Daily Devotions
John
John 15:1-17 "THE BOND OF LOVE"
Day 221 – John 15
THE BOND OF LOVE
Jesus had already given this word to His Disciples. In the clearest of terms, He had given instruction to His Disciples.
“A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are My Disciples,
if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35
To this commandment, Jesus added the following words.
“This is My commandment,
that you love one another
as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
Jesus used almost the same words that He had employed before. What was He trying to convey to His Disciples this time round that was not already communicated in His previous statement? Perhaps the answer lies in the following text.
“Greater love has no one than this,
than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13
The theme of love is an inexhaustible one. Just as soon as one thought is dealt with, then another thought suggests itself. Jesus had already spoken about how He wanted His Disciples to love each other. This was not a suggestion on His part. This was a commandment from Him! The Disciples were to learn how to care for each other in such a way that people would recognize the love of Jesus existing in their midst! The Disciples were to learn how to love each other with the model of Christ’s love in mind!
Those were very great thoughts indeed. It would not be easy to fulfill all that Jesus had commanded them! But there was more, much more, that Jesus expected of His Disciples.
He spoke of a love that enabled one to lay down his life for his friends! Did Jesus expect His Disciples to actually do that? That would be amazing love indeed! Could the Disciples? Could anyone really love his friends to that extent?
The Disciples must have looked at Jesus as He said these words. Did they also glance at each other to see if they could really lay down their lives in the name of love and friendship? What could Jesus mean when He gave this word to His Disciples? What new theme was He now teaching them?
JESUS’ CONCEPT OF FRIENDSHIP
Friendship was the new subject that Jesus sought to teach His Disciples. Friendship was something many took for granted, then and now. People were just “friends” because they were acquainted with each other. Who ever bothered to define friendship and what that really meant? Jesus did. He had spent three years with His Disciples. How were the Disciples to understand that relationship?
He was their Teacher. He was their Master. Along the way, they had discovered that He was their Messiah, their Saviour and lots more! Could He also be called their “Friend”? How were they to understand their relationship with Jesus?
Jesus explained to His Disciples how they were to understand this new bond that must be among all who are called His Disciples. This new relationship would have a bond stronger than that established in a family. It would be greater than feelings of patriotism. It would be a new kind of bond-relationship that would mark them as believers and Disciples of Jesus.
“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not
know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends, for all things that I
heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
John 15:14-15
Jesus raised the status of the relationship that the Disciples had with Him. He now called them “friends”. However, the question of “familiarity” was precluded, because He still spoke of His teachings as “commandments”. Yes, the Disciples may think of themselves as “friends of Jesus”. But, no, they are not friends as if they were all on par with each other.
They were friends in that they were not mere servants! If they were mere servants, then they would not have their Master taking the time to explain things to them. If there were only a strict Master-servant relationship, Jesus would not have taken so much time to explain all the things He did! There would not be the necessity to do that.
Jesus had graciously extended to His Disciples “friendship”. With this friendship was the concept of “sharing in fellowship”. There were no secrets between friends. Jesus shared with them all that He had received from His Father.
THE PRACTICE OF CHRIST-LIKE LOVE IN THE CONTEXT OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
This was the reason why Jesus once again brought up the subject of the practice of Christ-like love. He wanted His Disciples to be more than just working colleagues. He wanted them to have more than a working relationship with each other in their service to God.
There was going to be a new bond in their relationship. They were to forge a special kind of friendship with each other that they had not known before. They were to learn how to love each other as they had experienced love from the Father and from Jesus their Lord. This would cause them to truly stand out as His Disciples indeed.