November 4 - John 13-15
The theme of this passage is love. I had not seen it all in that context before, until I read these chapters together. Jesus is communicating the fact that God is love, and God wants us to love each other, as He loves us. I know it has been said many times, but when we do this, it makes a drastic change in our world, because our world consists of relationships.
Chapter 13 begins with the statement that Jesus loved His own who were in the world, and He loved them to the end. This is complete and faithful love. When He washed the feet of His disciples, He was showing that love and the principle of loving service. There is a reference to the disciple whom Jesus loved. (v.23) Then, there is the command to love one another. (v.34,35) In other words, the disciples observed how Jesus loved over that 3 year period, and now that He was about to leave them, He was commanding them to continue in that same kind of love.
In chapter 14 Jesus tells them about preparing a place in heaven for them. This is because of His loving desire to be with those He loves. He promises to respond to their prayers, as they pray in His name. He will not leave them orphans, because He cares for them so much. (v.18) As we love Him back, we will keep His commandments willingly, and He will reveal Himself to us, because that is what love does. We desire to be close to those we love. (v.23,24) Jesus wants the whole world to see that He loves the Father by how He obeys the Father. Again, we see that His motivation was love.
Then, in chapter 15 I had always concentrated on the fruit and the abiding, but if we look closely, this is all about love, too. He is telling His disciples these things about abiding, because He wants their joy to be full, and He wants them to love one another. He wants them to know that He is laying down His life for them in love. (v.11-13) Jesus concludes the chapter by reminding them that the world does not love Him, and the world will not love them. It is because they have rejected His offer to enter a relationship with Him, and they are going their own way. He says this with sadness and not with hatred in His heart. How can someone reject the love of Christ? There are many reasons, but none of them are valid.
Tomorrow, I intend to read John 16-18.
Chapter 13 begins with the statement that Jesus loved His own who were in the world, and He loved them to the end. This is complete and faithful love. When He washed the feet of His disciples, He was showing that love and the principle of loving service. There is a reference to the disciple whom Jesus loved. (v.23) Then, there is the command to love one another. (v.34,35) In other words, the disciples observed how Jesus loved over that 3 year period, and now that He was about to leave them, He was commanding them to continue in that same kind of love.
In chapter 14 Jesus tells them about preparing a place in heaven for them. This is because of His loving desire to be with those He loves. He promises to respond to their prayers, as they pray in His name. He will not leave them orphans, because He cares for them so much. (v.18) As we love Him back, we will keep His commandments willingly, and He will reveal Himself to us, because that is what love does. We desire to be close to those we love. (v.23,24) Jesus wants the whole world to see that He loves the Father by how He obeys the Father. Again, we see that His motivation was love.
Then, in chapter 15 I had always concentrated on the fruit and the abiding, but if we look closely, this is all about love, too. He is telling His disciples these things about abiding, because He wants their joy to be full, and He wants them to love one another. He wants them to know that He is laying down His life for them in love. (v.11-13) Jesus concludes the chapter by reminding them that the world does not love Him, and the world will not love them. It is because they have rejected His offer to enter a relationship with Him, and they are going their own way. He says this with sadness and not with hatred in His heart. How can someone reject the love of Christ? There are many reasons, but none of them are valid.
Tomorrow, I intend to read John 16-18.