No Greater Love
John 15:9-17
“Love” is the most abused word in the English language. Love has been given many definitions. One poet said: “Love is a rose, is a rose, is a rose.” Another has said: “Love is a many splendored thing.” The Beatles said: “All you need is love.” We say that we love a lot of things. We might love what we ate at the restaurant. We might love a sports team. We might think we love ourselves. And in the wisdom of this world, even theologians have their take. Duke Ellington made a mass which included a text which says: “God is a three-letter word for love, and love is a four-letter word for God. The Bible says “God is love” in 1 John, but is love, god? What does the bible say about love. Much can be learned by the study of today’s passage from John 15:9-17.
To set the context of this passage, Jesus is talking with his disciples in the upper room on the night before His crucifixion. The actions of the Last Supper which John only notes in passing, washing the disciples’ feet, and the farewell discourse of John 14-17 serve as a Last Will and Testament. The disciples were about to be faced with absolute devastation when Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified, and Jesus prepares them as well as He can. They would of course fail the test miserably, but this would not be the end of the story.
Today’s text is a commentary on what Jesus had just told the disciples that He was the True Vine. The themes of remaining in the vine are reiterated as well as the command to bear fruit. The testimony of the skill of the vinedresser is to be demonstrated by the abundance and beauty of the fruit. The fruit becomes the means of attracting those who are without to consider the Christian faith. Christian fruit can only be borne by the Christian being connected to the vine who is Jesus.
Love is first defined in this passage by Jesus by His stating that the Father loves the Son. We can only vaguely understand how rich and intimate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit between themselves. Even the most functional of families is but a poor reflection of this love. But Jesus now makes a radical application by saying that His love for the disciples is on par with the Father’s love for the Son. The Son is perfect, but we are far from perfection. Why should the Son love us to the same degree as His Father loved Him? This is truly mind-blowing when we consider that we are loved to the nth degree in spite of our failures. Jesus knows that Peter is about to deny Him, and the other ten disciples forsake Him. John reflects on this in his first epistle when we behold the greatness of the Father’s love for us that we are called the Children of God with the additional affirmation that we certainly are (1 John 3:1-2). This is echoed in this passage that Jesus calls the disciples “friends.” Only Abraham was called a “friend of God,” but now Jesus’ disciples are raised to this new level of love.
The world has some problems with the idea that love makes demands of the beloved. Some would call this abusive. The myth of “autonomy” reigns. The world says that we should not let anyone tell us what to do or who we are, so long as we agree with their worldview. Parents are encouraged to let their children explore life for themselves and make their own choices. To them, this is love. Of course, while you are letting them explore the world, the world is busy brainwashing your children. They say your children should not leave their brain at your door. Instead, they tell the children to leave their brain at the world’s door. Think like they do, and you will be a “free-thinker.” Instead of being free, those who yield their brains to them become slaves of sin instead.
The love that the world offers is certainly not the love that Jesus offers. In fact, the love of the world is not love at all as it leads to utter destruction. Jesus’ love makes claims on the beloved. Love is reciprocal. Jesus expects love in return. As the supreme parent, the parent’s love is demonstrated in care for children. But for children, love is demonstrated by willing obedience. Jesus sets the example by His willing obedience to the will of the Father. He is not asking anything that He Himself does not practice Himself in relationship with the Father. He says that the Father is greater in authority to Himself, to whom He submits to His love. He demonstrates what obedient joyful, and free love really is. So HE tells the disciples to do as He Himself does. Jesus has kept the commandments of His Father, and He expects the disciples to be obedient to His commands. Obedience is proof of the disciple’s love.
Jesus goes on to say that the end result of this obedience is abundant joy. This is the diametrical opposite of what the world says. Obedience to the world is grudging servanthood at best. It is done out of duty or for the expectation that obedience will be awarded by something one wants, like a paycheck. But the Christian reward is more joyful obedience and service to the Lord.
Jesus starting in verse 12, begins to elaborate what the command is. The command is to love one another. The disciples are to put aside their differences and instead unite in love. We must consider that Luke reports that a squabble had broken out among them at the supper table over who was the greatest, to which Jesus tells them that they are to be servants and not lord it over others like the Gentiles do, He had just washed the disciple’s feet as an example of how service is to be rendered. If Jesus who is the greatest washed the feet of the least, then we are to follow in this example. As easy as it sounds, learning to submit to one another in true and humble service is much easier said than done. It might even be harder to do than outwardly keeping the Ten Commandments.
