Love One Another

John 13:31-35

Introduction:

13th Chapter of John records events and teachings of Jesus Christ at the “Last Supper”

Conclusion of Passover Feast:

Jesus begins to teach the disciples

Jesus also prophesies what is about to happen

Tells of betrayal soon to occur among his closest disciples

Tells Peter he would deny him in just a few short hours.

Prophesies His Ascension

Gives the Promise of the Holy Spirit.

Prophesies His Return

Jesus also gives a Commandment to the Disciples at this ‘Last Supper’.

1. The Command to Love One Another (John 13.34 John 15:12,17)

John 13:34 (KJV 1900)

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Jesus’s last commandment before his arrest and ultimate Crucifixion

Jesus gives another commandment after resurrection - The Great Commission

John 15:12 (KJV 1900)

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John “the Beloved” wrote much about the topic

John 15:17 (KJV 1900)

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

12x’s N.T. commands us to Love One Another.

4 Greek words for Love:

Eros: Physical Love

Storge: Familial Love

Philia: Deep Affection of friendship or marriage

“AGAPE” Love: Love God shows towards us, Care

Not based on Feeling

Agape Love is expressed in our wills

Agape love treats others as God would treat them regardless of feelings or personal preferences.

God has Taught us to Love One Another (I Thes 4.9)

1 Thessalonians 4:9 (KJV 1900)

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

(1Jn 4:19)  We love him, because he first loved us.

Jesus Christ not only commanded but taught us to love one another

Jesus Christ taught us to Love one another when he gave His son to for us on the cross. (Jhn. 3:16)

(Joh 15:12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The Holy Spirit teaches us all things.

The Nature of God Teaches Us to Love One Another!

2 Peter 1:4 (KJV 1900)

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Christians - We have God’s Nature

1 John 4:8 (KJV 1900)

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Loving one another should be as natural to a Christian as swimming is to a fish!

2. The Crescendo of Love (Jhn. 15:13)

Giving of my life for my brethren?

(Joh 15:13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

(Rom 5:8)  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

3. We Have an Obligation to Love One Another (Rom. 13.8)

Romans 13:8 (KJV 1900)

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

According to I Cor. 13 loving one another is prime virtue of the believer!

4. The Measure of Loving One Another

(1Th 3:12)  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

Abound: Great Quantity

(1Th 4:10)  And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

Return to John 13.......

Let’s talk about Christ Like (Agape) Love:

Christ like Love is Self-Less

Illustration: We live in a self world - all about S-E-L-F

Shelves are full w/many a written Self-help, love, glory, fulfillment books

But Christ Like Love is not self help but helping others

Jesus Christ Humbled himself and did the work of a slave.

Illustration: Jesus Christ laid aside His Garments (Jhn.13:4)

John 13:4 (KJV 1900)

He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

Picture of self-less Lord Jesus Christ who laid it all aside to leave the throne and Heaven (Phil. 2:5-8)

(Php 2:7)  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

We are so busy striving for reputation - Accolades

Jesus “made himself of no reputation”

Remember what was happening on this Night

Luke 22:24–27 (KJV 1900) - Luke’s Gospel gives another detail of the Night that is not recorded in John’s Gospel.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

(Joh 13:3)  Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

Same Night Jesus Washed the feet of His Disciples

The Disciples were Arguing over who would be counted the greatest in the Kingdom :(

(Rom 12:3)  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Let’s relate some key words we often use as Christians to Loving One Another:

GRACE: Receiving Something I do not deserve

God Accepts me - Not b/c of my goodness but because of His Grace

FAITH: My accepting of the fact that God Accepts me in His Beloved

(Eph 1:6)  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

PEACE: IF God Accepts me, then I can accept myself

Most of Us are not a peace with ourselves

Should we love what God Loves? ...Of course!

God Loves You

God Loves His Church

God Loves His Children

LOVE: I am free to accept You!

I do not have to look down on you to lift myself up - I’m accepted in the beloved

I do not have to put you down to build me up - I know who I am in Jesus Christ!

I am Born Again

A Child of the King

I am of God

And I am Going to God - for all of Eternity

Selfless love is NOT seeking to impress, to receive glory, to be the greatest.

2. Christ Like Love is Unwavering Love (Jhn. 13:1)

John 13:1 (KJV 1900)

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Jesus loved them unto the End - Despite their Un-Loveliness

Peter is about to Deny Jesus Christ

James & John are fighting about who’s greater

Judas is going to betray him this same night

They are all filled w/fear & doubts

All but one will Abandon the Saviour in His Agony.

We often excuse & Justify Ourselves for our unloving ways

If you knew what I was going through

I’m Tired

They were mean to me, they deserve it

They did me wrong, nobody gets away with treating me or my children like that....

Come walk a mile in my shoes

Jesus Faced the Cross - Jesus Still Loved Them Unwaveringly

Life is easy up on the Mountain

It’s Easy to love the lovely

True Character is revealed in times of Adversity:

If my love does not remain in difficult times, then it’s not love

Anybody can love someone who loves them

Jesus said “for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?” (Matt.5:46)

Christ Like Love is not bitter, angry, vengeful in the difficult times or under pressure.

Love One Another Unto the End

No matter what I do - Jesus will never forsake me - Never leave me

What can separate me from the Love of Jesus Christ? (Rom. 8:38-39)

Romans 8:38–39 (KJV 1900)

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Illustration: Devil wants to Sift you as wheat

He will tell you you’re unredeemable

He wants to convince you that your sin is too great

God doesn’t love you anymore - God can’t love a sinner like You

THE DEVIL is a LIAR!

3. Christ Like Love Serves One Another (Jhn. 13:4-5)

John 13:4–5 (KJV 1900)

He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

We have an Example of Servants Love (Jhn. 13:5)

Jesus Washed the Feet of His Disciples

Jewish Custom of the Day:

People wore Sandals - There were no socks

There were no paved roads - Dusty dirt roads were everywhere

In ordinary middle class homes - the host provided the Water

The Guests would wash their own feet

In Upper class houses:

House would have bason of water

Servant/Slave would wash & dry feet after a long day walking and working

Washing Feet was a mundane task

Washing Feet was looked at as the lowliest of tasks

None of the Disciples Volunteered to Wash each other’s feet or Jesus feet!

There is No Job Beneath Christ Like Love

Jesus Washed Judas Feet (Matt.5:44)

Matthew 5:44 (KJV 1900)

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Jesus Practiced what He Preached

Loving One Another is Actionable (I Jhn. 3:18)

1 John 3:18 (KJV 1900)

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

The Galatians were critical of their Brethren who did not keep the law.....Paul wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

(Gal 5:13)  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Christ Like Love doesn’t give them what they DESERVE, Christ Like Love is giving them what they NEED!