Love is our Identity

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Introduction

Mothers Day

I know its mothers day.

And I want to say happy mothers day to all of the mothers and mothers to be that are here today.

I also want to tell those of you, with whom this day is difficult that we love you and are here for you.

I’m honored to have my mother and my family here today..

and of course I’m married to one of the best mothers of them all..

New Series

today I want to begin a new series.

And Through it were going to look at this passage found in John 13:34-35 where Jesus sets a standard for our lives

A kingdom standard for living.

This being the standard of love.

Overview

We find three Key elements here that I want us to look at over the next three weeks..

Jesus says LOVE is the identifying characteristic by which others will know we are Jesus Disciples.

We see that Jesus himself is the standard of the type of LOVE we are to show.

And finally we see that The standard for daily life is for us to show this LOVE to everyone we encounter.

Today

Today, I want to spend some time looking at the first of these three..

Where Jesus established love as the identifying marker by which others will know we are disciples of Jesus

The Setting

The supper

John 13 is the beginning of the last supper discourse in Johns Gospel.

Though John never really records the meal itself as the synoptic gospels do,

He instead chooses to record many of the words and actions that have took place during this event.

Already

In this chapter Jesus has already washed the feet of the disciples and instructed them to do the same for others..

he has already called out Judas and sent him to do his evil dead..

And now, as he is telling the disciples..

Listen, im only going to be with you for a little while longer..

and where I am going, you cannot come yet

so while I am still here.

I want to give you a new commandment..

John 13:34–35 ESV

… that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus says love one another..

The way I have loved you..

AND BY THIS

People will know you are my disciples..

I dont know about you but that is a pretty clear cut instruction..

Love people

the way I have loved you..

AND IN DOING SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW YOU ARE OF ME..

Such a simple.. and yet difficult instruction for our lives..

Yet Jesus makes is one of the main identifying factors for relationship with himself.

So what type of Love is Jesus speaking of?

What kind of love

we will look deeper into this type of love in next weeks message..

But I think its important that we briefly look at the type of love Jesus is telling us we are to embody.

so that we can see what Jesus is really saying to us here..

Agape

The word John uses to record Jesus words here is the greek word agapate

It is the verb form, or action form, of the word agape

Unlike english, the greek has multiple words for love.

each one meaning something different..

Agape though, is the highest form of love found in the scripture..

Apidimized by the Love Jesus showed for us by laying down his life on the cross..

It is a selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love

that wills the good of others, regardless of their response to it..

Contrary to the western understanding of Love

It is a love that is CHOSEN, instead of a love that is simply felt..

This is the love Jesus has both demonstrated for us..

and expects from us towards others..

Its the kind of Love Jesus says we should display towards others

and thereby we will be known as his..

Mothers

I think this is a fitting message for mothers day

because when we think of the great mothers we know

We see mothers who show agape love..

women who are self sacrificing of their time and needs..

things like..

Mothers never get to eat a hot meal.. because they are busy preparing everyone elses..

Things like..

Mother never get a full night sleep because they are busy showing care to the kids through the night..

Things like..

Mothers never get to buy the things they want because they prioritize thier kids..

We see this agape type of love in the love of good mothers..

this is the love Jesus is telling us we should have and should show..

Jesus says we are to love others..

Love is Christ’s command

but he doesn't just make this a suggestion

Jesus says this is a commandment..

Only

A new commandment..

this commandment is the ONLY COMMANDMENT IN SCRIPTURE that jesus established..

the only directive that he labeled a new commandment..

Look what he says in verse 34..

John 13:34 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Jesus doesn’t paint this love as optional

instead he gives a new commandment..

Just like God gave moses the 10 commandments on the mountain for the people..

Jesus gives the disciples a commandment to love

A law to live by, a directive, and expectation of believers..

and its not just any commandment ..

It is one of the most important…

MOST IMPORTANT..

In Matthew

Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is..

Matthew 22:37–40 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Christs anwser is love god..

love people..

those are the two most important things we can do..

In fact..

All the things in the law hang on them..

THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE IS SO IMPORTANT..

THAT JESUS TAKES IT FURTHER..

AND MAKE IT OUR VERY IDENTITY..

