatest of God’s commandments, which is to Love the Lord thy God with all of your heart, soul, and mind and Love your neighbor as yourself. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, one ought to UNITED with Him or when one is united (abiding in) with Christ, they would love the Lord God with all of their heart, soul, and mind. To love your neighbor as yourself, is to be UNITED with one another or when one is in united with each other, they would be in harmony, loving one another as themselves.

Jesus’ prayer for Unity; that all believers fear God and keep his commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13), the greatest of the commandments that sums up all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).

Points to ponder:
How are your and I doing, when it comes to being as what Jesus prayed for you and me? Are we with Christ, where He is? Are we as one, united in love, with each other?

John 17:20-26 (KJV)
²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
²⁴ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
²⁵ O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
²⁶ And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV)
³⁷ Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
³⁸ This is the first and great commandment.
³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.