What did Jesus mean when He prayed that we would be one in John 17:21?

[Jaxxi]

Jesus prayed, "That all of them (His disciples) may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me." John 17:21-23

With the thousands of differing doctrines and countless denominational entities it is difficult to understand how this was ever part of Jesus' plan or design for His Church. If this is true, why are there so many who are okay with the divisions and divisiveness between those who claim to be in Christ?

The Bible says that

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him;

12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us; Timothy 2:11-13

So if we are One with Christ, then we will reign with Him forever because He is in us and we are in Him. He was asking that the disciples be one as The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One. One of these entities cannot do anything without the others knowing what is being done and approving of it as everything they do is in agreement and perfect harmony. One of them may know things that the others do not, like the Father who reigns Supreme over all if need be, but they act in perfect harmony. Jesus was hoping they all be as one so if Jesus gave information to one disciple, they should all gain that information.

 

[Strong in Him]

I debated with myself whether or not to give you a long drawn out exposé or a short synopsis. The short won.

The logical conclusion we can draw, if Protestantism and Catholicism were the same forms an imperative question. Why wouldn't they be same Church, why 40,000 and one? Here's is reality, the Catholic Church was commissioned by Christ, sanctified by Christ and given the power to teach and baptize. No other Church was formed by Jesus Christ.

I would have been happy with an even shorter one - do you believe the Gospel; yes or no?

 

[Jaxxi]

Just man as usual, jockeying for position in the opportunities to be had by controlling (or freeing) the masses.

It is so silly. I mean I was looking in a Christian yellow pages, and it listed churches and there were probably 60 different denominations and I was like " Seriously?" There are that many? It was comical and sad at the same time.

 

[Randy777]

Just as "Jesus" stated He in us and the Father in Him.

I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—I in them and You in Me.

Christ in us.

The Father in Christ.
Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

 

[timothyu]

It is so silly. I mean I was looking in a Christian yellow pages, and it listed churches and there were probably 60 different denominations and I was like " Seriously?" There are that many? It was comical and sad at the same time.

Don't forget that free enterprise in the US is behind a lot of 'denominations' Many people see it as a business they can start up to live off of. Each in turn may need a gimmick as the numbers increase. I believe if I remember correctly there were about seven mainline denominations at the end of the 19th century, and now there are supposedly over 10,000 splinter groups and private enterprises.