Everything about the Lord is summed up in His name. When the Bible talks about a person’s name, like “the name of Jesus,” it means what we can see about that person’s character. Jesus said in this line that God gave Him His name, YHWH, which is what God is like. Jesus shows us how God really looks like a person.
Jesus cares about His disciples even though He is about to die on the cross. Asking the Father to keep them “in His name” means that they should stay close to the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). If you keep them in the name of the Lord, they won’t fight over small things or give in to pride. They will be in perfect unity as they show the fruits of the Spirit. As a group, they will be focused on Jesus and the job He gives them.
When we hear about church splits today, we can understand why Jesus would pray this. Someone will be very set on a small doctrine and get other people to back them. Someone else will be set on a certain type of song or Bible translation, and someone else will be set on a certain method or formula. “Divide and conquer” is the idea behind most strategies.
They are no longer working in the name of the Lord, whether they know it or not. They are now working in their own names. Because they think they are right, they make people want to be like them. We have to stand up for the most important parts of our faith, like who Jesus is and what He did for us, as well as the inspiration of the Bible. Fighting over things that aren’t important is always wrong. We must all stand together for Jesus and the way He saved us through death, burial, and rising.
You may feel led by God to join a fellowship that shares your beliefs, but be careful not to bring other people along with you to show that your way is the best. Deal with false teaching that clearly rejects the gospel’s truth, but be kind and respectful when you talk about minor doctrines.
