John 17 & Church Oneness-Not Just A Lone Meteor

by G.S. Augustine

Two friends recently asked me if I had any thoughts on how Jesus prayer in John 17 fits into the New Testament theology of prayer. I said I hadn’t been successful at that. I always felt that my attempts at understanding it were like meteors coming into earth’s atmosphere at too slight an angle. They just skipped back off and vanished into deep space. But I now think my problem was that I had always thought of John 17 as separate from the rest of the chapters in that section of John.

Seeing John 13-17 As A Complete Unit

To understand John 17, we must look at the whole line of argument from John 13 through 17. At first glance, it’s easy to think of Jesus teaching in chapters 13-16 as ending as he launches into a prayer for his disciples in chapter 17. John’s enigmatic way of speaking there seems to touch on some new mystical concept. But what if the prayer is a merely a means of drawing all the strings of chapters 13-16 together?

Throughout the discourse Jesus says six times in various ways, “Ask whatever you wish and it will be done” (14:13,14, 15:7,16, 16:23 & 24). If we focus just on John 15 as I have in the past, the conditions appear to include fruit bearing and obeying Jesus commands. However, stepping back, another more overarching condition comes into view: love for one another. It this that I believe unlocks our understanding of John 17. It lets me use my simile in a different way. Individual believers do have power, but by themselves they can be like lone meteors skipping off into space.

Starting From the Ground Up

Chapter 13 sets the stage for this revelation. St. John tells us that there that Jesus shows his disciples the full extent of his love (13:1). It is also important that Jesus “knew the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.” These two themes will interweave themselves throughout the entire discourse. The term “returning to the Father” is paraphrastic for the cross and what it accomplishes.

The foot washing scene is first an example of humble service by someone in a leadership position. But it is more than what “leaders” ought to do. Jesus demonstrates that if he who is “Teacher” and “Lord,” takes the lowest job in serving believers, we must do so even more (13:13-17). This fits into the “how much more” category we find in many places in the New Testament (e.g. Luke 11:13 et al).

When Foot Washing Isn’t Just Foot Washing

However, washing feet, a necessary function in first century life, in this instance goes beyond just removing dust of a long journey. Jesus indicates it is symbolic of cleansing a heart that gets dirty in daily dealings of this world. When Peter refuses at first, Jesus says, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (13:8). Peter’s response is then, “not just my feet, but my hands and head as well.” But Jesus corrects Peter’s understanding, “He who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not all of you” (13:10).

The “bath” here is best understood as the cleansing from sin through faith in Jesus. Jesus knows who is and who isn’t clean. But however clean we might be from the bath, a simple walk to town will get feet dirty. First century folks needed to wash their feet pretty much every time they came in from the street. Implied is both an admonition and an encouragement. Jesus expects that our feet will get dirty and stands ready to cleanse them. But he also asks us to do this for each other. We get our feet dirty “with each other” and we will need to be both willing to “wash each other’s feet” and have our own feet washed. Both are difficult.

Foundation of “Love One Another”

The foot washing scene prepares us for the conclusion Jesus is aiming at: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you you must love one another” (13:34).

But before he does this, Jesus reveals he knows that Judas will betray him. And, maybe more importantly, he wants his other disciples to know he knows it (13:18-30). He uses the phrase three times in this discourse: “I tell you now before it happens so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He” (13:19, cf 14:29, 16:4). In a fourth instance, Jesus says he tells them these things so that they “won’t go astray” (as Judas did? 16:1). Believing that Jesus is the promised king will be necessary for our obedience to him. And our obedience to the command to “love one another” seems to be a key factor in avoiding apostasy as well.

Believing and Obeying: Flip Sides of a Coin

If in fact we believe he is the king, obedience to him is therefore implied. In his command to “love one another,” Jesus fully expects us to obey. Obedience to this particular command is what cements the whole of the discourse together.

