Final Words - Unity, Glory, and Those Who are to Come (John 17: 20-26)

Devotional

Day 1: The Foundation of Our Unity in Christ

Jesus prayed for a profound unity among all believers, a oneness that mirrors the perfect relationship between the Father and the Son. This unity is not about uniformity in our opinions or preferences, but about a shared spiritual reality. It is found in our common abiding in Christ and His Spirit abiding in us. This divine connection is the only thing powerful enough to hold such a diverse group of people together in genuine love. When we live from this place of shared life in Him, the world takes notice. [11:50]

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20-21 ESV)

Reflection: What is one relationship within your church family where differences in personality or preference have created a subtle distance? How might focusing on your shared identity in Christ, rather than those differences, change your next interaction with them?

Day 2: The Purpose of Our Unity: Revealing His Glory

Our unity as believers is not an end in itself; it has a greater purpose. When we are united through the indwelling Spirit of Christ, we become a living display of His glory to the world. This glory is not our own achievement, but a gift given to us by Jesus Himself. It is the powerful, radiant presence of God dwelling within His people. Through our love for one another, we make the invisible God visible to a watching and skeptical world. [17:23]

“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” (John 17:22 ESV)

Reflection: When you consider your own life and the life of your church, what would it look like to "unbox" the glory of God within you this week? Is there a specific, practical way you can let that glory shine through an act of love or service?

Day 3: Our Shared Hope: Beholding His Glory

In the midst of a broken world, we have a certain and glorious hope. Jesus Himself prayed for us to be with Him, to see and experience the full weight of His magnificent glory. This future reality is a promised reward for our faith, secured by the price Jesus paid, the promise He made, and the prayer He offered. This assurance allows us to live with purpose and endurance, knowing our ultimate destination is a place of perfect glory and restoration. [24:06]

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24 ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life does the brokenness of this world feel most heavy or discouraging? How can the certain hope of one day perfectly beholding Christ’s glory change your perspective on that situation today?

Day 4: Our Mission: Making Him Known in Love and Truth

The world does not know God, and we cannot expect it to live by His truth. Our mission, therefore, is to lovingly and truthfully make Him known. This calling is not about compromise, but about holding love and truth together in perfect tension, just as Jesus did. We are to reflect God’s character—His love, His standards, and His truth—to those who are still searching. This is the ultimate will of God for every believer: to know Him and to make Him known. [27:39]

“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26 ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person in your life who "does not know Him," and how can you prayerfully look for an opportunity to show them the love of Christ this week without compromising the truth of who He is?

Day 5: The Heart of It All: To Know God

The entire mission of Christ, culminating in this pivotal week, was centered on one ultimate purpose: that we might know God. This is our highest calling and our greatest joy. It is the foundation of our faith, the purpose of our unity, and the motivation for our mission. As we walk through this Holy Week, we are invited to move beyond the surface and press into a deeper, more intimate knowledge of our Creator and Redeemer. [31:16]

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 ESV)

Reflection: As you reflect on this week, what is one distraction—a worry, a habit, or a busyness—that can keep you from focusing on truly knowing God? What is one intentional step you can take to set that aside and create space to know Him more deeply?

Sermon Summary

Today marks the threshold of Holy Week, moving from Palm Sunday’s celebration into the path that leads through suffering to resurrection. The high-priestly prayer in John 17 focuses the reader on unity, glory, and the mission ahead: followers are invited to be “in” Christ so that their common life reveals God to the world. This oneness is not uniformity of taste or style but a shared indwelling—Christ in believers and the Father in Christ—so that the church bears witness to God’s sending. The glory bestowed on Jesus is shared with those who belong to him; that divine presence transforms relationships, shapes witness, and secures hope for final fellowship in the Father’s house.

The prayer reframes the goal of faith away from mere comfort or escape and toward participation in Christ’s life. Eternal destiny hinges on the work of Christ, the promise he made, and the Son’s intercession that believers would behold his glory. Earthly life remains broken and fraught, but the presence of the same Spirit that raised Christ animates the church now, enabling love that transcends preference and culture. Such love, rooted in truth, unites despite differences and resists the false option of shallow agreement; genuine unity will look like mutual cleansing, accountability, and sacrifice, not uniformity.

The mission springs from relationship: the imperative is simple and radical—know God and make him known. The world does not know God now, so the church must be the visible place where God’s love and truth meet. When Christians embody both, the world can believe; when Christians fracture into partisan or moral confusion, the gospel is obscured. The prayer guarantees that those given to the Son will one day be with him to see his glory, and that assurance shapes how the community lives today—together, sanctified, and sent.

