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Love one another
Love one another
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
We are to love each other as Jesus has loved us. To make it more personal, I am supposed to love the members of my group as Jesus has loved me. How has Jesus loved me? Unconditionally. I am not required to bring anything to the table to receive the love of Christ. He didn’t wait for me to change, to love, to even like Jesus…he loved me despite if I loved him or hated him. He loved me by serving, by teaching, by laying down his life.
And this is where he goes....Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. I want to be a friend of Jesus…how can I prove that?
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” How can I know what to do? There are SO MANY things in the bible. There are so many rules. Where do I start? Which ones apply to me? Which one were historical laws for the Jews? Here Jesus says (Verse 15). There is a change in relationship between you and me. At one time, you were confused because the Messiah hadn’t come yet. Now I have fulfilled the old covenant. I have fulfilled the law. I have made known to you because you are no longer servants, but friends. In a sense, Jesus loves us, Jesus died for us, Jesus reveals and illuminates scripture for us. It’s all about Jesus.
In fact this is where he goes next. “You didn’t choose me.” We can’t choose Jesus. We don’t one day just wake up a follower of Jesus. We choose sin every time, we choose selfishness every time. Before Jesus. But once His spirit draws us, once his spirit reveals to us, once his spirit loves us, we respond to that. How do we respond?
He appoints us (FInd out what appointed means) to go and bear fruit. Again Jesus, I have responded to your love. I understand I am to do something, I am to bear fruit…but there is so much. And then Jesus being Jesus says “Let me make this simple or you. Love one another. Love like I do.”
What does this look like in your group. BE INTENTIONAL. Seek conversation. Seek getting to know everyone. Choose them. Sacrifice for them. Let yourself be known by them. Don’t be confusing.