Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
By my count, the word, “love” shows up in some form in John’s gospel fifty-seven times. I’m thinking that many occurrences might indicate a theme.
Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.” If I love Jesus, I would want to please Him. Obeying His commands fits in with that desire to please Him. So what did He command?
God’s command is to love God “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The second command is like it, “… love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 36-40) In John 13: 34 Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Taking all three of these commands together, Jesus says in effect: Show your love for me by loving God the Father above all else (as Jesus does), loving your neighbor as yourself, and love others who believe in me just as I have loved you.
It seems like it would be a very good idea to know what Jesus means when he uses the word, “love.”
Let’s Discuss: How would you explain the kind of love Jesus is talking about to someone who doesn’t know Jesus?
I think I might try to compare it to the love a parent has for their child. I think an unbeliever can understand that kind of sacrificial, unconditional love.
Rich,
Nicely put. My wish is that every child has a parent figure in their life that provides that model of love.
When my kids were having a tough time and perhaps felt unlovable I would ask them, “What can you do to keep me from loving you?” They knew the answer is “nothing. “ God’s love for us is unsurpassed. Dying in someone’s place is a love beyond compare, especially since we are undeserving.
JEC,
Well said! You remind me of when my kids were struggling. At times it seemed like I had nothing to offer them. Sometimes their needs were beyond my understanding or comprehension. In those times, all I had left was being there and trusting that loving them was enough. Even though human love is a dim reflection of our Father’s love, it is amazing what it can do.