Unity – Unity Begins and Ends in Christ (365/238)
This week, we have seen unity expressed through belonging, serving, standing together, reconciling and restoring. But where does such unity begin? Not with us.
“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:21)
Jesus prayed these words on the night before His crucifixion. His prayer reaches across generations and cultures to every believer, with one purpose: that the world may know the Father sent Him. Our unity is part of our witness. It points beyond ourselves to Christ and His mission.
Ephesians 2 reminds us that Christ Himself is our peace, a peace He purchased through His death. Through the cross, He broke down the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, reconciling both to God (v 14-18). God did not wait for us to find our way back to Him; in Christ, He came toward us, made peace, and brought those who were far away near. The unity we experience with one another flows from this peace Christ has already made.
So, we do not manufacture the unity Christ desires; we live out the unity He has already purchased. Whether we are belonging, serving, supporting, reconciling or restoring, Christ is the foundation and source of our unity.
Pause and Ponder
Do I see unity as something I must create, or something Christ calls me to faithfully live out?
What dividing wall might Christ be asking me to let go of?
How could my relationships become a visible testimony to Christ's reconciling love?
We are one because Christ made us one.
Lord Jesus, teach me to live out the unity You have already purchased. May our oneness point the world to You. Amen.
Extended Reading: John 17; Ephesians 2
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