No Greater Love

In John 15 Jesus speaks to His disciples about what it means to be His disciple. He uses the imagery of the vine and the branches. What He says is that if you are truly His disciple, you will “abide” in Him (v. 4). You will live your life by faith in Christ. You will live by God’s Word. In fact what He says is that His “words” will “abide in you” (v. 7). When that happens you will not only live by faith, but you will experience communication with God in a way you never thought was possible. And, to top it off, your prayers will be answered!

In this context Jesus turns to the topic of love. First He says that, as you live by faith, you are also to “abide in My love” (v. 9). When you abide in His love you keep His commandments; you live by His Word (v. 10). In the context of living in the love of God, Jesus gives us another commandment. In verse 12 He says, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” And He goes on in verse 13 to define love: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

At this point Jesus calls us His friends. He says, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (v. 14). And again, in verse 15 He says, “I have called you friends.” Jesus is our example of how we are to “love one another.” We love each other just as Jesus loved us. How did He love us? With the greatest love possible. He died for us that we might receive forgiveness for our sins and be restored to fellowship with God forever. Jesus laid down His life for His friends.

Paul describes it this way: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God loved us so much that He sent His Son to earth to become a man and to suffer and die that we might have life in His name. John said that Jesus came so that we might “have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). When we experience that abundant life in Christ, His love flows out through us to our friends. Just as Jesus was willing to give everything for us, so we should be willing to give everything for our friends, even to the point of dying for them. Greater love has no one than this!

Herein is love. Our love for one another grows out of our love for God and Christ. In fact, it is His love that flows through us. That love of God, demonstrated on the cross, is what compels us to love one another just as Jesus loved us. That love of God, demonstrated on the cross, is what compels us to lay down our lives for our friends in whatever way necessary to encourage them to live for Christ. And so, through Christ in us, we fulfill His command to “love one another.” Amen.