Intro Late Thursday night, on the night Jesus was betrayed, He said to His disciples: “I am giving you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Judas had just crept away to do his dirty deed. In less than a day, Jesus would be executed to death by crucifixion. Earlier that evening, Jesus stooped down to wash His disciples’ feet--something only a servant would do. For Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for the many. And He told His disciples to stoop down in the same way to serve others. Later, at the Passover meal, Jesus gave them all He had, even the fruits of His coming death: His own body in the bread and His own blood in the cup. He spoke of His coming glory, that God would be glorified in Him. He spoke of His coming death. “Where I am going, you cannot come,” Jesus said (John 13:33). Main Body Jesus loved His disciples more than they could ever realize. He would love them to death on the cross. And loving them, He gave them this mandate: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” “In the same way that I stooped down for you as a servant, and gave myself to you, and laid down my life for you, so you are to love one another.” That was Jesus’ mandate to His disciples on the night He went forth to His death. And that is Jesus’ mandate to His Church: to everyone He disciples by baptizing and teaching, even to you gathered here today. Jesus says to you: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Jesus’ love comes first. That’s what makes this commandment new. There’s nothing new about love: people have always wanted to be loved and to love. But the new commandment that Jesus gives doesn’t begin with us and our love, but with Him and His love. “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Jesus’ love is what’s new about this new commandment. Jesus is the source of His disciples’ love--back then and even now. He is the Vine, we are the branches. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Apart from Him, we cannot love, not as He wants us to love. We can’t love as we should, unless Jesus first loves us. We can’t love as we should, unless the Spirit first joins us to His death and His life through faith. We can’t love as we should, unless we are buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him in newness of life. Unless we are in communion with Christ and He with us, we won’t love and can’t love as we ought. Faith and love always go together. They are joined at the hip. The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle: “Now this is [God’s] commandment: that we believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He has commanded us” (1 John 3:23). How then can we speak of faith in Christ without also having love for one another? And we can’t speak of love for one another without having faith in Christ. That’s how inseparable the two are. God made His love for you real in this way: He sent His one-and-only Son into the world that you could have life in Him. You didn’t love God--He loved you and sent His Son. Christ came in love, even while you were still loveless and unlovable. He laid down His life for you. Jesus came so you could live through Him, and love through Him, and He through you. The Apostle John says, “If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love has been brought to maturity in us” (1 John 4:12). Jesus knew His first 12 disciples. He knew what was in their hearts. He knew they argued and bickered over who was the greatest, over who would be honored, and who was in charge. He knew they we’re self-centered and thought more about themselves than others. Jesus knew all that--and yet He still loved them, washed their feet, and gave them a place at His table. Jesus said, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Jesus knows you. He knows what’s in your heart. He knows that you argue and bicker over who’s the greatest, who’s in charge, and who should be honored. He knows that you are self-centered, turned in on yourself and your needs instead of the needs of others. Jesus knows all that--and yet He still loves you, washed you in baptism, and gives you a place at His table. Through His Spirit, He has worked faith in your heart and filled your heart with His love. And He says to you, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” The love that Jesus is speaking of is more than a feeling. It’s more than being respectful and polite. When Jesus says to His followers, “Love one another,” He’s talking about a love that transcends feelings. It’s a divine and holy love that reaches out, even to those who may be difficult to love. It’s letting the other person be more important, maybe even for his schedule to have his way with yours. It even loves those whom you think are unlovable. When you love with the Christ’s love, you will become patient and kind. You won’t be envious or arrogant with pride. You won’t be conceited, and you certainly won’t be rude. You won’t just think of yourself, but will let others have their way. You won’t be resentful and you’ll never delight in sin. Instead, you will side with the truth and be pleased when the truth triumphs. Love bears everything and believes the best in all; it has no limit to its hope, and so it never will fall (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). And love is this way for no other reason than that is how God in Christ loves you. Yes, He loves you that much! This love can only exist where Christ is for us, in us, and works His love through us. Without Christ among us, our selfish ways--our sin--would seize the day. Sin is the bully that beats up and batters the way of love. Sin prevents us from loving our spouse, child, parent, neighbor, and you-know-who in our congregation. Sin cuts us off from God’s love, and it cuts us off from one another. Sin isolates us in the walls of fear and defensiveness. But Christ has broken down the barriers by His dying and rising. He has torn down the walls between you and God, and so He has torn down the walls between you and others. No longer do you need to be defensive, because nothing can now harm you, for Jesus has conquered everything that eternally threatens you. You can’t program such love into congregations. There are no pills, programs, or quick-fix schemes to produce this love. For this divine love happens where faith in Jesus happens. It happens when you hear your sins are forgiven because of Jesus. It happens when you live in your baptism and when you are given Christ’s body and blood in His Supper--the tokens of His love for you. It happens when the Holy Spirit works faith in your heart, and you trust God’s Word of forgiveness, and cling to Christ for your life. It happens when you die to yourself and rise to live in the life of Jesus. As Christ’s love has its way for you, in you, and through you, that’s when you love others! Christian love is a beaming light shining in a darkened world. Jesus says, “Let your light shine before others in such a way that they will see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). The love we show, the way we deal with one another, in our work together, even under the most pressing of difficulties, will shine out into the world and draw the world to Christ. Love makes us stand out in the world. The unbelieving world will sit up and take notice, just as the pagan Roman world couldn’t help but notice how the first believers cared for one another. They even said, “See how they love one another,” as the lions were having their way with them. Impressive bodies of doctrine, exciting music and services, and magnificent buildings and programs didn’t attract the 1st-century pagans to the Church. No, it was the Christians’ selfless, sacrificing love for one another. The world saw the love of Christ through the love of Christians. That’s what shone forth for all to see. Why does the Church have so little impact today? It’s because we try to be relevant in the world by mimicking the world, losing the essence of what makes us Church. Without genuine Christian love for one another, no one will know that we are disciples of Jesus, no matter what we say we believe. Love reveals the hidden faith in our hearts. You can talk all you want about your faith--and I wish you would! But faith is between you and God. St. James says, “Show me your love.” By your love, the world will see your faith, and recognize that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. Are you bossy and rude? Repent! Let Christ’s love have its way with you. Do you think the end, no matter what, justifies the means? Repent! Let Christ’s love have its way with you. Are you more concerned about yourself than others God has placed into your life to serve? Repent! Let Christ’s love have its way with you. Conclusion Jesus Christ loved the world to death on the cross--and He loves you to your death! He loves His Church, so much that He even loves every single sheep and shepherd of His flock. That means He loves even you. He comes to you to wash you, to forgive you, and to feed you. He calls you to Himself and continues to disciple you. And He fills you to overflowing with His love. “Grant us now your love, O Lord, as we come to You in Your Supper, that Your love may shine through us, even into eternity.” Amen. -- Rich Futrell, Pastor Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Kimberling City, MO Where we are to receive and confess the faith of the Church (in and with the Augsburg Confession): The faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for body, soul, and spirit. ___________________________________________________________________ 'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author (as long as no charge is made for the work and it is not made part of a compilation), as well as for quoting or use in a congregational setting _with_or_without_attribution_. 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