Communion: Remember His Sacrifice

John 15:12-16. [12]"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command you. [15] No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. (ESV)

At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare. The allied armies had driven the German invaders back, having inflicted heavy defeats upon them over the preceding four months. In November the Germans called for an armistice (suspension of fighting) in order to secure a peace settlement. They accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead and called it Armistice Day. After the end of the Second World War, the Australian and British governments changed the name to Remembrance Day. One of the most interesting things that you often hear veterans say as to why they were willing to die in the cause before them, they point to their fellow solders as their dearest friends.

In John 15:12-16, it is an amazing thing to consider that God the Father loves His people so much, that He sent His only begotten son to die for us. Through the work of the Holy Spirit He enables us to turn from our bondage to sin, repent, and believe. In describing His relationship to us, He not only calls us His followers, but that Christ died for us as friends. In this, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s love, establishing a new covenant of grace through His sacrifice. This connects to the broader narrative of Scripture, where Christ's death and resurrection create a community of believers called to demonstrate His love and unity.

True Christian love manifests in tangible ways rather than abstract notions. As such, in the gathering for communion is not just a personal expression of love but a communal expression of love challenging us to live out the love of Christ actively among one another, reflecting the body of Christ. As we gather in communion, we are called to remember Christ's sacrifice and recommit to living in loving unity, reflecting His heart to the world around us. Jesus emphasizes the profound connection between love and obedience among His followers. This passage invites believers to remember the foundational truth that love is the essence of our community. It serves as a poignant reminder that in participating in communion, believers express their unity in Christ and their commitment to living out His love in action.

When God’s people gather together in communion to Remember the Sacrifice of Christ, we remember His love in John 15:12-16, in four ways. First through 1) The Command to Love (John 15:12), 2) The Standard of Love (John 15:13), 3) The Evidence of Love (John 15:14-15) and finally shown through: 4) The Fruit of Love (John 15:14-15).

When God’s people gather together in communion to Remember the Sacrifice of Christ, we remember His love First through

1) The Command to Love (John 15:12)

John 15:12-13. [12]"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (ESV)

For the second time that evening in the upper room, Jesus gave the commandment that His followers are to love one another (cf. 13:34). This sets the tone for the kind of relationship believers are called to foster—one of sacrificial love mirroring Christ's own example. The clearest way we are to relate to one another in love as Christ expects is through the one anothers. There are at least 31 explicit references including: Christians engaged in a fellowship relationship should: Confess our sins to one another (James 5:16) Forgive one another (2 Cor. 2:6–8), Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2) Restore one another when sin has been committed (Gal. 6:1) Refrain from judging one another (Rom. 14:13-23) Comfort one another (1 Thess. 4:18) Encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11) Edify one another (1 Thess. 5:11) Discipline one another (Matt. 18:15–20) Pursue peace with one another (Rom. 14:19) Teach one another (Col. 3:16) Admonish one another (Col. 3:16) Pray for one another (James 5:16) Encourage one another to love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24) Be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit, and bless one another (1 Pet. 3:8–9) Eat with one another (Acts 2:45-46) Share material possessions with one another (Acts 2:45) Fellowship with one another (Gal. 2:9) Give money to one another (Phil. 4:14–15) Suffer with one another (1 Cor. 12:26) Rejoice with one another (1 Cor. 12:26) Meet one another’s needs (Rom. 12:13) Talk and sing with one another (Eph. 5:19-21) Refresh one another (Rom. 15:32) Serve and work with one another (Phil. 1:27) Speak truth to one another (Eph. 4:15) Provide examples for one another (Phil. 3:17) Sympathize with one another (1 Pet. 3:8) Greet one another (Phil. 4:21) and finally, Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 561). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)