And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23
Of the four writers of the gospels, only Matthew and John were present that last night Jesus spent with the twelve men he designated as apostles. The apostle John in his gospel is the only one of the three other writers of the gospels who goes into more detail than the others to tell us what Jesus said and what occurred the last night Jesus was with his apostles. From the time that Jesus ate the last supper or Passover with the apostles, to the time he was arrested, Matthew in his gospel only takes twenty-nine verses (Matthew 26:17-46) to tell us what happened and what Jesus said. How- ever, John in his gospel uses one hundred and fifty-five verses (John 13:1 to 17:26) to tell us about the same events but in greater detail.
There are many impacting things Jesus did and said during this last night with His apostles but among them all the most significant and vital to the relationship of Christians with our Savior and with each other is the com- mandment to “Love each other as I have loved you.”
On three different occasions that last night, Jesus was with the apostles, He gave them this command, which also applies to every Christian today.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 15:9-13
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have love de you.
John 15:17
This is my command: Love each other.
Many of us in grammar school learned about the six important questions or interrogativas that should always be used when asking a question or investigating something. “Who, is for people.” “What, is for things.” “Where, is for places.” “When, is for time.” “Why, is for reasons.” And “How, is for all the five.”
When studying scripture sometimes applying some of these interrogatives to the verses we are studying can help us better understand what is being said and or how can it be applied to our relationship with Jesus and others. The following is not an exercise or game applying the six interrogatives to some verses of the Bible, but it is intended to help us realize the source, the personal application and expression of “Living and Fulfilling the New Commandment” to “Love each other as I have loved you”.
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: (What is it?)
Answer – Love one another. (How?)
Answer – As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (Why?)
Answer – (Or the result) 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, (How?)
Answer – (conditional) if you love one another.”
John 15:17
This is my command: (What is it?) Love each other.
In this next portion of Scripture Jesus explains and gives us in detail, the context, reasons and result of his “new command” to “Love each other as I have loved you”.
John 9:13
9 “As the Father has loved me, (Why?)
(Reason) so have I loved you.
Now remain in my love. (How?)
Answer – (conditional) 10 If you obey my commands,
(Result) you will remain in my love,
(Result) (How?) just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
11 I have told you this (Why?)
Answer – so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
12 My command is his: (What is it?)
Answer – Love each other as I have loved you
Loving each other or one another for most Christians does not come naturally. This might sound strange and even incorrect, because as Christians we would think that loving one another is natural for us to do since 1 John 4:7 tells us, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
If loving one another was easy and natural for Christians, why then does Paul in his letters to five different churches, write eight times to remind the Christians of those churches how they should love each other? Peter in his first letter written to the Christians of multiple congregations through five Roman Provinces, tells Christians three times how they are to love one another. Finally, John in his first epistle reminds his readers four times of the need to love each other.
The Spirit Filled Life Bible For Students explains to us with what kind of love we are to love one another with which must be taught, learned and exemplified in our lives.
Love, agape (ag-ah-pay): One of the main things God wants to teach His people is how to love with an agape kind of love. Agape means “an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the person, no matter what he does.” It is a self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and it does not consider the worth of its object. Agape is more a love by choice than philos, which is a love by chance or human emotion; and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world. God wants to teach His people to love with an agape kind of love that comes from choosing with our will to let the Holy Spirit love others through us. Human love always comes up empty and is dependent on moods and feelings. Agape love draws on the resources of the Holy Spirit in order to love the way God loves people.
Pastor John
