The Mark of Christian Discipleship

Scripture Passage: John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Theme: You must Love believers as Christ loved you.

Introduction: Vacation Bible School presented many wonderful opportunities to grow in serving Jesus. It also presented some opportunities to reflect on certain attitudes that arise under pressure. After a hard day’s work to choose to come and serve in VBS can at times be more exhausting than one could anticipate as personalities both at the student and volunteer level clash. Furthermore, in reading an article by noted Greek Grammarian, Daniel Wallace out of Dallas Theological Seminary, he made the following observation, “The Christian Army is the only army in the world that shoots its own wounded.” I also heard the story told of a former gang member who trusted Christ that after going to church for a little bit left to go back to his gang because the gang provided better relationships. Today, we face peril on all sides from competing philosophies to even physical abuse in some parts of the world and yet, some Christians choose to fuss over not being recognized or their birthday was forgotten or the message was too long. What does the Bible say about how believers should interact with one another? How should the believer in Christ choose to respond during trying times caused by other believers? I believe that Christ teaches us in John 13:34-35 that, “You must Love believers as Christ loved you.”

Book Background: John the Apostle wrote this biography (a book about someone’s life) of Jesus. John himself testified that he’d personally seen Him, and heard Him, and touched Him - we’re reading an account of the life of Jesus from a true eyewitness. John wrote this Gospel, or Good News about Jesus, around AD 80-90. Though Mark, Matthew, and Luke had written their Gospel by that time, John takes a unique approach and fills in the gaps. According to the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “John has much information that the Synoptics leave out. Over 90 percent of John is unique.” Some have charged the John’s Gospel is incompatible with Matthew, Mark and Luke, or the Synoptic Gospels. However, the Holman dictionary nicely summarizes their genuine compatibility by stating that, “While the other Evangelists have given us a photograph of Jesus, John has given us a portrait.” He tells us that he wrote this book in order that “we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, we might have life through His Name - this is a relationship with God wherein the penalty for our sins is paid for by Jesus and we are made fit for heaven. The New Bible Dictionary summarizes by stating that, “John’s purpose is to lead the reader to recognize the claim of Jesus and make the confession of the disciples that he is the Son of God.” Furthermore, the readers of John’s day were facing philosophical problems related to the heresy of Docetism which rejected the incarnation.

Passage Context: The Gospel of John is divide into two major sections: the first focuses on Jesus’ ministry to the world and the signs He performed while the second focuses on teachings to His disciples and “the triumphant hour of His passion.” We take up our reading from the second major division just after Christ has washed the disciples’ feet and indicated that Judas would betray Him. Keep in mind, Jesus is sharing with His disciples some last things just before His crucifixion. Though not completely accurate, I almost like to think of these discourses leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion like the final words that an individual on their deathbed imparts to beloved ones.

Transition: In verse 33, Jesus addresses His disciples in a very affectionate way by referring to them as little children and demonstrates His supreme concern for them to the end and also provides for them the standard of conduct that He expects from members of His kingdom on earth ...

A New Commandment (v. 34)

Commands demand obedience

Word Placement determines emphasis and importance.

Commands leave no room for compromise, obedience and nothing else.

Built on the presupposition of Christ’s love for His disciples.

A New Commandment, a New Standard

Though the command to love is not a new one, the command to love believers as Christ loved the disciples is new.

R. Kent Hughes in his commentary on the Gospel of John identifies that the Jews manipulated the Mosaic teaching about love to the extent that they could love and hate whoever they wanted.

Hughes further adds that the situation was compounded by prejudicial divisions as master and slave, Jews and Gentiles relationships.

Do we not face similar issues?

The emphasis of “That ye love one another” carries with it not only a command but also a continuous action!

The Measure

The phrase “as I have loved you” carries with it the connotation of conformity; in other words, our love for one another must conform to the standard that Jesus set with His disciples.

The particular tense that Jesus uses to summarize His love for the disciples has the force of summing up all the love He has shown in His contact with His disciples.

Matthew Henry in his commentary on John offers the following observation about the Love of Christ towards His disciples: He spoke kindly to them, concerned himself heartily for them, and for their welfare, instructed, counselled, and comforted them, prayed with them and for them, vindicated them when they were accused, took their part when they were run down, and publicly owned them to be dearer to him that his mother, or sister, or brother. He reproved them for what was amiss, and yet compassionately bore with their failings, excused them, made the best of them, and passed by many an oversight. Thus he had loved them, and just now washed their feet; and thus they must love one another, and love to the end.

Furthermore, we may also offer Jesus’ willing sacrifice on the cross as another example of His great love for the disciples.

The Standard of True Discipleship (v. 35)

Discipleship

Definition - “The state of following Jesus Christ, and serving and obeying Him.” - The Dictionary of Biblical Themes

Consequences

Following Jesus - John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

Serving Jesus - John 12:26 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”

Obeying Jesus immediately - 1 John 2:3 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” Mark 1:20 “And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.”

Purpose - become Christlike 1 Peter 1:14-15 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;”

Requirements - denial of self Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Illustration - “A native of the Congo prayed thus: ‘Dear Lord, You be the needle and I be the thread. You go first, and I will follow wherever You may lead.”

The Badge of Christianity

A Badge is a way of identifying someone - we wore name tags in Vacation Bible School, some to identify us as volunteers, others to identify them as students.

Hughes further states that, “Where there is no love, there can be no discipleship.”

In line with Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 13, we are ruined without love.

What does that badge of your attitude, actions, words and choices identify you as?

Beware of Bitterness

Definition: “A feeling of anger and resentment, caused particularly by perceived unfairness in suffering or by adverse circumstances.”

Don’t let bitterness choke the grace of God in your life - Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”

At times we can let petty things that interrupt what we’re doing distract us from the love that we should share amongst fellow believers.

Roy Zuck tells the following story that I believe will help drive the point home, “When Alexander the Great became a world conqueror, he decided to have his portrait painted in oils. The finest artist in the realm was called to produce a masterpiece. When he arrived at Alexander’s court, the renowned general requested that the portrait be a full-face pose instead of a profile. This filled the artist with great distress, for one side of Alexander’s face was hideously disfigured by a long scar—the result of a battle wound. After studying his subject for some time, the painter came up with a happy solution. First he seated Alexander at a table; then, placing the General’s elbow on it, he asked him to cup his chin in his hand. As a final thoughtful gesture, the artist adjusted Alexander’s fingers so that they covered his unsightly scar. Then he went to work with paint and brushes and produced a flattering likeness of the General. In much the same way, Christian love will overlook or seek to minimize the faults and shortcomings of others.”

Practical application

Hughes offers the following summary of love played out in the church: reach out in reconciliation, love and forgiveness to those who are wronging us.

Henry offers the following suggestions in the midst of struggles amongst other believers: “when they differ in opinion and practice from us, or are any ways rivals with or provoking to us, and se we have an occasion to condescend and forgive, in such cases as this it will be known whether we have this badge of Christ’s disciples.”

Conclusion: This world needs to see something different about Christianity. I remember walking up to someone’s house in going on door-to-door visitation in order to share the Gospel. When my visitation partner and I reached the door, the person who met us was nice and polite and as soon as I mentioned the name “Jesus” the person’s visage changed and they responded that we could “keep our Jesus.” On the flip side of that story, “The early Latin writer, Tertullian of Carthage, declared that the one thing that converted him to Christianity was not the arguments they gave him, because he could find a counterpoint for every argument they would present. ‘But they demonstrated something I didn’t have. The thing that converted me to Christianity was the way they loved each other.’”