So That the World May Believe

Scripture

“My prayer is not for them alone. 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 also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”— John 17:20‑21

Who is writing?

The apostle John, an eyewitness disciple, records Jesus’ words.

Who is the audience?

Early Christian communities hearing the gospel of John, while the original prayer was spoken to the Father with the Eleven present.

Biblical context

John 17 is often called the High Priestly Prayer, closing Jesus’ farewell discourse on the night before the crucifixion. Having prayed for His own glory (vv. 1‑5) and for the disciples’ protection and sanctification (vv. 6‑19), Jesus now looks to future believers who will come through apostolic testimony. The request for unity is tied to evangelistic purpose: a united church makes the invisible God visible to the watching world.

LIGHTER Method

L – LORD

The petition reveals God’s relational nature. Father and Son dwell in perfect fellowship, and Jesus invites believers into that divine communion. The triune God is not solitary but inherently communal, overflowing love into His people.

I – INWARD

Our divisions—doctrinal pride, cultural bias, personal offenses—expose how far we fall from Jesus’ vision. We often protect preferences above fellowship, forgetting that fractured witness confuses a world Jesus longs to reach.

G – GOSPEL

Christ’s cross reconciles us to God and to one another. By abolishing hostility in His flesh, He forms “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:14‑16). Unity is not a human achievement; it is the blood‑bought reality believers are called to guard.

H – HOPE

The prayer itself is hope. Jesus intercedes, and the Father always hears Him. Our stubborn disunity is not final because the Son’s advocacy continues until His church reflects heaven’s harmony.

T – TAKEAWAY

Real unity is relational participation in Father and Son. When believers abide in Christ, jealousy fades, humility rises, and common mission outranks personal brand.

E – EQUIP

The verse supplies a testing question: Does my speech and conduct build or break oneness? Applying it guides board meetings, worship planning, social media posts, and cross‑cultural friendships.

R – RESPOND

SPEAR Method

S – SIN

The passage unmasks the sin of sectarianism. When we elevate tribe above truth, we deny God’s nature and disrupt gospel credibility.

P – PROMISE

Jesus promises inclusion: those who “will believe” are already in His heart. The future church is secure because it rests on His intercession, not our competence.

E – ENCOURAGEMENT

Knowing that Christ prays for our oneness injects courage into peacemaking efforts. We work within answered prayer, not uncertain outcomes.

A – ACTION

Refuse gossip, honor other ministries, collaborate across boundaries, and prioritize kingdom fruit over personal recognition.

R – RESPOND

REPAIR Method

R – REPLACE

Replace the lie that unity means uniformity. Biblical oneness celebrates diverse gifts under one Lord (1 Corinthians 12). The aim is harmony, not sameness.

E – EXAMPLE

Jesus models intercessory love—He prays for people not yet born. Our example is to intercede for churches we have never visited and believers we may never meet.

P – PRAYER

Ask for a heart that grieves division and longs for Spirit‑wrought concord. Pray, “Make us one so the world may believe.”

A – ASSIGNMENT

Support a ministry outside your circle, attend a multicultural service, or study theology with someone of a different tradition to taste broader fellowship.

I – INSPIRE

Christ in us means the possibility of displaying the Trinity’s beauty before a fragmented society. Nothing less than God’s own glory is at stake.

R – RESPOND

Schedule a prayer time focused solely on unity—local churches, global missions, persecuted believers—trusting that heaven moves when earth unites in petition.

LARGER Method

L – LIE

Culture teaches that individual expression outranks collective identity. Jesus counters: true life is found “in us,” not in isolated autonomy.

A – ASSIGNMENT

Live out gospel unity: share resources, bear one another’s burdens, and disagree without division.

R – REPLACE

Trade self‑promotion for mutual submission, competition for cooperation, suspicion for charity.

G – GOSPEL

The unity Jesus prays for is grounded in His mission: the world must see tangible evidence that the Father sent the Son. Evangelism and unity are inseparable.

E – EXALT

When varied believers worship as one, the Father’s love for the Son is displayed on earth, turning congregations into living doxologies.

R – RESPOND

Three Big‑Picture Takeaways

1. Unity is theological before it is organizational. We share the indwelling life of Father and Son; structural cooperation flows from spiritual reality.

2. Jesus’ intercession is the foundation of our peacemaking. We pursue oneness confident that He already prays it into being.

3. Missional credibility rides on relational integrity. The world believes the Father sent the Son when disciples display the love that binds the Trinity.

Prayer

Holy Father, thank You that Your Son prayed for us long before we believed. Forgive our pride, rivalry, and indifference that fracture Christ’s body. Draw us into the unity You enjoy with the Son, so that our shared life may testify to Your redeeming love. Teach us to honor differences, bear with weaknesses, and celebrate graces we do not possess ourselves. May the watching world see in our oneness the clear evidence that You sent Jesus, the Savior of all who believe. In His name we pray, Amen.