Jesus Loves me this I Know

I wonder if the disciples’ anxiety in John 14 is due in part to the change taking place in their relationship with Jesus. For months they’ve walked step for step with Jesus. They’ve experienced everything from the mundane to the miraculous with him. They’ve attended weddings and funerals. Some days they’ve eaten little, and some days they’ve had their fill of wonder bread created by Jesus’s own hand. Now they fear it’s all changing. Jesus is leaving them, and there’s no way their relationship

But Jesus assures them their relationship with him is not finished. Their relationship will continue to grow and develop. Plus, it will be marked by a single, defining characteristic: love. They will grow in their love for Jesus and will demonstrate it through their actions. Jesus will continue to love them, and his love will be experienced through the gift of his Spirit.

Jesus begins this farewell conversation with his disciples by promising they will be with him in the future (14:1–3). Jesus doesn’t only offer them promises about the distant future. He also assures them of what will happen in the near future. His promise of a future in heaven doesn’t mean they’re cut off from him until then. Though he is going before them, preparing their way to the Father, their relationship will continue. He describes how this relationship will continue in the future by focusing first on the disciples’ love for him and then on his love for the disciples.

1. The Disciples’ Love for Jesus

The disciples love Jesus. Their anguish over his departure is more than concern for their future. The reason this news hits them so hard is because they care deeply about their Teacher. Their hearts have been knit together with his through all their experiences over the previous few years. Jesus tells his disciples how they can show him they love him after he’s gone to heaven. True disciples reveal their love through obedience (vv. 15, 21, 23–24). In verse 15 Jesus describes the proof of their love with the phrase, “You will keep my commands.” He’s not singling out a particular command or a select saying. He describes a life committed to following him no matter where he leads. He describes a person who has cast aside all concern except obedience to Jesus. Loving Jesus is not like bargain hunting at a garage sale: you can’t comb through all that he says, then pick whatever commands you like, disregarding any you find unappealing. Love for Jesus means obeying even the most difficult commands. We might say, “Look, I love Jesus. See how I obey him,” and then point to the commands easiest for us to obey: “I don’t kill, and I don’t have any graven images. See, I really love him.” Our genuine love for him is truly revealed when we obey the challenging commands during difficult times.

The world knew Jesus loved the Father because he obeyed the Father’s commands (v. 31), especially the difficult ones—like going to the cross and taking on himself the sins of the world. The world will see our love for Jesus as genuine when we gladly choose the tough things and obey him in those. Love when life is soft, safe, and easy proves little. Who do we know loves his wife? The elderly man who parades around with his healthy, beautiful, twenty-something trophy wife on his arm? Or the elderly husband bathing and feeding his disoriented wife as she slowly loses her memory? They may both love their wives, but we’re certain one does. Jesus shows us what it means to love through difficult obedience.

Love for Jesus must also be our motivation to obey his commands. Obedience must flow out of a heart of love. Obedience without love is nothing more than the pursuit of self-righteousness. We will never obey his Word if all we feel is a sense of moral obligation. We will never obey his Word if all we want is to shore up our standing before God. If we look at the words of Jesus and think, I can make him happy if I do this one, or He won’t be angry or disappointed with me as long as I don’t mess up on that command, then we are not obeying out of love for him. We are simply trying to earn his favor. If you want to conquer sin and obey Jesus, you don’t simply try harder to obey. You stoke the flames of your love for him. The antidote for disobedience isn’t obedience but love. If you struggle to obey Jesus, then focus on loving him more. Beg God to give you a passion for Jesus. The greater your love grows, the easier obedience becomes.

On the one hand, we can’t obey Jesus if we don’t love him. On the other hand, we can’t love him if we don’t obey him. Would you believe someone loved his spouse if he was being unfaithful? No, you wouldn’t. What if he repeatedly said he loved his spouse while being unfaithful? Would you believe him then? No, you still wouldn’t. Why? Because his actions negate his profession. His works trump his words.

When I was in elementary school, my buddy’s dad drove the church bus. I loved spending Saturday night at his house and then riding the bus to church on Sunday. They would do all of these silly promotions on the bus routes, and one Sunday everyone who rode the bus was given a cheap, white kite with this written on it in big, red printing: “I ♥ Jesus.” Looking back, I can just picture dozens of kids who had no idea who Jesus was flocking to the park and flying their “I ♥ Jesus” kites. How many Christians are like those kids? Over their lives fly “I Love Jesus” kites, but love for him isn’t evident in how they live. If we love Jesus, we will live differently (v. 21). We can fly dozens of kites, but it doesn’t mean we love Jesus. The only convincing evidence that we do indeed love Jesus is the way we live.

The disciples’ love for Jesus will primarily be seen in their obedience to his commands, but Jesus does give them one other way their love for him will be revealed. Their love for Jesus will be revealed by their willingness to sacrifice their immediate comfort and to trust Jesus when he says everything is happening for the Father’s glory (v. 28). Jesus promised he would return for them, but his departure is necessary. They struggle to rejoice with him because at this moment their desires are more important than his plan. When we love Jesus, we believe he’s in control and whatever he chooses to do is best. We are less concerned with our agendas, our emotions, or our ease, and we focus our energy and attention on what Jesus cares about. Jesus tells his disciples, “If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father” (v. 28). Genuine love isn’t self-centered. If our love for Jesus is true, it can’t be self-centered. If we love him, we will obey him and desire his wishes above our own.

2. Jesus’s Love for His Disciples

Jesus only mentions his love for the disciples once in this passage, but the proof of his love is evident throughout. Not only does he love them, but the Father loves them as well (v. 21). We so casually say, “God loves me.” Oh, that the earth-shattering ramifications of God’s love for you would bore into the depths of your soul! God—the Creator of the universe, the Holy One who dwells above the heavens—loves you. If you’ve believed in his Son, he loves you. Though there is no reason for him to love you, he has chosen to love you.

