“Love like Jesus loves”
John 15:12–17
A woman once decided to bake a cake for a special occasion:
- She measured the flour, sugar, and oil perfectly.
- She mixed in the milk and vanilla,
- she poured the batter into the pan and slid it into the oven.
But after 30 minutes, when she peeked inside, her heart sank.
The cake was flat:
? dense as a brick
? It hadn’t risen at all.
Then she realized what she had done:
? She forgot the eggs.
? The very ingredient that held everything together,
? that made the cake rise, was missing.
Everything else was there—but without that one key ingredient, the whole thing failed.
In the same way, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that:
? we can have faith that moves mountains,
? knowledge that amazes crowds, and generosity that gives away everything
? but if we do not have love, we have nothing.
Love is the “egg” that holds the Christian life together.
It’s what makes our faith rise. Without love, everything else falls flat.
That’s why Jesus said in John 15:12 (NIV):
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Love isn’t optional—it’s essential:
? Without it, we may have all the ingredients of religion, but
? We will miss the heart of Christ Himself.
Gods people are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER:
- that is your marching order
- Love is the direction of your life
When we love like Jesus loves, we will change the world
Love is the visible evidence that we belong to Jesus.
Allow me to read John 15:12-17….
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
17 This is my command: Love each other.”
On the final night before His crucifixion:
? Jesus washed His disciples’ feet,
? teaching humility and service (John 13:14).
Despite betrayal by Judas:
- He promised the Holy Spirit
- to guide and comfort them
Jesus also gave them a new commandment:
“Love one another as I have loved you”
— John 13:34–35 (NIV)
Then Jesus called them:
? to abide in Him to bear lasting fruit,
? reminding them that
? “Apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5 (NIV)
True discipleship is measured by:
? love that reflects Jesus,
? enduring even after His departure.
Jesus calls His followers to:
? demonstrate genuine love,
? faithful obedience, and
? fruitful lives as His friends.
1. The COMMAND to LOVE
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
- John 15:12–13
Jesus is clear:
- we are to love one another
- and we are love to the same degree as He has loved us
- meaning we will love fully without limits
Jesus has set the example of LOVE:
- not only to love, but how to love
- He gave His ALL to us, underserving sinners
- He gave His life as a ransom for many
None of us deserve the LOVE Jesus offers:
- Jesus offers love and friendship to
- people who were once His enemies
- to people with ugly sinful conduct
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- Romans 5:8 (NIV)
We are called to love as Jesus loved:
? sacrificially,
? unconditionally, and
? without limit.
We must love the undeserving:
? extend grace to the ungrateful,
? show kindness to our enemies, and above all,
? love one another with the same self-giving love that led Christ to the cross.
1 John 3:16 (NIV)
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
We need to hear this message because:
- it is not hard to love the lovely
- it is not difficult to love those who will pay us back
- it is a simple thing to show love to the deserving
But the command goes beyond that of loving those who love us back:
- this command to love is for those who cannot pay us back
Specifically Jesus says there is no greater love than:
- the love of a friend…I am so glad Jesus calls me His friend
- who would lay down their own life…who would die
- for the benefit of his friends
That is what Jesus did and that is what we are told to do….
There may be people in this Church:
- that rub you the wrong way and get under your skin
- that you may not like and the feeling may be mutual
- but you must get over that and practice loving them
During World War II:
? an American soldier was wounded and separated from his unit.
? As he lay hidden in a trench,
? he saw a German soldier approaching.
The wounded American raised his rifle, ready to fire—but:
? then he noticed that the German soldier was also badly wounded.
? The enemy collapsed just a few yards away, gasping in pain.
The American hesitated: Every instinct said, “He’s the enemy. Leave him.”
But something stronger stirred in his heart:
? He crawled over,
? tore a piece of his own shirt, and
? bound the German’s wound. Then he gave him his last sip of water.
Later, when both men were rescued:
the German soldier told others,
“I was saved by someone who had every reason to hate me—but chose to love me instead.”
That is what John 3:16 is all about (NLT):
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
God loved and God gave….
