Relationships, Part 2: With Others

Last week, we started John 15, and I reminded you that this is still Thursday night.  However, it seems that Jesus and His eleven disciples were making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

In verses 1-8, Jesus began His instructions on relationships.  Last week, we looked at our relationship with Him.  Today, we are going to talk about relationship with others.  Next week, we will look our relationship with the world, and when I say our, I’m talking about followers of Christ.

 

There was one key word from last week as it pertains to the believers’ relationship with Christ, and that key word is abide or remain.  It John 15, it means to believe in Jesus, continue in Jesus, and obey Jesus. 

 

After Jesus is gone, we will have the Holy Spirit.  However, we are also to abide in Christ.  That is the command regarding our relationship to Christ.

 

 

Exposition

If abide is the key word regarding our relationship with Christ, love is the key word regarding our relationship with others.

 

In the same way that abide was commanded by Christ last week, love is commanded by Christ this week.  See verses 12 and 17.

 

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

 

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

 

The word for love here is not the sexual eros love or the brotherly philo love.  This is the unconditional and sacrificial agape love, and again, it is commanded by Christ to be demonstrated to our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 

 

1. When we love others, we must love like Jesus loved us.

 

See verses 9 and 16.

 

In verse 9, Jesus said that His Father loved Him, and in turn, He loved us.  In verse 16, He said He chose us rather than us choosing Him.

 

And in this command in verse 12, our love for others should be based on Jesus’ love for us.  How did Jesus love us unconditionally?  What does that mean?

 

To love unconditionally means that you love without condition.  You don’t love based on someone loving you.  You love first, and this hard because we make ourselves vulnerable, and yet this exactly what Jesus did for us.

 

Jesus didn’t love you and choose you because He knew you would be a faithful Christian.  He loved you and choose you unconditionally because that is the nature of agape love.

 

Jesus even said that we ought to love our enemies with this unconditional agape love.  See Matthew 5:43-48.

 

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father 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. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

 

So think about someone that is hard for you to love here at EBC.  Jesus said it wasn’t an option, and we need to remember to love them as He first loved us.

 

 

2. When we love others, we are abiding in His love, and our love is demonstrated in our obedience and our answered prayers.

 

Here is a word that first saw last week.  It is the word abide or remain. 

 

Jesus told us in verse 9 to abide in His love.  Remain in His love.  Continue in His love.  Obey His love.

 

How will our abiding be proven?  It will be proven with our obedience. 

 

Our love for Christ and our love for others will be proven by our obedience to Christ. 

 

Jesus said these words in the previous chapter in John 14:15 and 14:23.

 

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

 

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.

 

We touched on this last week too, but look at the end of verse 16.  Our obedience can be demonstrated in answered prayer. 

 

Verse 16 says that Jesus choose us to bear fruit, and our fruit should be lasting, and whatever we ask in Jesus’ name, the Father will give to us.

 

I don’t mean to sound like prayer is easy and answered prayer is easy.  I am simply trying to preach what the word says, and the word says that our answered prayers can be a sign of our obedience and our abiding in Christ’s love.

 

 

3. When we love others, it is a great joy for us and a sacrifice to them.

 

After the instruction to abide in Jesus’ love, we find verse 11.  Jesus said these things which He said to us lead to our fullest joy.

 

In other words, our fullest joy in live will come when we love others as Christ has loved us, and this is very ironic.  You would think our fullest joy would come when we are loved, but Jesus said it comes when we love.

 

However, not only will loving others be our greatest joy, but it will be a great sacrifice to them.  Verse 13 speaks of the greatest love, and that is to lay down your life for a friend. 

 

Verse 14 says that we are Jesus’ friends, and this is what He has done for us.  See Romans 5:6-8.

 

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

Christ’s death for us is a perfect picture of unconditional and sacrificial agape love.

 

 

Conclusion

This morning, my invitation is twofold.  I have an invitation for the non-Christian and for my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

First, if you have never put your faith and trust in Christ, I invite you to be saved this morning.  Admit that you are a sinner.  Believe that Jesus did the most loving thing imaginable in dying for you.  Call on Jesus to save you by confessing Him as Lord and Savior. 

 

Second, if you are saved, who is has God brought to your mind this morning that you need to love unconditionally and sacrificially as Christ has loved you? Is it a coworker or a neighbor or classmate or a family member or church member? 

 

Today’s message and invitation can be summarized in 1 John 3:16.

 

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.