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.)
• In the context of communion, this invites reflection on how we love within our community, challenging us to extend grace and kindness, especially in times of disagreement or difficulty.
Please turn to Romans 13 (p.892)
How is Love is the fulfillment of the commandments Jesus had referred to in John 15:10? Paul explains in Romans 13:8-10
Romans 13:8-10. [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. (ESV)
• Only those who abide in Him have the capacity to love divinely as Jesus loved. At the new birth, the “love of God [was] poured out within [their] hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to [them]” (Rom. 5:5; cf. Gal. 5:22).
Back in John 15:12, what exactly is an is not the standard for believers’ love for each other is set forth in Jesus’ words as I have loved you.? They are to love each other as the Lord Jesus Christ loves them. That does not mean, of course, that believers can love to the limitless extent or in the perfect manner that He does. The love believers have for each other is marked by a selfless devotion to meeting one another’s needs; it is not mere sentiment, or superficial attachment. In fact, Christians’ love for each other is the church’s most powerful apologetic to the unbelieving world (John 13:35). By an unbreakable chain, love for God is tied to and verified by love for other believers (cf. 1 Jn. 4:11–21). (D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 521.)
Illustration: An African chief got wind of a mutiny being planned in his tribe. In an effort to quash the revolt, he called the tribe together and said that anyone caught in rebellion would be given one hundred lashes, without mercy.
A short time later, to the chief’s dismay he found that his own brother was behind the revolt. He was trying to overthrow him so he could be head of the tribe. Everyone thought the chief would break his word. But being a just man, he had his brother tied to a tree. Then he had himself tied next to him, and he took those one hundred lashes across his own bare flesh, in his brother’s place. In doing so, he not only kept his word (justice was done), but he also demonstrated his great love and forgiveness toward his brother.( Ray Comfort, How to Live Forever … without Being Religious (Orlando, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2006), 85.)
• It’s easy to say that we love someone or that we will do something. But when that love is costly and hard, then we truly fulfill the commandment that God has given us to love, as He has loved us.
When God’s people gather together in communion to Remember the Sacrifice of Christ, we remember His love secondly through
2) The Standard of Love (John 15:13)
John 15:13. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (ESV)
Why was the Lord’s death, at that point only a matter of hours away, the supreme evidence of His love, as reflected in His statement in verse 13: Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends indicates?”. This depth of love, exemplified by Christ, calls us to consider how we can embody sacrificial love in our own lives. Communion serves as a poignant reminder of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made, prompting us to extend selfless love within our relationships, prioritizing others' needs over our own comfort. Jesus gives everything, even life itself, for others. There is no greater proof of love. (Leon Morris, The Gospel according to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 599.)
Please turn to 1 John 3 (p.960)
It is a humbling thing to consider how the God of the universe not only layed His life down for us by called us His friends. Paul explains this in Romans 5:6–8
Romans 5:6-8. [6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- [8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)
• Jesus did not die for Himself, but so that others might live. In a marvelously concise statement—only fifteen words in the Greek text—Paul summarized Christ’s substitutionary atonement for believers: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Peter reminded his readers that “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
What does God expect of us because of this truth? 1 John 3:11-24
1 John 3:11-24. [11] For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. [12] We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. [13] Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. [14] We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. [15] Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. [16] By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [17] But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? [18] Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. [19] By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; [20] for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. [21] Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; [22]and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. [24] Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. (ESV) (keep your place in 1 John 3 for we will return to it in the next point)
• The friends of Jesus Christ show their love for one another by humbly meeting each other’s needs.
Illustration: Charles Dickens, in the classic tale, THE TALE OF TWO CITIES, records, for us, the story of Charles Darney, who caught up in the swirl of the French Revolution, was innocently found guilty. He was really blameless and it was unjust. He was put into prison to await the guillotine. He had a friend, Sidney Carton, who came to the prison, drugged him, took his clothes and because he was so close resembling Darney, took the guillotine for him the next morning, while friends took the ‘body’ of Darney out. His life was spared because his friend died for him. We read about this in the world. We read about it in those dimensions. Certainly, of all the loves that exist, the divine agape that we believers know between us should be infinitely greater than that. There have been missionaries, who died to take the Gospel to others. We are to love with a selfless sacrificial love. (John F. MacArthur Jr., John MacArthur Sermon Archive (Panorama City, CA: Grace to You, 2014).)
• What tangible thing can someone point to in your life that selfless service for another is evident?
