Have you ever tried to get a group of musicians to play in perfect harmony? It takes work. Everyone has to be tuned to the same instrument, committed to the same tempo, playing the same sheet music. Now imagine trying to unite billions of people from every nation, tribe, and background — people with different personalities, preferences, and traditions. That’s the church. And according to Jesus, that’s exactly what He prayed for.
On Sunday, August 1, 2021, Pastor Josh White walked us through one of the most profound prayers in all of Scripture — Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17. The message: we are called to be ONE.
Jesus Prays for Unity
John 17 is extraordinary. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus could have prayed about anything — His upcoming suffering, the fate of the disciples, the weight of the cross. Instead, He prayed for us. More specifically, He prayed for our unity.
“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.”
— John 17:20-23
Stop and think about that. Jesus isn’t praying for us to look the same, act the same, or think the same. This is not a prayer for uniformity. It’s a prayer for oneness — a deep, spiritual unity that the world can see and recognize as proof that God sent Jesus.
Our Unity Comes from One Identity
How is this kind of unity possible? Where does it come from? Pastor Josh pointed us to the answer: our unity flows from our shared identity in Christ. In a world that constantly tells us to find our worth in what makes us unique — our preferences, our style, our brand — Jesus says something radically different. Our most important identity is not what makes us different. It’s what makes us the same: we belong to Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
When you are in Christ, your primary identity is not your personality, your culture, your political leaning, or your worship style preference. Your primary identity is that you are in Christ. And everyone else who is in Christ shares that exact same identity with you. That’s the foundation of our unity.
One Salvation, One Mission
Unity isn’t just a nice idea — it’s tied to the mission. Jesus didn’t save us to keep it to ourselves. He saved us so that the world would know Him (John 17:3). There’s only one way of salvation: by God’s grace through faith in what Christ accomplished on the cross.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 3:23-24
Every person who has ever been saved — from every denomination, every background, every nation — has been saved the exact same way. By God’s grace, through faith in Christ’s finished work. That’s our one salvation. And it leads to one mission: making disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
Pastor Josh put it plainly: we are asked to make secondary things secondary so that we can prioritize the one mission we all share. Denominational distinctives, worship preferences, ministry styles — these are not bad things. But they must take a back seat to the gospel mission that unites us.
One Future: Glorified Together
Here’s the breathtaking part. Our unity isn’t just a present reality — it’s a future hope. When Christ returns at the rapture, He won’t come down and sort us into our denominations. He will present to Himself one glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such thing (Ephesians 5:27). All our minor differences — the ones we sometimes fight over — will fall away in the blazing light of Christ’s glory.
“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 may also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”
— John 17:20-21
The world is watching. Our unity — not our uniformity, but our genuine, Spirit-produced oneness in Christ — is one of the most powerful testimonies we can offer a watching world.
So What?
Pastor Josh closed with a challenge: get plugged in. You cannot be one with God’s people in isolation. Unity requires relationship. It requires showing up. It requires committing to a local body where you can know and be known, serve and be served, encourage and be encouraged.
At GBC Phoenix, we have multiple small groups meeting throughout the valley. If you’re not yet connected to one, consider taking that step. Not because small groups are a spiritual checkbox, but because you cannot experience the unity Jesus prayed for from the sidelines.
Our world is fragmented. Division is everywhere — in politics, in culture, even sometimes in the church. But the church of Jesus Christ was designed to be different. We are ONE — not because we agree on everything, but because we are all in Christ.
Let’s live like it.
Scripture References
- John 17:20-23 — Jesus’ prayer for unity among believers
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — New creation in Christ
- Romans 3:23-24 — One salvation by grace through faith
- Ephesians 5:27 — Christ presenting the church to Himself in glory
- Matthew 28:19-20 — The one mission to make disciples of all nations