For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

--Parallel verses:
John‬ ‭17:20-23‬
[Jesus speaking]
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Uniformity. Conformity. Tolerance. World Peace. All of the above words have elements of unity in them, but they all fall short of the whole concept in the Bible here. Why? Are they not admirable or potentially good things? Possibly. Although they all require a certain sacrifice of what one’s true convictions are to unite with others. The closest one above to the Biblical concept is World Peace, but it is really unattainable. Why? Because the unity around world peace is based at its core on a dumbing down of one’s convictions and what is right and wrong. It assumes no evil. Reality is we live in a world with evil people who take advantage of others. I will always fight against them and never unite with their ideologies.

But at a certain level we all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Team sports, clubs, the military, ethnic groups, age groups can all help fulfill this need. But they only provide fleeting unity. The Bible is talking about a unity that will stand the test of time. And the key is who we are united around: Jesus Christ. Jesus prays for us in John: “that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me”. So instead of being united around worldly causes or people who will let us down, we have the opportunity to be UNITED IN Jesus Christ. We are united in his death and our subsequent death to sin and its hold on us. And we are united in his resurrection and our subsequent coming to new life, in which Jesus is in control and changing our hearts from the inside out. I can unite with people I might not normally hang with, because we have a common love for God and love for others that is fueled in our hearts by serving and following Jesus. Personality, social status, ethnic background, politics, geography, age, interests — none of these are as important to the true believer — as following Jesus Christ is! Jesus changes our hearts to see past the brokenness of others and into their potential. We are no longer focused as much on how they make us feel or how “filled up” we are around them. Instead, we fill up with Jesus and get to pass on his blessings to those around us. Jesus says he has given us his glory.

This same glory by which he lovingly sacrificed his life and powerfully rose from the dead — we have this same glory! And when we unite with God’s believers and follow the lead of his Spirit inside us — we show the world what the united Body of Christ (the church) looks like. We show them a love beyond all boundaries! We will blow them away with what we do united to Christ Jesus! So who can I unite with in serving God today?

Thank you, Lord, for your call to unity. This is not some vague concept that sounds good, but really does no good. NO! Quite to the contrary. Being united with Jesus is a solid, weighty-type of unity, that has a massive amount of power and impact for good in this world. You, Lord, are who I want to be united with every day! Thank you!