Love One Another As I Have Loved You

John 13:18-20 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ ¹⁹ “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. ****²⁰ Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

Jesus knows everything about the ones He chose. Jesus didn’t tell His disciples that one of them would betray Him because He just learned about it. He knew it all along. Jesus tells them this so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.

Psalm 41:9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

Vs20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

Jesus reminded all His disciples — the faithful ones and Judas — that His work was not finished. The work of Jesus would continue and that it would continue through them. Jesus also wanted Judas to know that rejecting Him meant he was rejecting the God who sent Him.

 John 13:21-25 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” ²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” ²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

Even though Jesus had chosen Judas, and knew that Judas was going to betray Him, knew scripture had to be fulfilled, Judas’ betrayal of Jesus troubled Him in Spirit.

John 13:26-27 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

In those days, the dipping of the bread and handing it to someone was a gesture of friendship. I’m giving you one last chance.

But Judas took the bread, Satan entered him and his fate was sealed, So, Jesus tells Judas: “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

There is no biblical record of Judas ever addressing Jesus as “Lord.” For Judas, Jesus was never his Lord; Satan was.

John 13:28-30 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

At this point none of the other disciples understood. If they had known (especially Peter) they would have stopped Judas. They believed Judas had business to do.

 John 13:31-32 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

Jesus makes five references to glory in two verses. Why? Because when the world looked at the cross, they could only see, humiliation, suffering, disgrace and cursed. But when Jesus looked to the cross, He knew what He would accomplish there. He knew that not only would He be glorified, but that the Father would be glorified in Him through His sacrifice.

Justified, Sanctified, Glorified  Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

“GLORIFICATION” is God’s final removal of sin from the life of His children in the eternal state. How and when will we be finally glorified? At the last trumpet, when Jesus comes, the children of God will undergo a fundamental, instant transformation 1 Cor 15 (“we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” then the “perishable” will put on the “imperishable”.

John 13:33-35 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. ³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I believe in the heart of every true believer, there is a desire to understand and emulate the love of God. (that is the work of the Holy Spirit within us)

God’s love is absolute, unconditional, sacrificial, and eternal.           It’s a love that doesn’t change over time, it’s not based on feelings, our performance, or our worthiness. It’s not a love that is earned or deserved, but freely given.

It’s a love that is not based on our goodness, but on His.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love (agape) for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This kind of love (God’s love-Agape) is not based on feelings or emotions, but on a decision to seek the best for others, regardless of the cost to ourselves.

Jesus is not asking us to love one another; He’s commanding it. It’s not a suggestion or a recommendation, but a mandate from the Son of God Himself.

It’s a call/command that requires us to love others not based on who they are or what they’ve done but based on who we are in Christ.

How can we love others in the way that Jesus has loved us? That’s the million-dollar question, and one the bible gives us an answer.

FIRST: We need to understand that love, in the biblical sense, is not merely an emotion or a feeling. It’s an action. It’s a choice. It’s a commitment.

In 1 Corinthians 13, often referred to as the “Love Chapter,” the Apostle Paul provides a detailed description of what God’s love looks like in action.                              1 Corinthians 13:1-8 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ****³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. ****⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails.

But pastor, does that mean I have to love those that hate me and are my enemies?

Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven.  

Matthew 5:46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

 John 13:36-38 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” ³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” ³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Peter (and the other disciples) clearly don’t understand Jesus’s sacrificial mission of the cross. Peter thinks that Jesus was going on a trip/journey without them.

Was Peter sincere, was his commitment real that he could lay down his life for Jesus. (High Priest Servant)

But I also believe Peters statement was based on emotion. Because in the soon-to-come crisis he will deny even knowing Jesus and his emotions would fail him.

I will lay down my life for you. “Will you really Peter? Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! Jesus was showing Peter that He knew him better than he knew himself and that He knew all the weakness lurking in his heart.

 Later on, after the resurrection we see a different Peter when his walk is no longer built on emotion, but on the finished work of Jesus on the cross and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter would indeed die for Jesus, but Jesus knew Peter needed to learn first how to live for Him, before he could really die for him.

If were not living for Jesus, chances are we wouldn’t die for Jesus.