City Life Starter

Written by Opeyemi Ojekunle

The Word

¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

Exegesis

Jesus knew we have a natural tendency to be selfish, as humans. This is why He repeated his commandment to love one another, during his final hour with the disciples. There is a general saying that “repetition is the mother of learning”, Earlier on, Jesus had given the disciples this command in John 13:34 ^“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”, he repeated this command in verse 12 of chapter 15 because he wanted to hammer the importance of love, because Love is key and not an option if you want to be a follower of Jesus. The love of Jesus is a caring commitment and a self-sacrificing one that seeks the best for his loved ones, which is the redemption, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus demonstrated his love the next day when he died on the cross, “¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We can not literally die for the remission of sin for anyone because Jesus already did once and for all, however, His death was a standard for us to love.

“¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.” This verse does not mean we earn our friendship with Jesus, it rather describes what Jesus’ friends do; they obey him.

Application

To practically love someone that is not likeable involves loving like Jesus. Abiding in God’s love will motivate us to love one another.

When you love others and seek to obey His commandments, Jesus will call you friend. Just as Pastor Chris said, Let your obedience to Jesus’ commandments be out of your love for him and not the other way around.