As I Have Loved You

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.

John 13 · chapter mention

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.

No.

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

1 John 4 · chapter mention

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

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 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.

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.