Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from John 15. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- I’m certain that it was a superficial observation, what Dionne Warwick sang: “What the world needs now is love sweet love; that’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” The message of the song doesn’t include any specifics of the kind of love the world needs more of. I suppose we could assume or inject a context; but the world of popular music certainly doesn’t provide a very helpful context for defining love.
- Nonetheless, the observation is correct, and in fact is encourage by God Himself. It is the commandment of Jesus, “that you love one another.” But the context is immediately added: “as I have loved you.” And then He explains His love.
- It could be said that God’s whole purpose in the world is to love. But how hard it is for us to fathom this in the midst of all of the painful dynamics that we struggle with as a result of human sin in the world. But this is the purpose of God’s promise of a Savior, first made to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and repeated throughout the Old Testament times – God’s will to bring more love into the world.
- And this is the purpose of Christ’s coming into the world, incarnate, to “lay down His life for us” as the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.” This, to reconcile God to us, to provide us with clemency and forgiveness, so that we might have eternal life and newness of life. And this is the blessed will of God, to bring more love into the world, so that human beings might be renewed to life through faith in Jesus and “THAT WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” Remarkably, Jesus informs us that:
I. Jesus Has Loved Us With The Same Love That The Father Has For Him
Text: “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.”
A. And Jesus First Urges Us To Abide In This Love That He Has For Us
Text: “Abide in My love.”
B. We Abide In His Love By Keeping His Commandments, By Remaining In His Word And In His Revealed Will For Us
Text: “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
C. And In This – Abiding In Repentance And Joyful Faith In His Redeeming Love For Us – His Joy Will Be In Us Making Our Joy Full
Text: “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Statement: Love brings joy, and God’s love for us brings fullness of joy. This is God’s will – the experience of His love and the joy that it brings even in the midst of the sorrows, pain, trouble, trials, and tribulations of this fallen world of sin. And we know well the pain and sorrow that the hostility and malice of others bring to us; we know well the trouble that selfishness and greed and pride bring into the world, and into the affairs of our own lives. This includes also our own selfishness, greed, and pride – which inflicts harm on others, and also brings pain and sorrow to us.
Application: But we have God’s gracious forgiveness – in accord with His commandment and will, that of the Father, and that of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And He bids us to “abide in His love,” in the Father’s love, in the same love shared by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This same love is extended to us – it is real, and it is objective, an aspect of the very nature and character of God, Who is love!
Alas, we have to be reminded, and encouraged, and even cajoled into “abiding in His love.” Our thoughts are easily distracted to other things – the things of our sinful nature, matters of self-interest, even greed, and earthly pride and prestige. This brings guilt and shame, and a loss of joy. It cannot be overemphasized, the importance of “abiding in His love.” For this is our health and salvation, our renewal and blessedness – the source of God’s joy. And His joy gives us fullness of joy – which is His will for us, for He loves us with a perfect and eternal love!
Transition: By means of His love for us – His gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation, God brings more love into the world. Obviously His love for us, but also that renewal of our hearts and minds which brings us to love. And so:
II. Jesus Commands Us To Love One Another As He Has Loved Us
Text: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
A. His Love Is A Redeeming Love, Full Of Forgiveness, Gracious And Undeserved
John 3:16 “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Eph. 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
Eph. 2:8,9 “By grace you are saved through faith, and that, not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
B. His Love For Us Is A Selfless Love, Laying Down All, Even Life Itself, For The Good and Benefit Of Others
Text: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”
John 10:17,18 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.”
C. He Loves Us In An Open And Revealing Relationship, As Friends
Text: “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
D. He Has Chosen Us In Love To Bring The Fruit Of His Love Into The World Through Us
Text: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”
E. And In Our Endeavor To Love, To Abide In His Love And In His Commands, He Promises – Ask, And It Shall Be Given
Text: “So that whatever you ask the Father in My Name, He may give it to you.”
And His command, His will is simply stated:
Text: “These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
Statement: God agrees: “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” So He loved the world, each and every one of us – in the gift of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has loved us – with the same love that the Father has for Him, laying down His life for us to take away our sin and guilt, and to bring us eternal life and salvation. And those who abide in His love, in His Word, in His will, also bear the fruit of loving one another! And with the increase of love there is an increase of joy; joy in God’s love, joy in loving others, and joy brought to others through our love. This is God’s will: “THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER.”
Application: So let us hear the Word of Jesus, and understand the nature of His love for us. And let us take heed to abide in His love. And that means abiding in the knowledge of His loving will for us – so that we have His joy within us, a fullness of joy. Then we also will love – which increases God’s joy and our joy and brings joy to others. We do so as friends of God – He has made us such and called us such! And we can and should pray for more of the fruit of love in our lives – and Jesus promises that God will give us what we need.
Conclusion: All of this is painful to our selfish, greedy, and proud sinful nature. And to love will surely bring more pain and suffering, trials and troubles to us, for we still live in a fallen and wicked world. But as we abide in love His joy will continue to grow within us – and overcome our sorrows and suffering!
It is a wonderful will that God still has for this world, for His world, and for each of us! May we abide in His love and “LOVE ONE ANOTHER.” Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting. Amen.