When God’s people gather together in communion to Remember the Sacrifice of Christ, we remember His love thirdly through
3) The Evidence of Love (John 15:14-15)
John 15:14-15. 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. (ESV)
Please turn back to 1 John 3 (p.960)
Jesus elevates His followers from servants to friends, signifying an intimate, personal relationship. This invites us to consider our own friendship with Christ and how it influences our interactions with others. During communion, we remember that we are friends of Jesus, trusted to carry out His work in love, which should motivate us to deepen our relationships and honor His trust. What are some of the corresponding responsibilities for those who have the privileges that characterize the friends of Jesus Christ? It is their nature to love one another, yet the Bible commands them to “fervently love one another from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22). They know divine truth, yet they must study it diligently (2 Tim. 2:15). Jesus called His friends out of the world, so they must be careful not to love it (1 John 2:15). Those who have been granted the privilege of bearing fruit must submit to the Father’s pruning, so they can bear even more fruit (15:2). The Lord’s promise of answered prayer demands that believers pray effectively (James 5:16) and unceasingly (1 Thess. 5:17). In short, those who have been granted the inestimable privilege of being the friends of Jesus Christ must “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [they] have been called” (Eph. 4:1). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2008). John 12–21 (pp. 155–163). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
Regardless of our feelings for Christ, if our life does not evidence a love for Him and others, we deceive ourselves. John explains this relationship in 1 John 3:1-10
1 John 3:1-10. [3:1] See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. [4] Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. [5] You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. [6] No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. [7] Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. [8] Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. [9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (ESV)
• Because all sin is rebellion against God, turning from sin necessarily implies obedience to God. A person cannot submit to God while at the same time openly rebelling against Him; the same life cannot be characterized both by lawlessness and obedience (1 John 3:6; 5:18). Thus, obedience and faith are closely linked throughout Scripture. (1 John 3:4; cf. Matt. 7:23; 13:41; 23:28; 2 Cor. 6:14).
What exactly in Jesus’ statement in verse 15, would explicitly show that He did not treat His followers are servants but friends? Servants did not usually have an intimate relationship with their earthly masters; the servant would normally not know what his master was doing; that is, he was not privy to his plans. Masters did not disclose their goals and purposes to their servants; they merely instructed them as to what they wanted them to do. Friends” is a status more elevated even than “disciples.” Whereas servants/slaves are simply told what to do, friends are given more information, which enables them to attain a fuller understanding in their obedience (Andreas J. Köstenberger, John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004), 459.)
• The servant/general labourer works in a building, and it is enough for him that he is laying part of a line of brick or stone. Perhaps he has never seen the design of the structure or had a wish to do so. But you and I have the great architect constantly coming to us to tell us what the building is to be and to explain to us His plans, and so we work with greater pleasure and joy than a mere laborer might (Spurgeon, The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1451.).
In the Old Testament only Abraham had the privilege of being named the friend of God (2 Chron. 20:7; Isa. 41:8; James 2:23). Because they are His friends, Jesus promised to share with believers all things that He had heard from the Father. They “will know the truth, and the truth will make [them] free” (John 8:32). When the disciples asked Him, “Why do You speak to them [the crowds] in parables?” (Matt. 13:10), Jesus replied, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted” (v. 11). (Rom. 16:25–26). Their ability to understand the spiritual truths Jesus reveals to them sets His friends apart from the unredeemed, who have no such privileges: (1 Cor. 2:12–16). The friend is a confidant who shares the knowledge of his superior’s purpose and voluntarily adopts it as his own. The disclosure of the mind of God…would give the disciples assurance that they were engaged in the right task and that God would ultimately bring it to a successful conclusion (Merrill C. Tenney, “John,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 9 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 153.).
Illustration: The conclusion of a matter shows if our words match our actions. We know of Herod the Great mostly from the Bible (especially the birth narratives). He is known as the vicious butcher of Bethlehem. He would probably like it that his name is remembered (even in infamy). He, however, probably would have liked to be remembered in another way. He did many major work projects. After all, the temple in Jerusalem was known as “Herod’s Temple.” Maybe he would have wanted to be known as a religious man. He also built one to Jupiter elsewhere in Palestine to curry favor with the Gentiles. So, maybe he would want to be known as a tolerant man. He had a man-made harbor installed at Caesarea. On his inscriptions he wrote “Friend of Rome.” But even this was not really characteristic of his life. You see, he did all the things as a master politician. He wanted to stay in power. That meant please Rome, keep the masses happy if not skittish, and keep his enemies terrified. He was a friend of Herod and Herod alone. Let us not merely say we are a friend of Christ for show or for religious expedience. Let us love him and each other in truth and deed as Christ loved us (L. Scott Kellum, Preaching the Farewell Discourse: An Expository Walk-through of John 13:31-17:26 (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2014), 281.).
Finally, when God’s people gather together in communion to Remember the Sacrifice of Christ, we remember His love fourthy through
4) The Evidence of Love (John 15:16)
John 15:16. [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)
Jesus chose and appointed His followers to bear lasting fruit. Reflect on what it means to be chosen by God for His purposes, bearing fruit that glorifies Him. Communion invites us to recommit to our calling, living fruitful lives that are rooted in love, impacting not just the church but the wider community, nurturing a legacy of faith and love.
