red line of love

There is a red line of love running through John chapters 13, 14 and 15. It is pretty amazing.

“Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love…. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:1, 14-15)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21)

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23-24)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:12-14)

“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)

What can we conclude? Jesus commands us to love one another as he loved us. How did he love us? By serving us and laying his life down for us. Jesus says that if we love him we will obey his command and love each other as he loved us. True love for God is love for one another. As we love each other we remain in his love. Here are some concluding thoughts from 1 John:

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he command us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.” (1 John 3:23, 24)

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 3:16)

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:19-21)