Sermon Devotional: Belonging to Jesus

Scripture: John 17:20-26 (ESV)


The book of John was written in the A.D. 90s by the Apostle John, son of Zebedee. During the period in which it was written, Jewish believers had fled to more stable parts of the region, such as Asia Minor, to escape the Jewish/Roman war of A.D. 66-70. It was a period of religious schisms among both Christians and Jews.

It is interesting, then, to see the theme of unity in our passage today as John describes Jesus’ extended prayer prior to his upcoming crucifixion. John records Jesus praying for his crucifixion, for the disciples, and finally, in our passage today, for all believers.  Jesus prays for unity among all believers in the future, comparing this with the unity of the Trinity. This unity is a “glory” (v. 22) and is a key part of their (our) witness in this world.

Early Christians were an incredibly diverse lot from different backgrounds who were drawn to the message of Jesus. Scot McKnight, in his book A Fellowship of Differents, cites a historical study which estimates the approximate composition of one of Paul’s house churches. According to the study, the average size of each house church was about 30 people, and the group would have met in the home of a craftsman. In this home lived the craftsman’s family, a couple male slaves, a female slave, and a dependent such as a grandmother or indigent aunt. There would have been other families living in the same home in rented rooms, each with slaves and dependents, as well as single laborers renting smaller adjacent rooms. On the day of services, others would arrive—women and children without a male householder, slaves without their owners, some homeless people, and some freed slaves. Some of these people would have been Jewish, while others were Gentiles. In some house churches, there would have been members from elite classes, as well. Each individual belonged to these communities because he or she had experienced the life-changing love of God through Christ Jesus. Each individual believer’s identity was grounded in being loved and known by Christ. The differences between them continued to exist. While the unity of being in Christ cemented their fellowship and belonging in the church.

The immensity of the differences between these people is difficult to imagine in our modern American context. Yet the early Christians were known for their strong religious identity. So much unity of heart and message existed that the Christian church spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire, eventually becoming the official religion. Rodney Stark, the late sociologist, wrote that “the success of the West, including the rise of science, rested entirely on religious foundations, and the people who brought it about were devout Christians.” The strength of these early communities, despite the schisms that we know about through Paul’s letters, changed the world.

Consider –
╬   Unity can be difficult. Eighteenth century French Jesuit John Nicolas Grou wrote, “God only is holy; He alone knows how to lead His children in the paths of holiness. He knows every aspect of your soul, every thought of your heart, every secret of your character, its difficulties and hindrances; He knows how to mold you to His will, and lead you on towards perfect sanctification; He knows exactly how each event, each trial, each temptation, will tell upon you, and He disposes all things accordingly.” How does being so completely, intimately known by God and still unconditionally loved by God, increase your commitment to Christ and to Christian unity? Is God calling you right now to contribute to or even lead efforts toward greater Christian unity?

╬   How have you experienced the impact of Christian unity? How have you experienced the impact of disunity in the name of religion? How will you seek to be a unifying voice in a world of differents?

╬   Lord, thank you for the incredible way in which you change individual lives. The strength and velocity of innumerable individual changes over time has led to a tidal wave of advancement in our world. Draw us closer to yourself. May we humbly seek your enabling strength and remain strong and unified as we transmit our faith to younger generations. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.