It is connected to the glorification of the Son of Man (13:31-33)
It is needed because without it apostasy is always at the door (13:38, 16:1)
It is the proof of our love for Jesus (14:14, 23)
Lacking it is proof someone does not love him (14:24)
It is the avenue for the Father and the Son to “abide” in us (14:23)
It is part of the content the Holy Spirit will remind us of (14:26)
It is the foundation of Jesus relationship with the Father (14:31)
It is what it means for “his words to remain” in us (15:7)
It is how we “remain” in his love as he does in the Father’s (5:10)
It is contextually related to fruit bearing and effective prayer (15:16-17)

Command to Love: Prerequisite to Rest

Though it is true that obeying all that Jesus teaches is implied, obeying the command to love one another is front and center in this discourse. When we get to the prayer in John 17, Jesus uses the term of unity “that they may be one” (17:11, 20-23), but this presupposes a commitment to love each other. As we will see below, the whole project of the kingdom of God on earth relies on this one idea.

Jesus command to love each other forms an enclusio beginning in 15:12 and ending 15:17 around Jesus definition of that love. He says,

My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this than he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command that you love one another.
(John 15:12-17)

Love Defined From John 15:12-17

Love is to be as Christ loves us
Love involves laying down life as Jesus laid down life
Love involves a friendship with Jesus in which we share in his knowledge of the Father
Love recognizes that we didn’t choose Jesus, he chose us. That is we aren’t the one in authority here; he is. In his “appointment” that we bear fruit, brotherly love is central
Love is foundational to the Father giving us whatever we ask in Jesus name (see below).

Love As A Shield

However, the enclusio may also go back to 13:34 where Jesus first mentions the command. If that is the case, all the development from John 13:34-15:17 would be included. This broader second enclusio highlights a warning. John gives us the story of Jesus identifying Judas as the betrayer. None of the disciples feel confident in their own loyalty. “His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant “(13:22).

Later Peter in his bravado, claims he is willing to die for him, but Jesus predicts Peter will deny him three times (13:38). And then in Chapter 16, Jesus says, “All this I’ve told you so that you will not go astray.”

The Problem of Judas?

The command to love one another appears at least part of the antidote to “going astray.” Judas saw the same miracles as the others, experienced Christ’s love and acceptance as they, heard the secrets of the kingdom. What was the tipping point for him? We are not told, but John does tell us that Judas was in charge of the money. He also tells us that Judas would steal from the community purse as it suited him (12:6). Not exactly looking out for his friends.

Judas could not be said to have loved as Jesus loved. Maybe it was this that made him vulnerable to “going astray.” Admittedly that is an argument from silence. Indeed, there were likely several factors involved in Judas’ betrayal. But Jesus does, however, make a strong connection between loving each other and loyalty to him. Indeed, the writer of John’s epistle states that those who do not love their brothers and sisters cannot love God (1 John 4:20).

Keeping Calm in Trouble

Another factor that may contribute to “going astray” is the tendency for his disciples to be anxious. Jesus even puts it in the form of a mild command (a hortatory subjunctive): “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). Here again we have an enclusio ending at 14:27. Between these two verses Jesus gives his disciples a view of the future, albeit, one from a heavenly point of view. He lays out several things they must do in order to calm their hearts.

Keeping God’s Power in View

That they need to connect their trust in Jesus to their very trust in God
That this trust includes confidence that God’s house has room for them
That Jesus is going to prepare a place in that house for them
That Jesus will return to them
That Jesus will take them to that house where he is
That they know the way to get there whether or not they realize it: Jesus himself.
That if they have seen Jesus they have seen the Father
That their faith in him allows them to do what he did
That Jesus will do whatever they ask of him in his name.
That Jesus won’t leave them alone but send the Counselor
That obeying Jesus (in loving each other) means Father and Son abide with us
That the Holy Spirit Counselor will teach us and remind of what he said
That Jesus is leaving them a “peace” (Shalom, “Wellbeing”) the world can’t give.

The sense of these admonitions is that the disciples would be encouraged as a group. He speaks as a coach might speak to a team at halftime. And like a coach ending a pep talk, Jesus ends the teaching portion of the discourse by restating this peace: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (16:33).