Jesus goes on to explain what true love is. The greatest love is to lay done one’s life for one’s brothers and sisters. Again Jesus is about to become the supreme example by dying on the cross to save those who believe on Him. It is the express love of the Father who sent His only-begotten Son to earth to die on a cross that whosoever would believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The Son demonstrated His love by His selfless sacrifice for our sin on the cross that we might come to eternal life. This type of sacrificial self-giving love is expected of Jesus’ disciples as well. This means us too. Most if not all of the disciples gathered around Jesus here would die violent deaths for their faith in Jesus. This is the obedient love Jesus expects. As Jesus laid down His life willingly, so did these believers. Most of them could have escaped execution and torture if they simply denies Jesus and embraced the Roman Emperor.
This love for one another would be demonstrated in the persecution of the early church. When Christians were captured, they were often tortured so that they might reveal the identities of other Christians so that they could be arrested also. But instead of betraying their fellow Christians under extreme duress, they endured endless agony and horrible deaths. The thought of this is somewhat unpleasant because it mat happen to us as well. Indeed, in many parts of the world even today, Christians are suffering for their faith while here in America, we think we deserve peace and piles of material blessings. We think we should lord it over others, yet Jesus warns us that the opposite should be expected of the true believer. We think we will be “raptured” and escape trouble and go straightly to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But what about Christians in Egypt? Iraq? Iran? North Korea? Are these and others who are suffering not entitled to American Christian blessings? Did they get raptured? Why do we think we are exempt. We are freed from the wrath of God, but Jesus says we will be subject to the wrath of man. If we are living for Jesus, we shall suffer persecution. This is not just a possibility. Scripture says that it is a fact. If we are not suffering ostracism and persecution for the faith, are we really living it?
Jesus now relates to the disciples a change of status. They have been raised from slaves to friends. A slave serves out of cringing fear, but a friend does not fear. They are friends because Jesus has revealed all that the Father had sent Him to reveal. They now know the truth, and this truth sets the believer free. Part of willing and loving obedience depends upon knowing why one does what he or she does rather than slavish obedience to commands. But there is still demand expected of friendship. Jesus’ calling them friends expects the disciples to remain in this friendship. To be a friend of God is a great privilege.
The disciples are reminded of the basis of this new relationship. Jesus emphatically tells them that THEY did not choose Him. Rather HE chose them and ordained them to produce fruit. This is a call to put down all human pride and instead in awe to prostrate oneself before the grace of God. Self-love has no place in the kingdom of God. The world sees the highest personal good is self-actualization or self-esteem. The goal of existence to them is to be the ultimate narcissist. It is ironic that jails are full of people who score well on tests for self-esteem. The other extreme of no self-esteem is found in jails also. Hollywood and Washington are full of narcissists. Unfortunately, so is the church. Even in the song “they shall no that we are Christians by are love has the statement that we are to restore human dignity and pride. The song starts well, but it would end much better if instead that the goal of Christian love for each other is demonstrated in Christ-actualization and Christ esteem, The bible puts is this way: “Christ in me, the hope of glory.” This is the way to true joy and happiness. And if we are to fine human dignity, then it can only be found in the Lord who calls us friends, in spite of ourselves. He calls there disciples friends who are about to miserably fail Him. We fail him all to often, also.
As far as human pride is concerned, the bible says: “let Him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” When we have our own pride, it acts as a wedge that divides us from other believers. We start comparing ourselves, one to another, and this leads to tension. On the other hand, because by God’s grace e are called friends of Jesus, we must avoid groveling on our unworthiness. This also leads to division in the church as one feels unworthy to be part of the church. They compare their miserable situation with Christians who seem to have it all together. Perhaps this is why all the Bible heroes are shown to have feet of clay. Even Mother Mary expressed doubts when she came with Jesus’ half-brothers to take Him away because they thought him to be insane. John the Baptist, of whom Jesus says that none others before him was greater comes to doubt in prison. Only God is the hero in Scripture. The proper thing to do is always to remember that we stand by grace and neither boast in ourselves or despise ourselves.
Finally Jesus tells the disciples that because of their relationship to Jesus, that they can make requests of Him with the assurance of an answer. This is a reminder to us all of the need to pray. But this prayer is based upon the proper understanding of and remaining in Jesus. Let us exult in this relationship and obey His command, which here is to love one another. This is a testimony to the truth of God. He later commands to go out and preach the good news. But people need to see the good news actually working in the church as well.
