The Supernatural Power of Agreement

The Cross and Unity

Jesus came to die for individuals, but His cross also made possible miracle-working relationships. His cross reconciles all divisions.

Before His death and resurrection, Jesus gave a hint about miracle power in Matthew 18:19-20: “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Read this promise and see its potential. If we can agree, anything becomes possible!

Yet Satan has convinced the Western world that individualism, self-assertion and self-interest are the way. In the communist world, he has divided people into the educated elites and the so-called workers or masses. Here humans lose their souls.

The truth is that the cross redeems the individual and then reconciles that person with all the redeemed. In this new level of agreement, miracles become possible.

In John 15, Jesus teaches us that connections count: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (vv. 4-5).

First, we must abide in the vine. Using the image of a vineyard, Jesus views believers as clusters of tasty grapes on a flourishing vine. Each grape is delicious, but together they can produce something more valuable: wine. This teaching reflects the Old Testament prophecies of God’s family.

In Isaiah 5, the vineyard fails because of the divisive power of sin and produces a rotten vintage. God removes the protective hedge, and the vineyard is wasted!

Later, Isaiah reminds the people of the favor that is released in the cluster of grapes: “Thus says the Lord: ‘As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, “Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it,” so will I do for My servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all'” (Is. 65:8).

The prophet Micah mourns the loss of unity under the same image of the cluster of grapes: “Woe is me! For I am like those who gather summer fruits, like those who glean vintage grapes; there is no cluster to eat of the first-ripe fruit which my soul desires. The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net” (Mic. 7:1-2).

God is looking for the cluster and instead finds brother pitted against brother. This terrible scene shows how the blessing is forfeited and mourns the absence of new wine. No wonder Jesus did such extensive teaching in John 15 on the vine and branches!

It is amazing that Jesus uses the word agreement to describe our relationships. The Greek word is sumphoneo. Sum is the word together, and phoneo is voice or say. We get our word symphony from this word. It means to let the same word of faith go forth from all of us in harmony. Every instrument in an orchestra is different, but when all the instruments are led by a capable conductor, the music is miraculous. This is the kind of harmony that is sweet to the ears of God. This kind of relationship makes miracles possible. God loves this kind of unity:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore” (Ps. 133).

In this psalm, we learn that God commands not a blessing but the blessing when He beholds a people in unity. This psalm gives a prophetic view of the church clothed in the garments of the High Priest, with the anointing of power flowing from the Head, Jesus. As the church walks in unity, blessings flow off the Head to the hem of the garment. What a picture and promise!

Jesus came to bring reconciliation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares that our offerings will not bring a harvest until we reconcile with our brothers (Matt. 5:24). Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is a cry for unity. This was what was on His great heart right before His bloody death. The whole prayer is in the plural, including us all!