Well, have you ever experienced that phenomenon
where you become so used to seeing something
that you see it, but you don't really notice it anymore?
Maybe it's something on the wall in your house.
Maybe it's a picture from your wedding
or some kind of keepsake that you put on display.
You know it's there and you walk past it all the time.
You see it there again and again and again,
and yet somehow seeing it there,
it just doesn't really register anymore.
You see it there, but you don't really appreciate it
like you used to.
You know it's a picture of a special moment
or a wonderful scene,
but it's been a long time since you really stopped
and looked at the expression on the people's faces
in the picture
or at the details that really bring out the beauty
in that scene.
This morning as we come to the word of God,
we come to one of the greatest
and most important things that Jesus ever said,
but perhaps something so great and so important
that it's become quite familiar,
so familiar that maybe we've stopped seeing it
and hearing it altogether.
Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples.
It's the night of his betrayal and arrest.
Judas has already left the house to put his plan into action.
And as we heard last week,
Jesus is calling for the careful attention
of his closest followers
because his time with them is running out.
Imagine Jesus here at the table
looking around into each face,
looking into your face
and saying these words,
a new command I give to you,
love one another
as I have loved you.
So you must love one another.
By this, everyone will know
that you are my disciples
if you have love
for one another.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
It comes from John chapter 13.
Yet I wonder if these words
have become to you so familiar
that you see them,
but you don't really notice them anymore.
You hear them,
but you don't really carry in your heart
the full appreciation of them
like you used to.
I mean, isn't it easy
to just hear Jesus say this
and think,
oh yeah, love.
Yep.
We need to love each other.
Next,
what else did Jesus say?
Tell me something new.
Tell me something I haven't heard already.
I mean, we all kind of know this, don't we?
This is kind of Christianity 101.
This is like basic, foundational,
elementary stuff of being a Christian, right?
Love.
Yep.
I learned about that a long time ago.
So then here's my question.
Why, of all the things
that Jesus could be saying
to his disciples
in this last words kind of moment,
why is he telling them
to love one another?
I mean, these are grown men
that he's talking to.
These are best buds
who have just been
on one of the most amazing adventures
of a lifetime
over the past three years.
Why is he speaking to them
like children?
Telling them something so basic,
so obvious,
so elementary.
I mean, this is what those of us
with kids say to our children,
isn't it?
When they get into fights
with each other,
we say,
stop it, guys.
Stop being unkind to one another.
You need to love one another.
And they look at you,
and you say,
well, is that thing
that you were doing to her loving?
No.
So why is Jesus speaking
to these grown men,
these adults here in the room
around the table
like they're selfish little children?
Is it possible
that full-grown adults
like you and me
are still often acting
like selfish little children?
Well, we don't actually
have to wonder
because we actually know
that these full-grown adults
around the table,
Peter, James, John,
and the others,
we know
that just before this,
they were actually arguing
and fighting
at the table.
Luke, in his gospel,
tells us right after Judas
kind of left the room
to betray Jesus,
a dispute also arose
among the disciples
as to which of them
was considered
to be the greatest.
So yes,
they were behaving
like self-centered children,
and they needed to be told,
the way that you are
treating each other
is unkind.
You need to love one another.
And so the first step
to really noticing
these words of Jesus again
and appreciating them
is admitting
that this command,
these words
that Jesus is saying,
they're not just
for kids,
for children.
They're not just something
that we needed to hear
back at the beginning
of our faith journey.
Jesus isn't wasting
his breath here
by telling them something
that they don't really
need to hear
because they've been living
like this the whole time.
No.
This command
is precisely
what they needed
to hear.
And I want to say
to you this morning,
it's precisely
what we
here in this room
need to hear
as well,
as much as
our own children do.
It's something
we all have need of,
to love one another.
In some cases,
to stop treating
the other person
as if it's all about me.
In other cases,
to stop speaking
to the other
unkind words
or words behind
their back.
In some cases,
to stop having
an attitude
towards
that person
of,
I'm better than you
or I'm more mature
than you.
In other cases,
to stop ignoring
or giving the cold
shoulder
to someone.
