One in Christ

Bible Reading: John 17:20–26

“That they may all be one… 

so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.

 John 17:21

On the night before the cross, Jesus prayed not only for His disciples but “for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). He was praying for us—for His Church in every generation. And at the heart of His prayer was unity. Jesus did not pray that we would all be alike, but that amid our different cultures, traditions, gifts, and backgrounds, we would be one in Him. Our unity is rooted in the shared life and love of the Father and the Son: “As You, Father, are in Me, and I in You” (v.21). Paul echoes this vision: “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:4–5).

This unity is more than fellowship; it is part of the Church’s witness. Jesus prayed, “so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.” Joan Puls writes of leaving behind a “small world” to discover “the tender mercies of God’s larger family.” When we cross the boundaries of culture, denomination, history, and tradition and discover brothers and sisters in Christ, our vision of God’s family is enlarged. We learn to bear one another’s burdens, share one another’s suffering, and love across the barriers that so often divide the world. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).

Jesus ends His prayer with love: “that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (v.26). This is God’s plan for the Church—a people united not by uniformity but by Christ dwelling within them. As His love fills us, it crosses boundaries, heals divisions, and creates new relationships. The Church becomes a visible sign of God’s larger family and a living invitation to the world to discover the love of Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

Thank You for making us one in Christ. Fill us with Your love, heal our divisions, and help us to love one another as Jesus prayed. May the unity of Your Church reveal Christ to the world. 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.