Love is our Identity

He makes it an identifying marker for relationship with himself..

John 13:35 ESV

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus says..

your to be such a loving people..

that people will actually know you belong to me because of your love..

Your love should stand out so much from the crowd..

that people look at you and say.. hmmm.. that must be one of those Jesus people..

It should be the connecting factor in your life that points people to Jesus..

And again.. of all the identifying factors..

its one of the most important..

Love is most important..

Of all of the characteristics of a christians life..

Love is among one of the most important.

Here, Jesus says that its how others will know we are his disciples

Paul

Paul reiterates the importance of love in the life of a believer in the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13..

Where he says I can speak in toungues..

I can be a super spiritual person and prophecy mysteries..

I can have faith to move mountains..

I can be the most generous person ever..

but If I have all of those things and I do not love I AM NOTHING..

he goes on and his conclusion is this..

1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Love is the greatest..

Above faith, above hope..

Above spiritual gifts and prowess..

love is greater..

Paul was talking to a corinthians church who though that their spiritual gift was their greatest identity..

but they abused the lesser members and took advantage of thier weaknesses..

and Paul says not.. all of those things mean nothing if you dont’ love..

Because love is the greatest identifying attribute of a believers life..

Christs love shining through us..

HOW

You might ask..

pastor how it that possible..

shouldnt holiness.

or faith..

be greater?

Well heres the thing..

If you will just love God and love people..

like Jesus said of the propehts..

Everything else will flow out of it..

Out of our love for god..

our want to obey him will flow..

out of our love for god..

our faith will flow..

our of our love for people..

our purpose will flow..

LOVE IS THE BASE

1 John

The topic of love a an identifying attribute becomes a major discourse in Johns later letter of 1 john.

in 1 John writes to the community at Ephesus

a community that John himself established with his eyewitness testimony if Jesus

John is writing because outsiders have come in claiming to know and serve Jesus.

these outsiders were entering the community

claiming to be teachers of the gospel.

but the message they taught was contrary to the message of Jesus and testimony of John

Even more.. John spends much of his letter pointing out that the these false apostles lives dont match the testimony of Jesus either..

Of these shortcomings..

They claimed to believe that Jesus was Divine..

and they failed to love people the way Jesus instructed.

This issue leads John to write an extensive discourse on the topic of loving others and how love becomes a major part of our identity in Christ.

Look at what John writes..

1 John 3:14–18 ESV

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. (Do you see the identity in that?) Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 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? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:23–24 ESV

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. 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.

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:19–21 ESV

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Simply put..

John attributes the act of loving others to so closely to the identity of the believer..

that he makes the claim that failing to love others proves you are NOT of GOD!

YOUR A LAIR..

Because those who have been saved by the love, grace and mercy of the savior will give that same love to those they encounter.

John thus instructs the community to use the characteristic of love as a litmus test to weed out the false apostles..

Recap

So we are to love with christ like love..

its a commandment of christ

and its the liteness test of our identity..

But who are we to love?

Who are we to love?

simply put.. Everyone..

We are to love as Jesus has loved us..

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

As Jesus loved the world..

We are to love the world..

But pastor what about those who are different..

We love them..

What about those we dont agree with..

we love them..

what about those living in sin..

we love..

Doesnt mean..

loving someone doesnt mean you agree with them..

loving something doesnt mean you are wrong and they are right

or you are right and they are wrong..

It doesnt mean you condone thier descisions or actions..

Its simply means you choose to extend the love of Jesus to them as it was given to you..

YOU DONT HAVE TO LIKE THEM..

YOU DONT HAVE TO AGREE WITH THEM..

BUT YOU DO HAVE TO LOVE THEM..

in Fact.. Jesus said..

Matthew 5:44–46 ESV

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

AS JESUS DID FOR US WHEN HE GAVE HIS LIFE AND WE WERE STILL IN SIN..

Jesus set the example for love

Jesus did after set the example for loving people

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is the love we have been given

1 John 4:7 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

ending

As I land this plane today..

I want to ask you a question today..

When people think about you..

when they talk about you..

Are you known for your love?

Do they see the love of Jesus in you?

Or do they see a salty sour christian..