In some cases,
to stop holding
a grudge
against that person
for that thing
that they did
to you one time
or maybe that short
list of things
that they did
or said to you
over the years
and more.
Love one another.
It means
not just stopping
that selfish
attitudes,
those ways,
those unkind behaviors.
It means
also starting
and doing
the kind things,
the good things,
the right things
to one another.
Believe it or not,
I've even heard
Christians say about me,
not about me,
but to me,
about other Christians.
I've heard them say,
well,
I'm not angry
at that person.
I'm not holding anything
against them.
I just don't want
to be around them
or have anything
to do with them.
Listen,
Jesus didn't say,
a new command I give you,
stop treating each other badly.
that's a start,
but it doesn't go
the whole way.
Jesus is not looking
for a bunch of followers
who are apathetic
and uncaring
and indifferent
towards one another
and just kind of show up
on Sunday,
go through the motions
and then go their separate ways
and have nothing to do
with each other's lives.
No.
The command is,
love one another.
Think about one another
the thoughts
that love thinks.
Say to one another
the kind of words
that love speaks.
Do to one another
the kind of things
that love does.
Initiate with one another.
Give generously
to one another.
Serve and meet
the needs of each other.
Cry with those
who are mourning.
Celebrate
with those
who are rejoicing.
Actually care
about the other person
and what's going on
in their lives.
Speak to them
in such a way
as to build them up
and help them
and encourage them.
Move towards
the needy
with a willing heart
and with open hands.
Listen to what
that other person
is saying.
Find out what's really
going on in their lives.
Bear with that brother
or sister
when they are
less than lovely.
All of these things
are examples
of what it
sometimes looks like
to love one another.
And as I was thinking
about it this week
you know
it's kind of a really
hard thing to describe
or to define
love.
Because love
thinks
and says
and does
a thousand
different things
depending on the situation.
Depending on the situation.
Depending on the need.
Depending on what you have.
Depending on the kind
of relationship it is.
It's amazing really.
Love is
one of the most
beautiful things
that we know.
It's like a
mysterious
and precious jewel
with countless
faces.
and it's beauty
comes from God
himself.
As it says
in 1 John
chapter 4
God
is
love.
It's who he is.
And a little bit
down from that
we love
because he
first
loved us.
love
is that
holy
and most
beautiful
thing
about God
and his
glory.
That
goodness
inside of him
that just
flows
out of him
to his
creation.
It's not
just a basic
or elementary
thing in the
Christian life.
Love
loving
is the
highest
glory
to which
we are
called
to be like
our good
kind
patient
generous
compassionate
and intentional
God.
And so
that's why
Jesus is
taking
this precious
time that he
has left
to give
them
this
instruction
because it's
not just
something that
we need
to learn
at the
beginning
and then
we're good
to go.
No.
Loving
one another
is the
full expression
of God's
glory
in us
that we
are being
saved
in order
to attain
to
for the
rest of
eternity.
And it's
not just
one of
many
commands
that Jesus
gives.
It's one
of the
highest,
the greatest,
the most
important
commands
that he
gives.
Those of
you who
know the
story,
do you
know what
Jesus,
do you
remember
what Jesus
said earlier
in the
week when
he was
questioned
by that
expert
in the
law?
That
guy said
to Jesus,
teacher,
which is
the
greatest
commandment
in the
law?
Jesus
replied,
love the
Lord your
God with
all your
heart and
with all
your soul
and with
all your
mind.
This is the
first and
greatest
commandment,
he said.
And the
second is
like it.
Love your
neighbor as
yourself.
All the
law and
the prophets
hang on
these two
commandments,
said Jesus.
Do you
hear that?
Loving God
is the
first,
it's the
greatest
commandment.
And loving
our neighbors,
loving one
another is
the second
greatest
commandment.
love.
So this
whole thing
of being
commanded
to love
by Jesus,
it's the
first command
that we
should all
learn.
The one
that we
should focus
on obeying
and doing
the most
in our
lives.
It's the
greatest and
highest calling
of every
follower of
Jesus.
It's the
thing that
should most
characterize
our lives
as followers
of Christ.
love.
