Unity Begins with Jesus

Christian Unity: How Our Love Makes Jesus Visible

Have you ever been surrounded by people and still wondered:

Is there a place for me here?

A few years ago, I attended the funeral of a college friend named Jason.

Depending on when you knew him, you might have called him Blocker, Geezer, or—as I occasionally and affectionately called him—Blockhead.

Jason was funny. He had a quick wit, could laugh at himself, and was unusually comfortable being vulnerable. There wasn't much pretense about him. People loved him because he wasn't constantly trying to impress anyone.

When I arrived at his funeral in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I was struck by the number and variety of people who had gathered.

People recognized one another. They had shared stories and history with Jason. It almost felt like a reunion.

I knew Jason well.

But I didn't know them.

And after a few conversations, I became aware of an uncomfortable feeling:

I was welcome in the room, but I didn't feel like I belonged.

Nobody had done anything wrong. We were all there because we loved the same person.

But they shared a history I didn't share.

Maybe you've experienced something similar.

You walk into a gathering where everyone already seems to have their people.

You join the group chat, but never quite feel like you're part of the conversation.

You visit a church where people are friendly, but quietly wonder whether anyone would notice if you didn't come back.

There is a difference between being in the room and knowing you belong.

And that difference matters deeply to Jesus.

What Does the Bible Say About Christian Unity?

In John 17, shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for his disciples.

But then his prayer expanded.

Jesus said:

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”
— John 17:20, NLT

That includes us.

Jesus prayed for the generations of Christians who would come after those first disciples.

People would tell people about Jesus.

The gospel would cross generations, cultures, languages, borders, and oceans.

Eventually, someone told us.

And before we ever prayed to Jesus, Jesus prayed for us.

What did he pray?

He prayed for our unity.

Jesus continued:

“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.”
— John 17:21, NLT

Christian unity was not an afterthought.

It was on the heart of Jesus as he approached the cross.

1. Jesus Prayed for His Church to Be One

Think about the timing of Jesus' prayer.

He knew suffering was coming.

He knew betrayal, arrest, violence, and the cross were ahead.

Most of us, facing something difficult, would probably become very focused on ourselves.

“God, help me get through this.”

“God, please make this easier.”

“God, don't let this go as badly as I think it might.”

Jesus certainly prayed honestly about what was ahead.

But he also made room in his prayer for people who hadn't even been born yet.

He prayed for us.

And one of his deepest requests was that his followers would become one.

That doesn't mean Christians will agree about everything.

Unity is not uniformity.

The church is made up of people with different personalities, histories, cultures, experiences, opinions, and perspectives.

But Jesus envisioned something powerful happening among all those differences.

He envisioned people sharing life because they shared him.

Our unity grows out of our relationship with Jesus.

And according to Jesus, that unity has implications far beyond the church itself.

He prayed:

“And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”
— John 17:21, NLT

Later he said:

“May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
— John 17:23, NLT

Notice the language.

Jesus speaks of the world believing.

Then he speaks of the world knowing.

Our life together is supposed to tell the truth about Jesus.

Christian unity is part of Christian witness.

Why Is Unity Important to Christianity?

Christian unity matters because our relationships communicate something about the Jesus we claim to follow.

People don't only listen to what Christians say.

They watch how Christians treat one another.

They notice how we respond when someone disagrees with us.

They notice whether we forgive.

They notice whether we listen.

They notice who gets included and who remains on the edges.

They notice whether our love for one another survives inconvenience, disagreement, and difference.

Our relationships either reinforce or undermine the message we proclaim.

That makes unity much more than simply “getting along.”

Unity becomes part of how the world sees Jesus.

2. Grace Makes Room

So how can people with so many differences become a family?

We begin with grace.

Jesus says in John 17:23:

“I am in them and you are in me.”

That changes everything.

The same Jesus who is working in me is working in the believer across the table from me.

I need to pay attention to what Jesus is doing in them while allowing him to change what is happening in me.

The Apostle Paul writes:

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.”
— Romans 3:23–24, NLT

Nobody earns a better seat at God's table.

Your income cannot buy one.

Your education cannot earn one.

Your family history cannot secure one.

Your accomplishments cannot deserve one.

And your past cannot place you beyond the reach of God's grace.

Everyone needs grace.

That truth does two things simultaneously.

Grace humbles the person who feels superior.

And grace gives hope to the person who feels unworthy.

There is an old saying:

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

That's the kind of community Jesus is creating.

Not a room full of identical people.

A family of people brought together by grace.

What Does It Mean to Make Room for People in the Church?

Making room involves more than saying, “Everyone is welcome.”

Churches can sincerely believe they are welcoming while unknowingly leaving people on the edges.

We talk to the same people every Sunday.

We use language that insiders understand but newcomers don't.

We assume everyone knows how things work.

We make decisions without listening to the people most affected by them.

Sometimes making room begins with a simple question:

“What would help you participate?”

Then comes the harder part:

Listening to the answer.

And acting on what we learn.

Making room may mean learning someone's name.

It may mean asking a question instead of making an assumption.

It may mean receiving someone's gifts instead of simply expecting them to adapt to our preferences.

It may mean sharing responsibility.

