What Does John 17:20-23 Mean?
John 17:20-23 describes Jesus praying not just for His disciples, but for all future believers - like us - who would come to faith through their message. He asks the Father for unity among all believers, a oneness that mirrors the deep, divine unity between Him and the Father, so the world would believe and know God's love. This unity means being connected by love and truth, reflecting the oneness of Jesus and the Father. It’s His final prayer before the cross, full of hope for us.
John 17:20-23
“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 also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 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.
Key Facts
Book
Author
John
Genre
Gospel
Date
circa 90-100 AD
Key Themes
Key Takeaways
- Jesus prays for all believers to share in divine unity.
- True unity reflects God's love and draws the world to Christ.
- Believers are called to visible oneness through shared life in Christ.
Setting the Scene: Jesus' Final Prayer Before the Cross
This passage comes from Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John 17, spoken after His final teaching with the disciples and moments before His arrest and crucifixion.
He’s praying to the Father, not in private, but openly so the disciples can hear. The entire chapter is His spiritual handover - interceding for His followers, affirming His mission is complete, and asking for their protection and unity.
In verses 20 - 23, Jesus expands His prayer beyond the room, reaching forward in time to include all who would later believe through the apostles’ message - people like us - uniting past, present, and future believers in one spiritual family.
The Divine Oneness: How Jesus Prays for Unity That Reflects God's Own Life
Building on Jesus’ intercession for future believers, this passage reveals a unity so deep it mirrors the very relationship between the Father and the Son - a oneness not of organization, but of divine love and presence.
Jesus uses the language of mutual indwelling: 'you in me, I in you,' and then extends that reality to His followers: 'I in them and you in me.' This is not merely spiritual closeness; it is a participation in the relational life of God, what theologians call the Trinity, meaning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in perfect, loving unity from all eternity.
The word 'one' in Greek - 'hen' - used in verse 22, is the same word Jesus uses in John 10:30 when He says, 'I and the Father are one.' It is a oneness of essence and purpose, beyond mere agreement or teamwork. Jesus gives us the glory the Father gave Him - not divine nature, but the honor, mission, and love that mark His identity - so we can reflect that unity to the world.
This unity has a clear mission: 'so that the world may believe' and then 'know' God sent Jesus and loves us as His own. Belief comes through seeing something real and rare - a community bound not by race, status, or opinion, but by shared life in Christ. In a world fractured by division, such unity becomes God’s most powerful witness.
Jesus isn’t praying for uniformity, but for a shared life - His life in us, the Father’s love flowing through Him to us, binding us together like the threads of a single fabric.
The glory Jesus speaks of isn’t brightness or power as the world sees it, but the visible expression of God’s character - love, truth, holiness. When believers live in real connection, forgiving as Christ forgave, serving as He served, that glory shows up in kitchens, workplaces, and quiet acts of kindness - making the invisible God known.
A Call for Visible Unity: Why the World Needs to See Believers Together
This kind of deep, love-rooted unity isn't meant to stay hidden - it's designed to be seen, because Jesus says plainly that unity is how the world will come to believe.
He prays in John 17:21 and 23 that believers 'may all be one' so 'the world may believe that you have sent me' and 'know that you loved them.' This visible oneness - people from all walks of life loving each other in Christ - is a living testimony no sermon can match.
When followers of Jesus are truly united, it becomes one of the most powerful signs to the world that He is who He said He was.
John’s Gospel consistently highlights signs that point to Jesus’ divine identity, and here, unified believers become a sign too, showing God’s love in action as Jesus revealed it during His ministry.
Unity in the Body: How the New Testament Builds on Jesus' Prayer
This vision of oneness is not merely a lofty idea. The New Testament letters turn Jesus’ prayer into practical instruction for how believers are to live together.
Ephesians 4:3-6 urges followers to 'make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.' This mirrors Jesus’ prayer by grounding unity in who God is, rather than merely what we do.
The unity Jesus prayed for becomes a daily calling for believers - to live in harmony, not because we’re the same, but because we share the same Spirit.
Later letters, like 1 John 1:3, echo this too - 'our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ' - showing that shared life with God is the source and strength of our unity with one another.
Application
How This Changes Everything: Real Life Impact
Imagine a church where people from opposite ends of the political spectrum, different cultures, and clashing personalities choose to love each other not because it’s easy, but because they share something deeper - Christ in them. That’s the kind of unity Jesus prayed for. When we fail at this - when we gossip, hold grudges, or withdraw from others who don’t think like us - we are not merely having a bad day; we are dimming the light the world needs to see God’s love. But when we make peace with a fellow believer, serve someone unlike us, or stay connected through conflict, we become living proof of Jesus’ prayer. It’s in those moments that someone watching might say, 'Wait - what do they have that I don’t?' That’s how the world begins to believe.
Personal Reflection
- Where in my life am I resisting unity with another believer, and what fear or pride might be behind it?
- When was the last time my relationships with other Christians gave someone outside the faith reason to believe in Jesus?
- How can I actively reflect God’s glory this week through love that bridges differences?
A Challenge For You
This week, reach out to a fellow believer you’ve been distant from - someone different from you - and initiate a conversation focused not on differences, but on your shared faith in Christ. Second, look for one practical way to serve another member of your church or Christian community, especially someone outside your usual circle.
A Prayer of Response
Jesus, thank you for praying for me before I even believed. I’m sorry for the times I’ve valued being right or comfortable more than being united in love with your people. Fill me with your glory - the love you share with the Father - so I can live in real unity with other believers. Let our oneness be a light that points the world to you.
Related Scriptures & Concepts
Immediate Context
John 17:17-19
Jesus prays for the disciples' sanctification in truth, setting the stage for His intercession for future believers' unity.
John 17:24
Jesus asks for believers to share in His glory, continuing the theme of divine unity and eternal relationship.
Connections Across Scripture
Ephesians 4:3-6
Expands on Jesus' prayer by calling the Church to preserve unity through the bond of peace and shared faith.
1 Corinthians 1:10
Paul urges unity among believers, reflecting Jesus' desire for no divisions and perfect unity in spirit.
Psalm 133:1
Celebrates the goodness of brothers dwelling in unity, mirroring the divine ideal Jesus prays for.