- Love is the defining characteristic of a Christian
- Love is something the world will notice
- Love is our greatest testimony
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” — John 13:35 (NIV)
That’s the kind of love He commands us to show:
• Love the ungrateful.
• Love the undeserving.
• Love the ones who have wounded you.
Because that is what DID for us on the CROSS
2. The CALL to LOYALTY
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
- John 15:14–15
“You are my friends if you do what I command.”
? Friendship with Christ demands obedience.
? Obedience isn’t drudgery
? Obedience is devotion in action.
“I have called you friends.”
? Jesus has upgraded our status from SLAVE to that of FRIEND
? We are no longer mere servants; we are companions in His confidence.
? Jesus reveals His heart to those who walk closely with Him.
In a close relationship there are no hidden secrets:
- secrets can kill a relationship…
- Jesus has revealed everything we need to know
We can know the Bible and in that we can know the mind of God
This is a call to obedience:
- this is a challenge to make Jesus LORD of our lives
- God gets the final say in our lives
- we are no longer in charge….
Before we came to Christ, our sin separated us from God…
We were not just indifferent towards God:
? the Bible says we were
? enemies of God because
? our sinful nature opposed His holiness.
But through Jesus’ death and resurrection:
? that hostility was replaced with peace and reconciliation.
? Now we are called friends of Jesus
Colossians 1:21–22 (NIV):
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
This passage shows the transformation of believers:
? Before: Alienated, enemies, separated by sin.
? After: Reconciled, forgiven, made holy through Christ.
Christ didn’t just make peace a possiblity — He personally made peace through His cross.
Sin used to dominate our lives:
- we lived for ourselves
- we lived for our fleshly desires
- we gave no thought to God’s desire for our lives…
Things are different now:
- we have been saved from sin
- to stay faithful to God
- we must obey God and not return to the vomit of our previous ways
We are under GRACE, but we are STILL called to live a GODLY LIFE…
Colossians 3:5–7 (NIV)
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.”
There is a danger of believing and living:
- a life that is unrestrained by the Bible
- a life that indulges the flesh and does not obey God
- and at the same time thinking God finds this acceptable
We must remember those:
- who live a life of sin
- are separated from God
- God cannot and will not approve of or accept sin
We must make a decision:
- are we going to accept Jesus’ friendship and obey Him?
- or are we going to be friends with the world?
James 4:4 (NIV)
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
Brothers and Sisters:
- we need to break up with the world
- and be fully committed to Jesus Christ
- He must be our only TRUE LOVE
Application:
• Friendship with Christ GROWS through obedience and intimacy.
• Are we loyal followers or casual acquaintances?
3. The COMMISSION to LABOR
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
- John 15:16–17
“You did not choose me, but I chose you”
WE love God:
- but He loved us first, He chose to love US FIRST
- Of course we LOVE GOD!!!
- There is a lot in it for us TO LOVE GOD
God is a great benefactor…
? our protector,
? guide and provider,
? our GREAT SALVATION
What did God have to gain by loving us??
- Nothing, in fact loving us, cost Him
- His friendship with us is mostly one sided
- God is always faithful, and we are intermittently obedient at best
But it was God who chose us:
- to pluck out of the air us as we were falling into Hell
- it was God who saved us and put us in a safe place
- He adopted us as His children and gave us an eternal purpose
“…and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last”
- John 15:16 (NIV)
The Christian life is:
? designed for fruitfulness,
? not just for our own spiritual comfort.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV):
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God has promoted US from slaves to friends and now we have a heavenly purpose
Fruit that lasts refers to eternal impact:
? We get to participate in souls won to Christ
? We can be a part of transforming lives
? We can perform good works that glorify God.
These are not temporary successes or earthly achievements:
- so much of this life is devoted to things that have no eternal impact
- to things that will not last into eternity
- Let us be committed to working for FRUIT THAT LASTS
Ask yourself: Is my life producing lasting fruit? What are you doing for the sake of eternity?