Life Between the Cross and the Kingdom

Jesus now lays out for the disciples what needs to take place in the meantime between the cross and his return. The kingdom of God must extend its borders within the world. This is alluded to in the idea of “bearing fruit.” Though the scope of this article cannot include the whole range of fruit bearing suggested within the Bible, a few things can be noted. Fruit bearing can be seen to include:

Christian character qualities: love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (Gal 5:22-26)
Those who come to believe through our message (John 17:20)
Justice and equity within the society (Isaiah 5:7) i.e. salt and light (Matthew 5:13)
Material wealth from trusting the Lord (Hosea 10:1, cf Deut. 8:10-14, Genesis 49:22)
Godly Children (Genesis 1:28, Deuteronomy 28:4 cf 28:18)

However we define fruitfulness, it must not be construed to mean something we cause to happen any more than a farmer can say he caused corn to grow. The farmer does certain things: plants, waters, cultivates. God causes it to grow. Of course if the farmer never plants, waters or cultivates, it’s unlikely there will be any corn.

The Benefit of Fruitfulness

Bearing “more fruit” (15:2), “much fruit” (15:7) and “fruit that will last” (15:16) is the mark of true disciples between Jesus going to the Father and his return. Fruitfulness directly impacts Jesus statements regarding his promise about prayer. When there is no fruit, Jesus says the branch is removed from the vine and eventually burned. (15:2, 6). That branch cannot seriously expect to ask and receive. This undermines “name it and claim it” theology. Only fruit bearing believers can expect it.

The Cost of Fruitfulness

Our fruitfulness is connected to what Jesus says the Holy Spirit will do. First of all, he will testify about Jesus (15:26) and that means that we will also “testify” (15:27). The ability to produce the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about rests on our identification with and abiding in him (15:5). And Jesus has said elsewhere this identification and abiding presupposes a “public stance” (Matthew 10:32-33).

This comes at a cost. They persecuted Jesus; they will persecute his followers. That persecution includes economic hardships (“put you out of the synagogue” 16:2a) and possibly death (in killing you they will “think they are offering a service to God” 16:2b). Now relying on the peace Jesus provides becomes important. And that peace comes in part by all help mentioned above to keep their hearts calm.

The Holy Spirit In Our Fruitfulness

In light of this, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that failure to “testify” negatively impacts fruitfulness. This in turn then, negatively impacts the promises Jesus gives concerning prayer. We glimpse what “testifying” entails from Jesus description of what the Holy Spirit is tasked to do. We will partner with him as he convicts the world of guilt in regard to:

Sin, “because men do not believe” in Jesus (16:9). Jesus said that because he had spoken to them and did the things among them no one else did, they are now guilty of sin (15:22-24). We also will speak and do.
Righteousness, “because I go to the Father” (16:10). The cross becomes the means by which Jesus goes to the Father. He was righteous but they killed him anyway proving they’re guilty. We also will suffer abuse without reason.
Judgment, because “the prince of the world now stands judged” (16:12). To fail to believe Christ is to side with the prince of this world. To side with the prince of the world is to suffer his fate. We also will condemn this prince by our lives.

Convicting the world of guilt in regard to these things will either lead them to salvation or confirm their status as enemies of God. Although evangelism can be included here, “testifying” means simply acknowledging Jesus and what he has done before men. We should mirror what the Holy Spirit does. We partner with the Spirit in testifying; the Holy Spirit partners with us in convicting.

Only for the Twelve?

However, one phrase in the last verse may argue against this. The reason given that these disciples are to “testify” is “for you have been with me from the beginning” (15:27). This statement could suggest the requirement to testify is only for the twelve. Further, one could argue the entire upper room discourse—all the promises and comforts—are for the twelve only.

Why All Believers Should Step Up

There are good reasons to reject this conclusion, however.