Key Takeaways

1. Unity through being in Christ True unity arises from mutual indwelling with Christ, not from enforced agreement on peripheral matters. When believers abide in Jesus and depend on the Spirit, relational fractures lose their power because identity rests in him rather than in opinions, styles, or social categories. This unity enables honest difference without division and creates a common witness that the world can trust. [12:26]
2. Believers possess Christ's glory The glory given to Christ is shared with those who belong to him, making divine presence a present reality, not only a future hope. That shared glory sanctifies relationships, fuels obedience, and guarantees that physical suffering will be swallowed by resurrection reality. Possessing Christ’s glory changes ordinary interactions into means of revealing God’s character. [17:10]
3. Know Him; make Him known The central vocation is relationship before program: deepening knowledge of God naturally issues in making him known to others. Spiritual discernment about vocation or choices flows from whether actions help one know God better and point others to him. Faithful living simplifies to faithful seeing and telling. [27:39]
4. Love without truth is hypocrisy Love that divorces truth betrays the cross because it ignores the cost of redemption and the reality of sin. Authentic love upholds compassion and clarity together, calling people to repentance while offering mercy; anything less cheapens both God’s holiness and his grace. The church must embody both honesty and tenderness in equal measure. [29:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:01] - Palm Sunday and Holy Week
[01:37] - Walking through the Cross
[03:00] - Preparing to Read John 17
[08:19] - John 17:20–26 Read Aloud
[11:11] - Unity Defined: In Christ
[13:08] - Oneness vs. Sameness
[17:10] - Glory Given to Believers
[22:09] - Heaven: Reward and Assurance
[27:39] - The Mission: Know and Make Known
[31:54] - Don’t Rush This Week
[32:15] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: John 17:20-26 (ESV)
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Observation questions

According to verses 21-23, what is the specific reason Jesus gives for wanting his followers to be one?
What does Jesus say he has given to his followers in verse 22, and what is the purpose of this gift?
In verse 24, what is Jesus’s specific desire for those who believe in him?
What two things does Jesus say he has done and will continue to do for his followers in verse 26?

Interpretation questions

Jesus prays for a oneness of being, not just a oneness of mission. [12:26] What is the practical difference between these two types of unity in a church community?
The world does not know God, so the church must be the visible place where His love and truth meet. [26:00] What does it look like for a church to embody both truth and love simultaneously, especially on difficult issues?
The assurance of heaven is based on the price Jesus paid, the promise he made, and the prayer he prayed. [23:38] How do these three foundations work together to provide a believer with security and hope?
The central vocation is to "know him; make him known." [27:39] How does this simple imperative shape a person's decision-making process regarding their career, relationships, and daily life?

Application questions

True unity comes from abiding in Christ, not from agreeing on everything. [13:08] What is one opinion or preference you hold strongly that is not essential to the gospel? How can you better love someone in your church family who sees that issue differently than you do?
Believers possess Christ's glory, making divine presence a present reality. [18:00] How can this truth change the way you view your "ordinary" interactions this week, like a conversation with a coworker or a moment of frustration with your family?
Love that divorces truth is hypocrisy. [29:54] Can you think of a recent situation where you were tempted to choose being "nice" over being truthful, or being "right" over being loving? What would it have looked like to hold both compassion and clarity in that moment?
The world is looking for a church that is loving and united while the rest of the world is divided. [20:38] When you look at the relationships within your own small group or church, what is one practical, tangible way you could help strengthen the bonds of unity this week?
The mission is simple: know God and make him known. [27:39] What is one specific action you can take this week to know God better? What is one specific, low-pressure opportunity you can create to make him known to someone in your life who doesn't know him? [26:00]

Sermon Clips

59s

#UnityInAction

“It's not about anything but the work of Christ and the indwelling of his spirit in us, and that's what the world is looking for. Listen. As the world sees love and oneness, they will believe God is love. When the world sees us, argue, spew hatred and division, the world will reject the gospel. Think about it. Everywhere in the world, we're saying, man, we need to get together. We need to be unified. We are so split as a country. We are so split. You know who should be modeling that better than anybody? The church. People should see everywhere else in the world. It is just tearing itself apart, and they're going different directions, and they're fighting each other, and they should look over and see a church that just is loving each other and together. That's unity. That's what the world is looking for.”

53s

#GloryThroughChrist

“Through our unity in Christ, we reveal his glory. Not ours, not the church, not not anything else. We reveal his glory. The basis for true you unity is the person and work of Christ and his glory. Look at verse 22. Jesus says, the glory that you have given me, I have given to them that they may be one as we are one. Do you understand that as a follower of Christ, as someone that has accepted and given your life and said, God, I know I can't do it. I'm a sinner. I need you. I surrender. Forgive me. Come into my life. That you possess his glory. That it's it's in us. How do we box that? How do you hide that?”

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