Main point: Jesus prayed for unity for believers. (NET) . The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are “not of this fold” (10:16), and thus Jesus’ prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10–22).
What does unity mean? (BKC) The Father did His works through the Son and the Son always did what pleased the Father (5:30; 8:29). This spiritual unity is to be patterned in the church. Without union with Jesus and the Father (they … in Us), Christians can do nothing (15:5). The goal of their lives is to do the Father’s will.
The result of unity: (BKC) The goal of the 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 (cf. v. 26).
Reflection: Why will our unity have this effect? (a) When we unite with God the goal of our lives is to do God’s will. People would wonder why we have changed. If Jesus had not died and saved us our lives would not have changed. (b) Also if our doing of God’s will is only mechanical people would not sense our motivation was God’s love. However, when we followed from our heart people would sense the love behind our change.
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