And not
only that,
says Jesus,
but the
whole of
the instruction
that God
gave to
Israel
through
Moses,
the law,
and the
whole of
the instruction
that God
gave to
the nation
of Israel
afterwards,
the prophets,
all of that
can be summed
up by these
two commands.
The command
to love.
It's
amazing.
It tells
us
a couple
things.
It really
is the
most important
instruction
that we
are given
by God.
Fulfilling
all the
other
instructions
that God
gives,
all the
other
commands
God
gives
is bound
up inside
of these
two.
Love
God
and love
one another.
Love your
neighbor.
And second,
it tells us
again that
loving is a
many-faceted
thing.
I mean,
think of the
variety of
things that
God has
said in
the law
and in
the prophets
that came
afterwards.
It's like
saying that
the entirety
of the
instruction
given in
the Old
Testament,
in all its
variety,
was calling
people to
just two
things.
Love for
God
and love
for one
another.
God
in fact,
I would
suggest to
you this
morning that
the whole
Bible has
been given
to us
by God
to show
us what
love really
looks like
in action.
First,
coming from
God to
us,
and second,
how it
should flow
from us
to one
another.
So this
is what
Jesus said
earlier in
the week
about our
calling as
God's people
to love,
but now
here Jesus
says a
similar sort
of thing
to his
disciples at
the table
on the eve
of his
betrayal,
and there
are just a
few details
in the way
that Jesus
says it
that catch
our attention.
For starters,
Jesus calls
this a new
commandment,
a new
command,
again highlighting
its importance.
Think about
what else Jesus
has been doing
at this table
this very
evening
that's new.
He's been
giving the
disciples a
new way
to mark
the Passover,
a thing
to do
in remembrance
of him.
He's told
them that
there's going
to be a
new covenant
inaugurated,
a new
arrangement
between God
and his
people that
will be put
into effect
by his
blood,
his death.
And then we
come to this
commandment,
a new
commandment
to go with
the new
covenant.
You'll
remember that
the old
covenant that
was made
with the
people of
Israel at
Mount Sinai.
You'll
remember that
it came
with
commandments,
ten of
them,
written on
stone tablets
and others
given alongside.
And one of
those old
commandments,
not one of
the ten,
but one of
the ones
given alongside
was what we
just heard.
It was,
love your
neighbor as
yourself.
love,
which kind
of brings
us to
this question.
What's so
new about
this command
to love
one another?
It seems
like a kind
of an old
command.
Why does
Jesus say
that this is
a new
command?
And it's
here we
have to
notice the
next important
detail.
Jesus says,
love one
another as
I have
loved you.
that's a
little different
than love
your neighbor
as yourself.
In both
cases,
God is
giving us
a pattern
to follow,
some
description
of how
we should
love the
other person.
The old
command that
God gave
was that
we should
love them
in the same
way that
we love
ourselves.
And we
all mostly
love ourselves
very much.
We do
all kinds
of things
for ourselves,
for our own
benefit,
to make
ourselves
happy,
to meet
our own
needs.
And God
was then
calling us
to show
the same
care and
commitment
that we
show to
ourselves,
not just
to ourselves,
but also
to the people
around us,
to our
neighbors.
But what's
new about
the new
command is
how we
should love
one another.
Do you
hear what
Jesus says?
No longer
are we merely
to model how
we love
one another
after how
we love
ourselves.
Now,
says Jesus,
in this new
arrangement,
as my
people,
I want you
to model
how you
love one
another
after how
I have
loved
you.
Love one
another
as I
have loved
you.
So you
must love
one another.
another.
And right
here, we
need to
really
pause.
We need
to linger.
The
temptation
is to
think,
maybe,
oh, well,
how did
Jesus love
his
disciples?
Well,
I'll do
my best
to love
people like
that,
and then
we just
move on
to the
next thing,
and we
continue
on the
story.
Check.
I got
the love
command
figured
out.
What's
next?
But have
we got
the love
command
figured
out?
This is
the big
question
that we
need to
meditate
long
about.
How did
Jesus
love
his
disciples?
How did
Jesus
love
his
disciples?
You
know what?
Let's
break out
of sermon
monologue
mode for
a second
here.