First, if this long discourse itself is not speaking to the whole church, John’s inclusion of it has little purpose other than to provide historical data.
- Is Jesus command to love one another only for the twelve?
- Are the twelve only to expect the return of Jesus?
- Is it only apostles that need obey Jesus? Abide in him?
- Will only those who have been with him from the beginning have the Spirit of God? Indeed, the New Testament reiterates all these propositions in one place or another.
Second, Jesus prays in John 17 “My prayer is not only for [the twelve] but for those who believe through their message” (17:20)
- That they are to be one: suggesting among other things, oneness in purpose
- The prayer includes “protect them by the power of your name,” “they are not of the world,” and “sanctify them by the truth.” Every believer needs these.
Third, the rest of the New Testament teaches virtually all these concepts
- Return of Christ for all of us, 1 Corinthians 15:23, et al,
- Command love for each other, Romans 12:10, et al
- Persecution of all as believers, 2 Timothy 3:12, et al
- Preaching the word to more than apostles, 2 Timothy 4:2, et al
- Too many others to list

So what does Jesus mean by saying “and you will also testify for you have been with me from the beginning?” Simply that the success of whole project of salvation relies on the initiative of twelve because they have seen it all. That was the purpose for which Jesus chose them in the first place (15:16). Without them, others will not come to faith because it is through their message that others will believe (17:20). But that does not recuse all other believers from this responsibility. If that were the case the church would have ceased shortly after the Apostles died.

A Unified Fruitful Body Can Ask Anything

The entire discourse is background for Jesus promise “Ask anything you wish, and it shall be done for you.” However, one crucial observation is necessary. These commands, provisions, and promises are given to the church as a whole. Obedience, belief, abiding, loving presuppose a collective “you.” The word is plural and carries the thought, “you as a group” not all the individual “you’s” out there. Not that individual prayers carry no weight. But it is when the church “as a whole” believes, abides, loves, obeys, that these extraordinary promises have the force they do. (I have written about it elsewhere [link].) The command to love one another as Christ loved and his prayer for oneness of the body support this conclusion.

How Is This Possible?

The church body that collectively acts in the manner Jesus prescribes, can amazingly ask whatever they wish. The weight behind this promise rests on:

The cross (because I go to the father) restores humanity to their rightful position (14:12-14)
- Jesus as the representative human who has fully obeyed the Father has returned humanity to its original place in creation.
- God’s original intent was to “allow” humans to “rule” creation suggesting they add their own creativity and initiative.
- Ruling creation requires God’s support for he holds it together.
- Since this is what God intended, the result brings glory to Jesus and the Father.
Abiding and obedience make possible fruitfulness in spreading this restoration
- Asking whatever we wish is now aimed at the same purposes God’s intended for us
- Asking whatever we wish now bears fruit in those purposes (15:7)
God’s purpose in creation was joy. Asking is so “that your joy may be complete” (16:24)

John 17: The Prayer That Draws It All Together

We now come to Jesus prayer in John 17. Rather than breaking from all that goes before, this prayer is the culmination of it. The prayer does not introduce anything new, but rather Jesus asks the Father to insure his teaching takes root and grows.

Jesus begins at the cross where he ought. The cross is the starting point and foundation of the restoration God intended from the beginning as well as the example we follow.

It is the place of Jesus utter obedience to the Father and brings glory to both.
It is the place of Jesus utter trust in the Father’s promise to restore Jesus to his former place. Peter tells us that Jesus “kept on entrusting himself to him to judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23).
It is the foundation of Jesus authority over all people “to give eternal life” which comes through knowing God through Jesus Christ (17:1-3).
It is the proof that Jesus has completed all the work the Father gave him (17:4)
It is the reason Jesus looks forward to “glory.”

Jesus the Quintessential Human

Jesus as the quintessential human does what true humanity does: Love God and people by laying down his life. Those who truly follow him do that as well. Jesus now prays for all believers who experience what the first disciples had.

They obeyed the Father’s word revealed (gave their allegiance?) (17:6)
They concluded that everything Jesus has is from the Father (17:7)
They know that Jesus words are the Father’s words (17:8)
They know that the Father sent the Son (17:9)
They belong to the Father, which means they also belong to Jesus (17:10a)
They are a source of glory to Jesus (17:10b)

Protecting What He Started Through Oneness

Jesus prays for the group of us who fit the above criteria.

