John 15:9-17

       Jesus has called His disciples to a special relationship:  abide in Me (15:4).  What does this mean?  For one thing it means His words abide in us as well.  We cannot think of an intimate relationship with Christ apart from conversing with Him and cherishing every word He speaks.  The Holy Spirit will be given to remind them of Jesus’ words (15:26).  And so for us: in the Scriptures He speaks to us that His words may abide in us (Col. 3:16).  As His words abide in us we are able to keep His commands (14:15; 15:10).

            Abiding in Christ also means we abide in His love (v9).  In today’s passage Christ repeats the command He gave earlier in the evening.  They are to love one another (13:34-35; 15:12).  All that He has given them will help them to be obedient.  Nevertheless He restates the command so that He might increase their obedience.  Note the following about this love to which we are called.

1.      The source to love (v9-11).  This love comes not from within us but through our relationship with Christ.  God is love (1 John 4:16).  Thus the Father has loved the Son, and the Son has loved His disciples.  The disciples are called, not to invent love, but to remain in that love of Christ.

How does this happen?  It happens by our obedience to His commands.  All He commands is for our joy; so to step outside those commands in to step outside His love.  How miserable we are because we have thought we had a better plan than our Lord?  Rather than loving each other we get angry or take revenge or neglect people.  And the result is we lose joy.

2.      The example of love (v12-15).  As before (13:34-35) Christ ties the command to His example.  If we are to abide in His love, and abiding is the result of keeping His commands, then it makes sense that our love for each other will be like His love for us.

In v12 He speaks of His past love for them.  In v13-15 the love is future as He identifies the greatest love as laying down one’s life for his friends.  The term friends (Greek philos, an equal, people with mutual respect) may have caught the disciple’s by surprise.  Therefore Jesus explains that He is laying down His life for those who follow Him.  While we still consider ourselves His servants (e.g. Rom. 1:1) Christ regards us as friends.  Love does this.  It elevates the one who is loved to friend status.  Christ so loved us and calls us to similarly love each other.

3.      The result of love.  The passage concludes by tying this love to the context.  Love is tied to bearing fruit.  As we obey the command to love we honor God through the fruit of character and ministry.  It is also tied to the promise of prayer.  Whatever resources we need to obey this command (strength, creativity, etc.) we can ask for and the Father will give it to us.  Let us not forget; our prayers are often not answered because they are selfish (James 4:1-3).  Prayer provides the means to obey Christ’s command to love one another!