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 1 (p.8956)
In first-century Palestine, disciples typically took the initiative in attaching themselves to a particular rabbi, not vice versa. … Jesus broke with this custom and called his own disciples. The disciples did not choose Jesus but He chose them. What should the knowledge that Jesus chose them (and by extension all believers) to salvation apart from any merit of their own eliminate? Paul explained this in 1 Corinthians 1:26–31
1 Corinthians 1:26-31. [26] For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. [27]But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; [28]God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, [29]so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. [30] And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, [31]so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (ESV) (cf. v. 19; John 6:44, 65; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28–30; Gal. 1:15; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1–2)
• It should eliminate any pretense of spiritual pride that Christians might otherwise feel (cf. Rom. 3:27; 4:2; 1 Cor. 1:26–31; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:9).
We finally see in the closing statement in 1 Corinthians 15:16, that not only did Jesus choose the disciples for salvation, He also appointed them for service. The word translated appointed is a form of the verb tithemi, which has here the connotation of being set apart or ordained for special service (cf. its similar usage in Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11). Appointed recalls the OT description of God’s appointment of Abraham (Gn 17:5; cp. Rm 4:17), the ordination of Levites (Nm 8:10), and Moses’s commissioning of Joshua (Nm 27:18). (Andreas J. Köstenberger, “John,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1698.)
Having chosen and trained the disciples, Jesus commanded them to go into the world, proclaim the good news about Him, and bear fruit. (Matt. 28:19–20; cf. Luke 14:23). Therefore, the fruit primarily in view in this verse is the fruit that emerges from mission, from specific ministry to which the disciples have been sent. The fruit, in short, is new converts. One purpose of election, then, is that the disciples who have been so blessed with revelation and understanding, should win others to the faith. (When believers proclaim the gospel, those who respond savingly to it become fruit that will remain forever (cf. 4:36; Luke 16:9). (D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 523.).
(That the Lord repeated the promise of verse 7 whatever you ask of the Father in My name He will give to you, emphasizes the essential link between prayer and evangelism (cf. Luke 10:2; 2 Thess. 3:1). As prayer must precede work, so work, again, must become the basis of a more extended, bolder asking. This is what Christ has in view, He being upon the point of setting His disciples, with their work of love and fellowship of love, in array against the entire hatred of the whole world. (John Peter Lange and Philip Schaff, A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: John (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 467.)
Illustration: One of the all-time greats in baseball was Babe Ruth. His bat had the power of a cannon, and his record of 714 home runs remained until Hank Aaron came along. The Babe was the hero of sports fans, but in time age took its toll, and his popularity began to wane. Finally, the Yankees traded him to the Braves. In one of his last games in Cincinnati, Babe Ruth began to falter. He struck out and made several misplays that allowed the Reds to score five runs in one inning. As the Babe walked toward the dugout, chin down and dejected, there rose from the stands an enormous storm of boos and catcalls. Some fans actually shook their fists. Then a wonderful thing happened. A little boy jumped over the railing, and with tears streaming down his cheeks he ran out to the great athlete. Unashamedly, he flung his arms around the Babe’s legs and held on tightly. Babe Ruth scooped him up, hugged him, and set him down again. Patting him gently on the head, he took his hand and the two of them walked off the field together.
Once, we were like Babe Ruth. I had nothing to offer, used up and wasted by sin. Yet, a man named Jesus leapt across the railing of Glory. He came to this world, lived a perfect life, shed His blood on Calvary, and arose from the dead. All for those He loved. He comes to His people, takes them by hand and saves us by His grace. Now we are walking across the field of this life together, headed toward the dugout! He isn’t ashamed of us! He isn’t disappointed in us! He just loves us and walks with us. That is a true Friend! Do you know Him today? You can! If He is calling, then you need to answer that call and be saved. Will you do that? (Alan Carr, “The Sinner’s Friend (John 15:13–16),” in The Sermon Notebook: New Testament (Lenoir, NC: Alan Carr, 2015), 1782.)
Prayer: Father, we thank you for teaching us this morning again, and Lord, we know there are some here this morning who have never received Jesus Christ. Father, there are some that you’re calling right now to be your friends. Lord, Jesus, there are some you’ve chosen to be your friends and you’re calling on them to respond and right now in their hearts they sense you saying, come to me and believe in me and give me your life and receive my friendship and all that it implies. Father, I pray that they might do that. That they might become that friend. Father, those of us who are your friends are ready to love you. Help us to take all these general patterns and positional patterns that we have and stretch them to their limit. Help us to be the truest kind of friends, that you might be glorified in us. We pray in Jesus’ name, whom we love and whom we serve with love. Amen. (John F. MacArthur Jr., John MacArthur Sermon Archive (Panorama City, CA: Grace to You, 2014).)
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2008). John 12–21 (pp. 155–163). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.)
