New command
John 13:18 – 15:17
Two sections of today’s reading are likely to remind you of specific worship services you have attended many times.
In 13:34, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another.”
That verse is typically used in the Maundy Thursday worship service each year. “Maundy” is from an old French word related to “command” or “mandate,” from which the service takes its name.
The second very familiar passage is Chapter 14. All or part of the chapter is frequently used in funerals.
While its use in funerals is appropriate—it is one of the clearest passages in which Jesus himself speaks of life after resurrection—I’d like to encourage you to read it without thinking of that particular context. Its original use was when Jesus spoke of his own death—don’t miss what it has to say about that because of the connections you have formed to the deaths of believers.
But the main thing I’m asking you to watch for in today’s reading is love, both when referred to directly and when it’s suggested without using the actual word.
See the love of God for Jesus and the love of Jesus for God. See the love of Jesus for his followers, and the love of the followers for both the Father and the Son.
Most of all, though, look at the emphasis on the importance of followers’ love for one another, even to the point of love being how they will be recognized by outsiders.
Do you show that kind of love for your fellow Christ-followers? Are you shown that kind of love by your fellow Christ-followers?
Could it be that the answer to that question gives more insight into how healthy a church is than questions about how many people attend on Sunday or have their names on the roll?