The next part says…
“Whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you”
- John 15:16 (NIV)
The immature may think this means:
- we can ask for unlimited selfish things (cake, cars, mansions)
- things that will satisfy our fleshly desires
- but we must ask according to God’s will
The Apostle John clarifies this in 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV):
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Prayer is sacred privilege:
- How amazing that God, who created the universe
- invites us to speak with Him and
- He has promised to give us what we ask
The real danger in PRAYER is not that we ask too much of God, but that we ask too little of God
We must ask with right motives:
- unselfishly
- in alignment with God’s mission
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…”
- James 4:3 (NIV)
Why is it then that:
- we neglect asking?
- why do we neglect praying?
- what would change if we started praying boldly?
How foolish we are when we do not pray and do not ask for Blessings:
- God is still in the business of keeping His word
- God is still in the business of answering our prayers
- God is still in the business of giving good things to His children
Part of loving one another:
- is praying for each other
- coming before God’s throne of grace
- and asking blessings from God for your friends
“This is my command: Love each other”
- John 15:17 (NIV)
Love is the opposite of:
- hate, discord, divisions
- love promotes unity in the Church
In too many congregations….
- love is missing
- they may have the right Bible teaching
- they may sing songs, baptize the lost and offer communion
- but they are not loving…and that is a shame.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)
LOVE………TRUE LOVE:
- it is a rare thing in this life
- people are starving for LOVE
- and are desperate for LOVE…
True love is supposed to be:
- overflowing amongst God’s people
- we ought to be the most loving people in the world
- and to be honest…. people expect Christians to be EXTREMEMLY Loving
- and often we fail to LOVE LIKE JESUS LOVED
Lord, we ask you to HELP US:
- to be more loving
- to give more generously
- to pray more fervently
- to LOVE LIKE YOU LOVE…without limits.
In the text of John: The Disciples Would Soon Face Trouble…
Jesus was leaving:
- His crucifixion was imminent, and
- they would see Him taken from them.
They would be without His physical presence:
? The disciples would need to continue
? His mission without Him walking beside them.
If they obeyed Jesus, then love would flow…
Their love for one another would reflect Jesus’ love:
- They were called to love sacrificially,
- just as JESUS had loved them.
If the disciples did not:
? demonstrate love to one another,
? who else would show them God’s love?
Church, in the same way:
- we must LOVE ONE ANOTHER
- we must take care of each other’s needs
- we must have concern for our brothers and sisters
WE are commanded to LOVE SACRIFICALLY:
- to that is going to take your effort
- it will take your time
- it may take your dollars
When a person is lacking in love:
- it is clear that person is far from God
- this can be true even of the Christian
- and repentance needs to take place
After all:
? How can we be near the fire and not be warmed
? in the same way
? we cannot be near GOD’s LOVE and not FULL of God’s love
It is no surprise that those:
- who are mean, bitter and critical
- are also distant from God
- we must love them anyway and pray for them consistently
When love is missing in our lives…
? We need to be deeply concerned that
? we ourselves are far from God,
? Love is the hallmark of a disciple of Jesus, it is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Loving one another is not optional for the Christian:
? it is the most visible and lasting
? evidence of a Christ-centered life.
"We love him, because he first loved us."
- 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
“Christ’s friends are known not by their title, but by their love, their loyalty, and their lasting fruit.”
Ok. Let’s wrap up this week’s message…
Jesus commands us to:
? love one another as He has loved us,
? sacrificially and unconditionally.
? Loving without limits
Love is the:
? defining mark of a disciple and
? the greatest testimony of Christ in our lives.
Friendship with Jesus calls us to:
? faith, repentance, confession, and baptism,
? beginning a life empowered to love like Him.
Our challenge is to live out Christlike love daily:
? toward the undeserving,
? the difficult, and our fellow believers
? bearing fruit that lasts.
May we be known not for:
? our knowledge,
? giftedness, or works, but
? BUT instead let us be known for a love that reflects Jesus in every relationship.
Let us pray…
o Help us to Love like you love
o Show us who needs your love today
o Give us opportunities to LOVE more often
