John 17:22-26  Jesus passionately prays for His disciples..for us.. interceding for the ones that the Father has given Him.. the ones He will leave in the world, who are not "of the world".  He has prayed for us to be sanctified "in the truth".. in God's Word.  He has sent us "into the world" that others may come to believe in Him.. "that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me." 

Yet, He has an even greater request to bring to His Father.. a request that is so necessary.. so vital to Jesus.. for on it rests the future of His Church... "And the glory which Thou hast given to Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one."  

The first thing I notice is that this oneness depends of His gift of "glory".  The Bible Dictionary defines this glory as.. giving weight or honor, and implies "divine power and majesty".  Jesus asked the Father to glorify Him in the hour that had come.. in the cross and in the resurrection.  John wrote, "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."(1:14)  This "glory", Jesus says, He has given to His disciples.. to us... so that we might "be one".  

The Complete Jewish Study Bible translates verse 23 "I united with them and you with me, so that they maybe completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you love them just as you loved me."  

Unity. Oneness with Christ and with the Father in love.  This is His prayer for us. This is His passion for us. This is His goal for us.  The Bible Knowledge Dictionary says this, " The goal of unity of believers with each other and with God is twofold: (a) that the world will believe in the Son's divine mission (know that You sent Me), and (b) that the world will sense that God's love for believers is deep, intimate, and lasting as is His love for His unique Son."  

EM Bounds wrote, "The unity of God's people was to be the heritage of God's glory promised to them. Division and strife are the devil's bequest to the church, a heritage of failure, weakness, shame, and woe. The oneness of God's people was to be the one credential to the world of the divinity of Christ's mission on earth. Let us ask in all candor, are we praying for this unity as Christ prayed for it? Are we seeking the peace, the welfare, the glory, the might, and the divinity of God's cause as it is found in the unity of God's people?"  ( emphasis mine)

Jesus poured out His heart for His church.. for our oneness with Him and with the Father.. and with each other.  Bounds writes that Jesus devoted Himself to death that we might  be devoted  to God in life... that we might be sanctified fully.. " a real, whole, and thorough sanctification, embracing soul, body, and mind, for time and eternity."   He continues, "Prayer is the pathway. All the ascending steps of prayer, increasing prayerfulness in spirit and increasing prayerfulness in fact.'Pray without ceasing' is the imperative prelude to 'the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.'" 

Jesus desires that we be with Him forever.. to behold Him in His glory.. the glory found in the love of the Father.. the love that Jesus made known to us.. the love that He desires to be in us as He is in us. 

One last quote from EM Bounds, "We can only meet our full responsibilities and fulfill our high mission when we go forth sanctified as Christ our Lord was sanctified. He sends us into the world as his Father sent him into the world. He expects us to be as he was, to do as he did, and to glorify the Father just as he glorified the Father."

How vital it is that Jesus prays for us.. for us to be so united with Him and with the Father and with each other.. so that we can do what He calls us to do.  How vital it is that we, His people, His church, His disciples pray for this too!

Father in heaven, we do ask that You will give us this glory.. sanctify us through and through.. all of us who believe on the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our Sanctifier and Healer.. our coming King.. Make us one with Jesus and with each other so that we might glorify Your Name and fulfill Your will that "the world may know" that You sent Jesus and that You love them.  Hear our prayers today Lord God.. and move in us Spirit of God to do the work of prayer and of evangelism that You have called us to do.  We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.