Who Is He? Who Are We?Sample

The entire passage of John 17 gives an amazing look into the heart of Jesus right before He goes to the cross. In verses 20–23, Jesus prays for all believers. These are people like you and me. That alone is wild to think about. Before His suffering, Jesus had us on His mind. Jesus prays that we would be one, just like He and the Father are one. That is not just a surface-level unity. It is not just agreeing to get along. It is deeper than that. It is a unity that is rooted in shared love, mission, and identity. Jesus wants the same closeness He has with the Father to exist among His people. And more than that, He says that kind of unity will show the world who He is. This prayer shows us something huge about who Christ is. Jesus is not just a distant Savior. He is a relational God at the core. His divinity does not make Him cold or detached. It shows us perfect love in action. The Son’s relationship with the Father is full of glory, honor, and self-giving love. Jesus invites us into that. He is not just giving us something to do. He is inviting us into who He is.

In high school, I played on the basketball team for my school. Many of my teammates were some of my closest friends. Before coming to high school, we were not very good. We had fun playing the sport and enjoyed the game of basketball. But we did not win many games. This is because we played like five individuals. Everyone was trying to score, and nobody was communicating. We lost a lot. But over time, as we entered high school, something shifted. We started passing more, celebrating each other’s plays, and trusting each other to do our part. Suddenly, it was not about who scored the most; it was about working together. And, oddly enough, once we stopped focusing on ourselves, we actually started winning games. We actually did not lose a single game my Freshman year. That is kind of what Jesus is praying for in John 17. He wants His followers to be unified like a team that is all in on the same mission. It is not about who gets credit or who looks the best. It is about being connected through love and purpose. When we are united like that, people notice. They see something different, something the world can not produce on its own. That is also where we will find our identity as believers. We are not just individuals who are trying to follow Jesus separately. We are part of a family that is bound together by His love. Our faith is not meant to be lived alone. We reflect Christ best when we live out His love together.

But this takes effort. Unity does not just happen. Unity is a choice. It means forgiving people who hurt us. It means reaching out when we would rather stay comfortable. And it is caring more about others than about being right. When we do that, we live out Jesus’ prayer from John 17. Unity is not just a nice idea. It is part of the evidence that Jesus is real. When people see believers love each other in a world that is divided, it points them to the truth of who God is. That is what Jesus wanted for us. So, as we step into this Christmas season, remember that the One who came to earth also prayed for you. He prayed that your life would be marked by the same love and oneness that He shares with the Father.

Application / Questions

● How does knowing that Jesus prayed for you change the way you see Him?

● Are there people in your life you need to forgive or reconcile with to live out this unity?

● What is one practical way you can show the love of Jesus to someone in your community this week?