Sometimes it means loosening our grip on something we prefer so another person can genuinely participate.

Grace doesn't merely announce:

“You can come in.”

Grace says:

“There's a place for you here.”

Everyone Has Something to Contribute

Christian community isn't built around a few gifted people doing everything while everyone else watches.

Every person has something to contribute.

The question isn't simply:

“Who attends our church?”

A better question may be:

“Who is present among us but still unknown?”

Who comes every week but hasn't truly been brought into relationship?

Whose story haven't we heard?

Whose gifts haven't we recognized?

Who feels welcome but doesn't yet feel that they belong?

Those questions are worth asking because belonging rarely happens through announcements or programs alone.

Belonging happens through people.

Someone notices.

Someone moves toward another person.

Someone remembers a name.

Someone makes space.

Someone says, through their actions:

“Come sit with us.”

3. Our Love Makes Jesus Visible

Imagine placing a picture frame around the relationships in your church.

What would people see?

We live in a world where we know how to make things look good in a picture.

Find the right angle.

Adjust the lighting.

Move the laundry out of the frame.

The room can be a disaster, but the photograph looks incredible.

Churches can be tempted to do the same thing.

We create a beautiful worship service.

We take pictures of smiling people.

We put “Everyone Welcome” on the website.

But eventually, people get close enough to see our relationships.

And that's when the picture becomes much harder to curate.

Jesus' prayer in John 17 suggests that the real picture of Christianity isn't merely what happens on a stage.

It's what happens between people.

Our shared life gives people a picture of Jesus.

When we welcome someone who has been overlooked, people see something of his welcome.

When we admit we were wrong, they see something of his humility.

When we forgive one another, they see something of his grace.

When we listen across differences, they see something of his patience.

When we tell the truth with love, they see something of his character.

When we make room at the table, they see something of his kingdom.

Does Christian Unity Mean Avoiding Disagreement?

No.

Biblical unity does not mean pretending differences don't exist.

Real relationships require hard conversations.

Unity sometimes requires speaking truth.

It requires humility.

It requires forgiveness.

It requires listening.

It requires patience.

It requires extending grace—and being willing to receive it.

Following Jesus does not eliminate conflict.

It changes how we move through conflict.

The question isn't whether Christians will disagree.

The question is:

What will our disagreements reveal about Jesus?

People are watching not only what Christians believe, but also how Christians behave when relationships become difficult.

Those moments may become some of the clearest opportunities we have to demonstrate that Jesus is actually changing us.

Our Relationships Are Part of Our Witness

We cannot control whether another person chooses to follow Jesus.

But we can take responsibility for how we represent him.

And that representation often begins in ordinary relationships close enough to require something from us.

Patience.

Attention.

Humility.

Forgiveness.

Courage.

Truth spoken in love.

Jesus is present among his people.

And as we respond to him, his love becomes visible through us.

This is why Jesus connected Christian unity with the world's ability to recognize who he is.

The credibility of the gospel does not depend on Christians being perfect.

But our lives should increasingly demonstrate what the gospel does to people.

Grace received becomes grace extended.

Forgiveness received becomes forgiveness offered.

Love experienced becomes love expressed.

How Can Christians Practice Unity This Week?

Christian unity can sound enormous.

But it usually begins very small.

You don't have to solve every division in Christianity this week.

Start with one person and one step.

Bring someone to mind.

Maybe it is someone you don't understand.

Someone you've overlooked.

Someone you've avoided.

Someone who seems disconnected.

Someone you need to forgive.

Someone from whom you need to ask forgiveness.

Or someone who simply needs to know that you see them.

Then ask Jesus:

“What is one step of love you want me to take?”

Maybe your step is learning someone's name.

Sending a message.

Inviting someone to coffee.

Listening to their story.

Asking a question instead of assuming you know the answer.

Apologizing.

Forgiving.

Making room.

And if you're the person who feels outside the circle, your next step may be telling someone you need connection.

Receiving care is not weakness.

Sometimes belonging begins when we risk allowing someone to know us.

Is There a Place for Me Here?

I think back to Jason's funeral.

Everyone in that room shared a connection through someone we loved.

Yet I still felt outside the circle.

And I wonder how many people experience church that way.

They're in the room.

They're friendly.

They participate.

But somewhere inside they are still asking:

Is there really a place for me here?

Imagine a church where people from different backgrounds and stories gather around Jesus.

Where grace makes room.

Where people's gifts are received.

Where difficult conversations are handled with humility.

Where forgiveness is practiced.

Where outsiders become friends.

Where strangers become family.

That gives the world a picture worth looking at.

Jesus prayed for us.

Grace makes room.

Our love makes Jesus visible.

And sometimes Christian unity begins with something remarkably simple:

One person. One step of love.

A Prayer for Christian Unity

Jesus, thank you for praying for us.

Thank you for bringing us into your life and into the Father's love.

Help us receive the grace you freely give.

Forgive our pride, our indifference, and the times we have left people on the edges.

Open our eyes to the people you are inviting us to love.

Give us humility to listen, courage to change, and faithfulness to take the next step you place before us.

For those who feel alone, make us people through whom they experience your care.

Make us one so that others may recognize you and know the Father's love.

Amen.