Love’s Commission

Cain is able!

The song Dave sang for us was written by the Christian Country Music band “Cain”

The song was released on December 11, 2021, as the third single from their debut studio album, Rise Up (2021). The Song peaked at number two on the US Hot Christian Songs chart.

The song refers to the so-called “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:19-20 :

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age.”

The song (Love’s Commission) reminds believers and followers of Jesus several things:

We have a mission: To tell the world about Jesus

We are told Jesus immediate plans: That Jesus has to go for a little while

We are promised a future: Jesus will return

Promise 2: Jesus’ spirit is with us and...

Goodbye is not the end

These are the promises of “the great Commission”

But there was an earlier commission…Jesus gave to his followers…and that is the commission to love one another…as we read in the gospel of John this morning

The Resurrection Life:

Today…we continue to explore what we…as Easter people…People of the resurrection have to learn from the scripture…from those very first Christians…and how the understood the resurrection.

So far this Easter season we’ve covered several reactions by those first Christians to Jesus’ resurrection.

We have encountered...

2. we have seen...

3. We’ve seen...

Disbelief (women at the tomb; men hidden in fear; Luke 24:1-12)

Disbelief transformed into belief (Thomas; John 20:19-31)

Reunion and Restoration (Jesus’ fish-fry breakfast on the beach; restoring Peter after his 3 denials of Jesus with 3 affirmations of love; John 20:19-31)

And last week: Eternal Comfort (John’s vision of ultimate comfort, safety, and provision by God to all who believe; Revelation 7:9-17)

Today’s focus will be on a specific teaching of Jesus as he prepared his disciples for…what he called…his glorification (his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead).

Love’s Commission

First…lets begin with a definition.

What is a commission?

Definition: 1) a. A formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties; b. a certificate conferring military rank and authority

But the second definition…I think…best describes today’s gospel reading...

2) a: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts : CHARGE (source: www.merriam-webster.com)

When I served in the military…the U.S. Air Force…I took an oath of enlistment…to defend the Constitution and to

“obey the orders of the President of the United States...and the orders of the officers appointed over me... according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

All officers in the are commissioned…that is…charged with following lawful orders of their superiors and defending the constitution.

In our reading from John 13, Jesus might be seen as the superior officer, commissioning his disciples (charging them) with the duties and responsibilities of following him after he is gone.

The disciples could be considered the enlisted men and women…or junior officers who are to follow Jesus’ orders...

Jesus’ earthly ministry has been a sort of spiritual boot camp...

over and over Jesus has explained his love / God’s love for them

and what the kingdom of God is like

Now…at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry…when only the faithful remain…Jesus lays the foundation for the Church…of which we are all spiritual decedents

The context of John 13:31-35…is...

Context of John 13:31-35

Last Supper

(washed feet, eaten passover meal)

Warning of betrayal and death

John 13:27 “And after the piece of bread, then Satan entered into (Judas). Then Jesus said to him, “What you are doing, do quickly!””

Final instructions to the faithful

This is a peaceful and intimate scene. Jesus with all his friends…enjoying a passover meal together.

Everyone was shocked to hear that one of them would betray Jesus…but now…Judas (the one who would betray him) has just left.

Its just Jesus and his closest friends…disciples. This is the beginning of the so-called farewell discourse…Jesus’ final instructions to his followers.

And how does the LORD begin?

By telling them be sure not to sin?

-No

By telling them, be sure to tell those wicked people down the road, that they better repent or go to hell?

-No

By telling them to become a social justice movement to eradicate injustice around the world?

-No

At least not directly…no...

Jesus begins his final instructions with a New Commandment.

Jesus is commissioning his disciples to love.

There is an old Christian Hymn titled “Onward Christian soldiers”…which…unfortunately… has fallen out of favor because of the war-like imagery.

We do not typically equate a soldier with the concept of love…but Christian soldiers…not in a military…but in God’s army…one of Jesus’ followers...

Marches to the order of Jesus...

What is Jesus first marching order to his disciples and to us?

To love

John 13:34–35 LEB

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

Love Pop Quiz

I have a little thought exercise for us to do this morning...

How many of you know the definition of love?

What are some words you would use to describe what love means?

What does love require of you?

Is loving another human being easy? Why/why not?

Right now …think of another person you love.

Okay…raise your hand if you can think of someone you love.

(Woo Hoo! 100%) That’s great!

Now…has that person ever annoyed you?

Made you feel angry? Sad? Frustrated?

Now…let’s reverse that…can you think of another person who loves you?

Have you ever made their life difficult?

Have you caused them pain?

Have you ever annoyed them?

The love Jesus is commissioning his disciples (then and now) to do...is not an easy proposition…its difficult.

Because when we love others…we have to let go of some things we would rather hold on to.

The type of love we are to have as Christians…is the love of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous, it does not boast, it does not become conceited, it does not behave dishonorably, it is not selfish, it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

This is the love Jesus commissions…that is to be the foundation of the Church

Christian love…is selfless…it is a love that wants what’s best for the object of love…even if that means sacrifice for the one who loves...

Concluding Thoughts

There are several takeaways from today’s scripture readings I want to emphasize...

Love is the foundation of faith.

Love drives out darkness.

Love connects us as believers.

ONE

Love is the foundation of faith.

Love is to be the calling card of the Christian life. We are to love one another. As Christians, we understand that for self and others is not easy…but through faith…God makes love possible within us..

Love is not something we have naturally within us…it comes from God.

1 John 4:7-11 Reads

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.”

God is love…because God first loves us…we then are to love one another...

TWO

Love Drives out darkness.

When did Jesus decree “Loves’ Commission” to his disciples?

AFTER…Judas…the one who loved this world more than God…who was willing to betray Jesus…for 30 pieces of silver...

Jesus gives his disciples their marching orders of love…only when the unfaithful…are purged…and only the faithful remain...

Our reading from Revelation 21 sums up loves’ culmination…in heaven…after sin and death have been destroyed and Jesus has returned…and we will be forever with God...

Notice what is left out of that heavenly scene...There will be:

no more tears

No more death

No mourning or grief

No more crying or pain...

because…

“the former things have passed away.”

What happened to those things?

LOVE…cast them out…only good remains...

THREE

Love connects us as believers.

Jesus wants his disciples to know…then and now…that the LOVE of GOD…is the distinguishing mark of the Christian.

Jesus said: John 13:34-35

“...just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34b-35 (ESV)

Just as eternal love…and self-giving…and mutuality...exists between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…One God now and forever...

So it exists for you and me. As Paul says at the end of Romans 8...

“Nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ.”

Nothing.

May the love of God fill your hearts today and always…

Thanks be to God…AMEN.