Love One Another

 

During the week of Easter my husband and I sat down with our girls and read through the Scriptures and we talked as we read. We read that week in the book of John. On Maundy Thursday we read through Jesus’s command to the disciples before He would go to the cross.

He would not share these words until after Judas had left.

These words were for His disciples… the few, the true, the real deals.

These words Jesus share with them after He had the last supper with all of them, including Judas. Yes, Judas was there to hear the gospel. He heard as much as everyone else. He heard this bread is My body broken for you… yes Judas, you. He heard this wine, is My blood, the blood of the New Covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins, yes Judas, your sin. Everyone heard this final deliverance of the gospel and everyone had their feet washed by the Servant King. Everyone.

Then Judas leaves the gathering…

 

  Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, 

“Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;

 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself,

and will glorify Him immediately. 

Little children, I am with you a little while longer. 

You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you,

‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 

A new commandment I give to you, 

that you love one another, 

even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

By this all men will know that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.” 

John 13:31-35

After Judas had gone out Jesus turned to the faithful few and He gave this command.

The others had no clue that it would be Judas who would betray their Teacher.

He had walked with them, He had went out and been a part of casting out demons and healing the sick and raising the dead. He was there at the Passover meal with them. He had heard the same teachings. He had heard the gospel. He was one of them… right?

No.

Jesus turns to the faithful few and He says,

“…By this all men will know that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.” 

Jesus doesn’t say you will know who belongs to me because they will be able to speak in tongues.

He doesn’t say you will know who belongs to Me because they can pick up serpents and not be harmed.

He doesn’t say all will know you are mine because you can cast out demons and raise the dead and heal the sick.

If all you know are a bunch of tricks then you are just Simon the magician (Acts 8:9-24) riding on the name of Someone you really don’t know…

He says they will know that you are Mine because you have love for one another. Love in this passage is agapao. It means to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.

The disciples were about to go through a test. Their Teacher would be betrayed by one they thought was one of them. He would be arrested and they would scatter. He would be interrogated and none of them would speak up in His defense as a matter of fact they would deny they even knew Him. He would be handed over to be falsely condemned and He would die a sinners death on a bloody wooden cross and they would do is watch it unfold overwhelmed with a feelinging of absolute helplessness.

When they watched Him breathe His last. When they knew He was laid in the tomb. When they came together again in the room, hiding behind locked doors… would they bash, accuse, argue, fight with one another because one ran, one denied, one watched, all stayed silent… or would they welcome one another into the comfort of each others mutual falleness and weep with those who weep… would they love one another.

By this they would know who were His disciples.

Judas did not come to the group… he went out from them… because he was never really of them. He went out and he hung himself over the guilt that he chose to carry. He chose eternal guilt and condemnation rather than humbling himself and confessing his sin and finding freedom and forgiveness and love. He chose to be alone instead of experiencing communion.

Christ offered communion.

The disciples of Christ offer communion.

Communion… Come and union… love being the tie that binds us all together.

Christ commands communion.

A new commandment I give to you, 

that you love one another, 

even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

By this all men will know that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.

 

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