John 13:33-35

June 22, 2014

What is the defining characteristic of a true Christian? I mean, when you strip
away everything and have nothing but the bare essentials, what is it that proves a
person is really one of Gods children? Before we get into our study of John I want
to take you to Matthew to put something in your minds:

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate
thine enemy.
44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for
he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust.
46
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do
not even the publicans the same?
47
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye
more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Mt. 5:43-48).

Jesus explains in this passage that the difference between sinners and saints is
love. The difference is how they treat their enemies.

Now lets go over to John 13:33 and pick up where we left off last time. Jesus
knows His hour has come and He wants to prepare His disciples for His departure.
He wants to show them how they should act once Hes gone, so He washes their
feet like a common servant. He told them it was an example that they should
follow, and now he expounds a little further:

Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I
said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

The first thing I want you to notice is that He calls them little children. In another
place He says, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves (Mt. 10:16). Jesus knew that
once Hes crucified that all these men will suffer too. Theyre on the way to the
slaughterhouse, and theyre going to feel very helpless. They wont be able to
follow Him, so He gives them a new commandment:

34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another.

The old commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). In fact,
everything in the Law can be summed up by that one pithy statement. But this
new commandment is to love your brother more than yourself. As I have loved
you, He says. In chapter 15 (during this same conversation) Hell tell them that
theres no greater love than when a man lays down his life for his friends. The kind
of love Hes had for them is to wash their feet. Hes served them and Hell die for
them. He puts their needs ahead of His own, and this is the example He expects
them to follow!

This idea wasnt missed or forgotten by the other apostles:

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be
likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3
Let nothing
be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves.
4
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also
on the things of others.
5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7
But
made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:1-7).

Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2
And walk in love, as Christ also
hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
(Eph. 5:1-2).

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17
But whoso hath this worlds good,
and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from
him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18
My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth (I Jn. 3:16-18).

The example Jesus set means laying down your life and meeting the needs of your
brothers and sisters in deed and truth. How do we do that when our lives are not in
jeopardy? What does it mean to lay down your life when life isnt at stake? Think
about the verse in Philippians: dont do anything in strife or pride. When you look
around the room do you see anyone whos not quite as good as you? Is there
anyone you wouldnt serve? Jesus says that whatever we do or dont do to the very
least of the brethren we do or dont do to Him.

Is there someone here who particularly gets on your nerves? What does Jesus say?
Is it not to love even your enemies? If someone makes you walk a mile then walk
two. If someone strikes your left cheek then give them the right to go with it. This
is the kind of love that passes understanding, and its the kind that proves
something supernatural:

35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.

See, its not that doctrine isnt important, but lots of people have cold doctrine
without love. Its not that morality doesnt matter, but without love its nothing
more than do and dont. Love is the mark of a true Christian.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am
become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2
And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all
faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3
And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4
Charity suffereth long, and
is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5
Doth not
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no
evil;
6
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7
Beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8
Charity never faileth:
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they
shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9
For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part.
10
But when that which is perfect is come, then that
which is in part shall be done away.
11
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away
childish things.
12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13
And now abideth
faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (I Cor. 13:1-13).

Love is the foundation for everything. If were Gods elect its because He first
loved us. If were predestined, called, justified, and glorified its because He loves
us. He doesnt love us because were called; He calls us because were loved. The
hope that we have wont disappoint us because has poured out His love into our
hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). If Gods love is genuinely in us, then its going
to be evident as a fruit of the Spirit:

But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves
are taught of God to love one another (I Thess. 4:9).

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he
in God.
16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is
love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17
Herein is our
love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as
he is, so are we in this world.
18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out
fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19
We
love him, because he first loved us.
20
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can
he love God whom he hath not seen?
21
And this commandment have we from him,
That he who loveth God love his brother also (I Jn. 4:15-21).

Its impossible to be a child of God and not to love Gods children. He is love. Its
not just that He does love, but He is love. And if our lives are in Him, then were
going to act like Him. As He is, so are we in this world. And so, we love each
other because God has loved us. Anyone who says he loves God but doesnt love
his brother is a liar:

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one
another.
12
Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And
wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's
righteous.
13
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14
We know that we
have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth
not his brother abideth in death.
15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer:
and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (I Jn. 3:11-15).

Cain claimed to love God; he even gave an offering, but he was not of God because
he didnt love Abel. We know the truth about our salvation when we do or dont
love the brethren.

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