One Body

John 15-18

“’…I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’”

John 17:20, 21, 23

This prayer of Jesus for us, his followers, reveals an essential component of fruitful witness. How we think of other Christ-followers, and how we treat them is one of the ways the world knows Jesus is God. The great commission of Jesus is a call to make disciples who love one another and in so doing point the world to God’s love for them. Jesus is praying for his Church to be one, in spirit and purpose. He is praying that we would be brought to ‘complete unity’. Before dismissing this prayer as impractical, ask Jesus what this means for us.

With whom are you being invited to pursue unity, and in what ways?

If we think differently, as a body, the body of Christ, we will understand that each person and Church tradition/communion are only a part of a much greater whole with Christ as our living head.

How is this prayer of Jesus being fulfilled by our obedience this day?

“Lord Jesus, I choose to pursue unity with other followers of yours, for your glory.”