Let me
just put
it out
to you.
Let's
open it
up for
discussion.
How did
Jesus
love
his
disciples?
There's
lots of
right
answers
to
this.
Shout
them
out.
He
went to
the
cross.
Yes,
he died
for us.
And that's
probably the
first one
that comes
to mind.
It's the
biggest.
It's the
one that
shows
his
greatest,
the
greatness
of his
love for
us.
What
else?
he
spent time
with them.
Yes.
He washed
their feet.
A humble
act.
He was
patient with
them.
How many
times did
he try to
explain things
to them
and they
got,
it's like
they didn't
get it.
He didn't
get really
frustrated and
just say,
I'm done
with you
guys.
No,
he bore
with them.
He was
patient with
them.
Yeah.
He taught
them.
Yeah.
He forgave
them.
Yeah.
I think
of Peter
who denied
the Lord
three times
on the night
that he was
betrayed.
He said,
I don't
even know
that guy.
And Jesus
forgave him.
As I got
thinking about
this, I
realized there
are so
many ways.
He chose
them.
He initiated
with them.
He spoke
the truth to
them even
when it was
hard for
them to
hear it.
He invited
them along
for the
ride, the
adventure.
He revealed
his true
nature to
them.
He spoke
words of
encouragement
to them
like a
father does
to his
children.
There's a
time where
he made
breakfast for
them.
He cared
about their
needs even
more than
his own
needs when
he was in
his time
of deepest
trouble.
And the
list goes
on and
on.
Suddenly,
I hope we
realize that we
need to go
back and read
through all
the Gospels
again and
just pay a
little bit
closer attention
to how
Jesus treated
people, how
he treated
all his
followers all
along the
way.
We can't
just say,
well, Jesus
did the
ultimate and
died for
them and so
we need to
love one
another really
deeply, really
self-sacrificially.
That's true.
That was the
greatest demonstration
of his love.
But there's
even more to
how Jesus
loved his
disciples than
that.
There's all
these countless
ways, some
of which you
guys mentioned,
that he's
loved them,
that's leading
up to that
moment where
he gives
his life for
them.
Then we
could go and
read through
Acts and the
epistles.
We could see
what the
apostles pointed
back to in
their letters
about how
Jesus loved
them and
taught them
to love in
different
situations, in
different
relationships,
different
contexts.
And so this
is why I say
that we really
have to linger
here.
We can't just
breeze past
this thing
that defines
the new
command.
As I have
loved you,
so you
must love
one another.
I was
thinking,
what can we
do to help
ourselves see
that we're
not done
with this
command?
I thought
about printing
up some
massive
looking
bookmarks
that just
had this
massive
heart that
just comes
right out
of your
Bible so
that everywhere
you go with
this thing,
it's like I
cannot not
see as I
have loved
you.
I'm not done
with that
yet.
I need to
keep learning.
How have
you loved
me, Lord?
And would
you teach me
to love
others, the
people in
my life like
that?
Don't worry,
I didn't
print those
up.
But maybe
that would
help some
of you.
I don't
know.
might help
me.
This
command to
love is
not just a
once in a
while thing.
It's not
just a, well
yeah, I
think I did
that at
least once
yesterday sort
of thing.
No.
It's an
everyday, all
of your life
sort of thing.
Consider for a
moment the
prayer of Paul
for the
Philippians.
This is what
Paul prayed as
he wrote in
his letter.
He said,
this is my
prayer, that
your love
may abound
more and
more in
knowledge and
depth of
insight so
that you may
be able to
discern what
is best and
may be pure
and blameless
for the day
of Christ,
filled with the
fruit of
righteousness that
comes through
Jesus Christ
to the glory
and praise of
God.
Now there's a
whole sermon
right there,
but just notice
for a second
the language.
Love for one
another is not
something we
achieve and
then kind of
move on from
to next things.
It's something
that we always
have room to
grow in.
And there's a
certain knowledge
and there's a
certain depth
of insight by
which our
love increases.
What knowledge,
what insight
is that?
it's
understanding
more and
more how
Jesus loved
people, how
he loved
us, you,
me.
He's the
ultimate example
of God's
glorious love.
