June 1, 2025
Meaning of Unity
Pastor Rok Lee
John 17:20-26
20 “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all 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 have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”
When we look at the world today, it feels divided. The U.S. and China, Israel and its neighboring countries, and even Korea has been divided between North and South for almost 80 years. But we don’t even need to look that far. Even in our own communities, we are divided by political opinions. In places where conflict is strong, people not only argue, but sometimes treat others like enemies.
Why is our society—and this world—so divided? Why can’t we be united? The answer lies in love. True unity is built on love. In today’s Bible passage, Jesus prays this: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:23) This tells us that the unity between God and Jesus is built on love—and that God wants to unite us with Himself in the same love.
But love is not easy. It’s hard to define love in one simple sentence. Everyone experiences and understands love differently. We might think there’s only one kind of love between two people in a relationship, but there are many:
• How person A loves person B.
• How B loves A.
• How A loves themselves.
• How B loves themselves.
And all of these can change depending on time, place, and situation. So even between two people, love is complex. That’s why defining love is so difficult—and differences in our understanding of love often lead to conflict.
Even in the Bible, there are different kinds of love. When Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?”, the first two times He used agape—God’s selfless love—and the third time He used phileo—the love between friends. The Bible talks about sacrificial love, caring love, responsible love, romantic love, and love between parents and children.
Because there are so many kinds of love, we often disagree on what love is. In the book The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman explains that people give and receive love in different ways:
• Words of affirmation
• Quality time
• Gift giving
• Acts of service
• Physical touch
For example, if person A expresses love through gift-giving, they will feel loved when they receive gifts. But if person B values words of affirmation, they will feel loved when they hear kind words. When people with different love languages are in a relationship, they can feel unloved—not because love is missing, but because they are speaking different “languages.”
So how can two people with different love languages stay united? By trying to understand one another. Unity comes when we work to understand each other. Love means two different people learning to walk together. That’s why love requires effort. Love is not always easy. In fact, choosing to separate is often easier than the hard work of loving and uniting.
In the Bible, love and unity are never separate. Unity comes from love. And love leads to unity. Ephesians 5:31 says, “A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is love and unity. We become united because we love. And because we are united, we learn to love.
That’s why Jesus prayed, “That they may be one as we are one.” (John 17:22) The kind of unity Jesus wants is not like a political alliance or business partnership. It’s a deep spiritual unity, like the unity between God the Father and Jesus. But this unity is not for everyone—it’s for those who believe in Jesus (John 17:20). So perfect unity is found in the Church.
God unites us as a church for reasons. First, to love one another. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34–35)
God didn’t call us to live our faith alone. He placed us in a community so we could practice loving one another. The church is a place to train in love. It’s like a family—but even more diverse. Different personalities, backgrounds, and interests come together. And God commands us to love one another despite those differences.
God wants us to live not selfishly, but with love that cares and serves. In the church, we learn love, practice it, and grow. When we love one another, the world will recognize: “They are truly Jesus’ disciples.”
Second, to worship together. John 4:23–24 says, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” God delights in being worshiped. And while we can worship Him alone, God desires worship from the whole community.
Why? Because worshiping together is a taste of the Kingdom of God. Worship is when we lift God high and enter His presence. In worship, God restores us and renews us with His Word. When we sing, pray, and hear the Word together, the joy of heaven touches earth. The church is a worshiping community. Coming to worship every Sunday is not just a routine—it’s part of God’s calling for us.
Third, to share the Gospel. Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20)
The church exists to share the Gospel. There are still many people in the world who don’t know Jesus. It is the church’s mission to bring them the Good News. The Gospel isn’t just a message—it is power that gives life.
God doesn’t want us to stay inside the church. He calls us to go out and share His love with the world. When we love one another and worship together, that power naturally leads to outreach and mission. The church is the hope of the world. When we shine God’s light into darkness, we discover the true meaning of unity.
And what brings all this unity together? It’s the Lord’s Supper. We regularly participate in communion—breaking the bread and drinking the cup. To some, it might feel familiar or even routine. But the Lord’s Supper is not just a ritual. It is a gift of grace and a mysterious moment of unity.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians: “Is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” When we eat the bread and drink from the cup, we don’t just remember Christ—we participate in His body and blood. We take part in His sacrifice and love.
And this is not just a personal moment. It is communal. When we connect with Jesus, we are also connected with one another. That is the beginning of true unity.
Paul continues: “Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one loaf.” (1 Corinthians 10:17) When we take from the one bread, we become one body—no matter our differences. Communion tells us: “You are one in Christ. Do not hate. Do not envy. Forgive and love.”
The Lord’s Supper brings healing to the church. It restores broken relationships and brings us back to the cross. Jesus gave us communion during His final meal with His disciples—even though He knew Judas would betray Him and the others would run away. Still, He gave them the bread and the cup. Communion is for the weak. It is a place of grace, forgiveness, and healing.
That’s why, before taking communion, we examine our hearts. We forgive one another and come before God with humility. Because communion is not just about receiving grace for myself—it’s about becoming one together.
Dear church, we are the people who share one bread and one cup. Every time we take communion, God reminds us: “You are one body. Be united in My love.” So today, let us come to the table with repentance, thanksgiving, and love for one another. Communion is not only union with Christ—it is a moment of renewed unity with one another.
May our church become even more united through this table, filled with God’s love, ready to live out that love and proclaim the Gospel to the world. May this week be a week of grace, mission, and unity.