That the Father would “protect them by the power of your name” (17:11)
- The purpose of this is that “they may be one even as we are one” (17:11b)
- The power of the Father’s name creates unity by placing the Fathers “identity” on each.
- This identity serves as a focal point that unites our interests. Presumably the Holy Spirit draws us to the Father which draws us to each other.
  - This was something Jesus was doing while he was on earth (17:12a)
  - And it was entirely effective except for one to fulfill Scripture (17:12b)
- Jesus purpose in saying and recording this prayer is full measure joy (17:13)
- That this protection would “protect them from the evil one” (17:15-16)
That the Father would “Sanctify them by the truth of his word” (17:17-19)
- Because Jesus sends them into the world as the Father sent him
- Jesus sanctifies himself for us so we may truly be sanctified
  - The sanctification of Jesus here refers to the cross that sanctifies us
  - The implication is that we will do for others what he has done for us. His word, if we obey it, cleanses us for this task (cf. 15:3).

Extending What He Started Though Oneness

Jesus now extends his request to those who come to faith through their message.

That all of them may be one (17:2-21)
- This oneness is to replicate the same oneness Jesus has with the Father
  - The oneness of the Father with the Eternal son would be different
  - The oneness of the Father with the human Jesus we can replicate
- Included in this oneness reiterated from elsewhere in the discourse:
  - Oneness of the Father and Jesus (17:21a, 14:11)
  - Abiding in Jesus and the Father (17:21b, 14:23)
  - That the world will believe through our oneness (17:21c-23, 13:35)
That they may be with me where I am (17:24)
- By the Spirit for now, present with the Lord later (2 Corinthians 5:1-6)
- So they may see Jesus glory that eternally existed
  - This “glory” presumably gives confidence and peace
  - This “glory” presumably demonstrates the kind of humanity God intends
That the Father’s complete love for Jesus will be in them as well (17:25-26)
- This requires the pre-requisites listed above that believers have (17:25)
- This requires continuous growth in knowing the Father through Jesus (17:26)

The Upper Room: Distilling of All Jesus Taught

In the first three chapters of the discourse, Jesus gives his last crucial teaching to the disciples. In many ways, Jesus taught these all along, but now distills their essence to its purest form. The overarching commands are nothing new. Jesus stated that the law is summed up in the commands “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind … and Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:27-40). What is added to these commands are important ways these two loves must act and what regular practices they require.

However, because so much is at stake in leaving the disciples behind, he also explains in some detail the authority and privilege that come with this way of life. They will do what he did. Their transformed desires will now result in highly effective prayer. But also because of this transformation, they now also have a new set of highly motivated enemies.

Magnifying The Power of Oneness

The prayer of John 17 takes all of this teaching into account but particularly focuses on the oneness of his disciples. Here it seems is the secret of everything that goes before.

It is the purpose of all Jesus work in restoring them
It is part and parcel to abiding in the vine
- Because there is only one vine
- To abide in it, means oneness with each other
- Abiding is necessary for fruitfulness
It is the basis of their highly effective prayer
- Highly effective prayer requires fruitfulness
- Fruitfulness requires abiding
- Abiding develops oneness
- Oneness requires love for each other. Hatred undermines oneness.
It is the context for protection from the world and the devil
- The name of the Father protects through drawing them together as one
- Jesus glory seen together gives them strength to resist “falling away.”
- The continuous revelation of the Father to the church allows the Father’s love to be “in them” for God, for each other and for a lost world.

Rewriting The Imagination For Living

The discourse as a whole focuses the disciples away from the living as citizens of the world with its goals. It rewrites the imagination toward the riches the kingdom of God which will, in God’s timing at least, soon arrive. Both Jesus last teaching and his prayer create a new society made up of a new humanity to live together as part of a new kingdom. When any group of people takes this venture seriously, they become one. And literally, they may ask whatever they wish.