And then there,
of course, is the
ultimate act of
love which Jesus
did for us.
We talked about
it already,
Charles mentioned
it.
He laid down
his life for
us.
He died for
us.
Even as we
consider this,
I mean, we
can never get to
the bottom of
just how much
he loves us.
He loved us to
do that for us.
We could talk
about how sinful
and deserving of
God's wrath that
we are.
We could talk
about how shameful
and painful his
suffering was and
what he endured
for our sake.
We could talk
about all the
spiritual blessings
and the blessings
of the life to
come that Jesus
wants to give us
for free.
Not because we
deserve them,
but simply because
he loves us.
All of these
required the
ultimate sacrifice
of the cross.
His love for us
is bottomless.
It's beyond
measure.
And Jesus has
commanded us to
love one another
in the same way
as he loved us.
At the very least,
it means that we
love one another
lavishly,
extravagantly,
as deeply as
his spirit
enables us
to do it.
Forgetting
ourselves,
leaving ourselves
behind for the
sake of one
another,
being there
with and for
one another
right to the
end,
even if it's
costly.
This is it.
This is the
most important
thing in the
Christian life,
except for our
call to love
God himself.
This is it.
This is
Christianity
at its core.
And in case
we miss the
importance of it,
Jesus says it
twice.
Love one
another as I
have loved you.
So you must
love one
another.
Why did he
say it twice?
Because it's
too important,
it's too great
to just say it
once.
Verse 35.
By this,
everyone will
know that you
are my
disciples
if you love
one another.
father.
Actually,
he just
snuck it
in the
third time
there.
What is
Jesus saying?
He's saying
the mark
of a true
Christian
is love
for his
fellow man.
There's a
way that the
people of the
world can
know that
you really
are a true
follower of
Jesus.
They will
see it in
the love
that you
have for
other people,
for one
another.
There's a
way that the
people of
Davidson and
this surrounding
community can
know for
certain that
we are true
followers of
Jesus the
Christ.
Do they see
it in our
love for one
another?
Or do we
look much the
same as the
rest of
humanity?
Fighting and
arguing,
gossiping and
slandering,
breaking
our promises,
being self
absorbed,
splitting and
dividing over
this and that
and the other
thing?
If that's all
that people see
of us,
what are they
to conclude
about us?
But that we're
nothing like the
Jesus that we
confess.
Listen,
Jesus says
there is a
way for
people to
know that
you are my
disciple.
They will
know because
of the way
that you love
and treat
other people.
they will
see that the
way that you
treat them is
out of this
world.
It's rare.
It's
exceptional.
It's
outstanding.
They'll think,
man, this
guy who met me
just three weeks
ago cares more
about me than
my own family
or my friends.
I've known for
years.
They're around for
me when things
are good, but
when things are
going bad, where
are they?
But this
Jesus follower
who goes to
the Bible
church is
there for me
through thick
and thin.
There's got to
be more to
this Jesus
than I
originally
thought.
There's so
much more
that we could
say about all
this.
We could talk
about how it's
the spirit of
Christ living
in us who
enables us to
love like this
the way that
Jesus did.
We could talk
about what
love does and
says and thinks
towards people in
all kinds of
situations.
We could talk
about how
valuable our
lives are if
love's missing.
1 Corinthians
13.
This really is
one of those
things, one of
those times where
the whole rest of
the Bible adds
to the meaning
of Jesus'
command.
It gives us
understanding about
how we should
love as we
ought to.
But that's
where we all
need to be on
the journey.
We need to be
reading.
We need to be
meditating on
God's word daily
so that we can
grow not just in
our faith, not
just in our
understanding, not
just in our
hope and our
joy, but in
our love for
each other.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, we
thank you for
this command which
you speak not
just to your
disciples then and
there in the
room, but to us
today, all of us
who believe in
your name.
Give us ears to
hear.
Make us truly,
deeply loving
people.
Help us to
give up, to lay
down our lives in
whatever ways that
looks like for each
one of us to live
this out, to
bless the people
that you've placed
in our lives.
Fill us with your
Holy Spirit.
We ask in Jesus'
name.
Amen.