A good friend of mine spent six months in Tanzania, East Africa, building an orphanage. One of the workers sent him a letter describing a recent day at the orphanage:

Issa arrived close to noon and we walked around the orphanage again and talked for a little while. You could see that he knew something was going on and he was clinging pretty tightly to the ladies who brought him. Amy and I both realized that it was not going to be a simple and smooth good-bye process. I ended up taking him and they hurriedly walked out and drove off. I held Issa inside until I knew they were gone. He was very upset. I tried to comfort him and calm him as best I could.

I can’t imagine the fear, anxiety, and uncertainty that comes from losing your parents—the ones who are supposed to love, comfort, and protect you. When Jesus announced he was leaving, the disciples felt as if they were being orphaned. Jesus assures them that they do not need to fear, for they are not being left vulnerable and exposed (v. 18). What a tender statement from the lips of the Lord! He understands what is taking place in the hearts of his disciples. At a moment when they can’t adequately capture what they’re feeling, he sums it up perfectly and in the same breath gives them three assurances of his love for them.

a. The Assurance of His Resurrection

The first assurance is right there in verse 18: “I am coming to you.” He will return to them. After the resurrection he will not appear to the world—to those who don’t believe—but he will appear to his disciples (vv. 19–20). They will see him again and in such a way that they will never doubt Jesus is the Son of God.

This promise of his postresurrection appearance isn’t made to us two thousand years removed, but the promise of the resurrection is. That statement tucked right in the middle—“Because I live, you will live too” (v. 19)—is true for us. We know of Jesus’s love; we are assured of his love because he rose from the dead, conquering death and the grave for us. He went to the cross because he loved us, and he rose triumphantly so we would no longer need to fear death.

b. The Assurance of His Spirit

Throughout these verses, he assures them that the Father will send his Spirit to indwell them (v. 16). The Father will give them another Helper. He calls the Holy Spirit the “Counselor”—the Greek word is paraclete. Since it’s only used in John, it’s tough to nail down a precise definition of this term. It’s translated “Helper, Comforter, Advocate.” Some translate it literally as the one who “comes alongside.” The key to understanding this term is to look at the word Jesus uses right before it. He promises the disciples “another” paraclete will come. Another means they currently have a paraclete. The Holy Spirit will come and fill the role Jesus has been fulfilling with the disciples. He will comfort, strengthen, and teach them, just as Jesus has been doing.

Have you ever wished Jesus was sitting next to you and you could have a face-to-face conversation with him? Have you ever found yourself longing to tell him all about your day and ask him to help you make sense of it all? We have that ability and opportunity because of the Spirit. Just as Jesus could comfort and strengthen his disciples, we can be comforted and strengthened through his Spirit who dwells within us.

Have you really embraced this promise? You may be able to theologically discuss why the coming of the Holy Spirit is a good thing, but can you honestly say his role in your life is similar to the presence of Jesus in the lives of the disciples? We have downplayed this promise from Jesus in our lives and churches. Because of our zeal to defend the sufficiency of Scripture, we have forgotten the significant role the Holy Spirit is to play in the life of every disciple of Jesus Christ. This promise is not given so the disciples can get the answer correct on a theology midterm. Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit so they will know that his love for them will never falter or die but will grow and flourish, even though he’s returning to the Father. This promise of the Holy Spirit is their lifeline when the seas get rough over the following days. We can easily take the blessing of the Holy Spirit for granted.

Jesus promises he is going to prepare a home for them in heaven, and now he says he’s also preparing a home for himself in them (v. 17). When the Spirit makes his home in the disciples, he begins his ministry of pointing them to Jesus. Throughout the New Testament we find the Holy Spirit doesn’t take the spotlight and shine it on himself; rather, he is the spotlight operator and always focuses the light on Jesus. Even here Jesus promises the disciples the Holy Spirit will come in his name and remind them of his teaching (v. 26).

c. The Assurance of His Peace

A common farewell around the time of Jesus was to wish someone “peace.” When Jesus wishes them “peace,” it’s not a superficial good-bye, but a genuine reality (v. 27). He has brought peace with God, and he’s giving them a peace the world cannot offer. This peace will soothe their hearts when the world around them is in turmoil. The peace Jesus gives comes through his defeat of mankind’s greatest foes: sin, death, and Satan. The cosmic battle is about to begin, but the outcome was decided long ago (v. 30). Satan has nothing to bring against Jesus and will be defeated. Peace for us came through great violence. Peace with God was delivered when Jesus offered up his life to be brutally slaughtered. D. A. Carson reflects on this great irony:

The pax Romana (peace of Rome) was won and maintained by a brutal sword; not a few Jews thought the Messianic peace would have to be secured by a still mightier sword. Instead, it was secured by an innocent man who suffered and died at the hands of the Romans, of the Jews, and of all of us. And by his death he effected for his own followers peace with God, and therefore “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.” (John, 506)

That’s the beauty of the gospel. We have peace because Jesus fought a war. He fought our fight, so we could have his peace.

One of the most popular Christian anthems is also the simplest. It says, “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so” (Anna B. Warner, “Jesus Loves Me”).

At the height of persecution in Communist China, a Christian sent a message to a friend. The message escaped the attention of the censors, because it said simply: “The this I know people are well”—but that phrase, the “this I know people” clearly identified the Christian community in China. (Donovan, “Jesus Loves Me”; emphasis original)

“This I know people.” Our confidence is in the love of Jesus. We know he loves us because we’ve experienced his love. His love defines us individually and as a community.