The Lutheran Hour
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"What Is Love?"
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Text: John 15:9-17
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Our text for this meditation is from the Gospel of St. John, the 15th chapter. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love” (John 15:9).
“If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than he lay down his life for his friends.
“You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. This is My command: Love each other” (John 15:10-17).
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto each one of you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who is the Christ. Amen.
Will you bow your head with me for a word of prayer…
Jesus lives! For me He died. Hence will I, to Jesus living, Pure in heart and act abide, Praise to Him and glory giving All I need, God will dispense; this shall be my confidence. Jesus lives! And I am sure. Neither life nor death shall sever me from Him. I shall endure in His love through death forever.
God will be my sure defense; this shall be my confidence. Amen.
Dear friends, in the movie “Arthur,” a filthy rich young man who had never in his life had to care for anyone, suddenly falls in love. It is a feeling he cannot describe. In order to determine if it is the real thing, he asks a total stranger, “How can you tell if you’re in love? Does it make you feel funny? Does it make you whistle all the time?” The stranger, unimpressed by the joy of new love, tells him, “You could be in love. Then again, you could also be getting sick.”
Arthur’s dilemma of not knowing what love feels like is unfortunately typical. In fact, the problem is even worse than that. Not only do we not know what love feels like, but it is difficult for us to even know what love is. The word itself covers such a broad range of emotions – that it is of no help at all getting to know what love is. We say. ” I love pizza,” “I love my children,” “I love this game.”
Scripture tells us that “God is love” and that “We love because He first loved us”
(1 John 8:19). From God we learn what love is by experiencing the gift of His Son Jesus Christ. The more we know about how God loves, the more we will know what love is and the more we will be able to love.
Jesus spoke the words of our text to His apostles on Maundy Thursday evening in the upper room. They are part of His farewell speech. As Jesus addressed His disciples for the last time before His death, He gave them a source for the assurance and comfort they would need as they witnessed His arrest, conviction and execution. They would also need this assurance as they carried out the great commission.
As our text begins, Jesus reminds His disciples and us of His love, “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” This love is an “agape” love- the highest type of love, a love that is sure and true. In the Greek language, there are three words which speak of love. The first is “philia” – the love of friendship where we get the name for the city of Philadelphia, Penn., the city of brotherly love. The second is “eros” – sensual love. The third is the one John uses by inspiration in our text: “agape” – God’s love for mankind. Jesus wanted His disciples and us to know and to enjoy His love. What a blessing it is to know this love, no matter what we’re experiencing as we travel through life, we have the assurance that Jesus is dealing with us through love.
Our Lord continues, “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Obedience to Jesus’ commands is a fruit of faith. As the disciples exercised their faith in Jesus, they would remain in His love. Our Lord’s perfect obedience to His heavenly Father should serve as an encouraging example for His people today.
Jesus goes on to tell His disciples and us the reason he wants us to obey His commands and remain in His love. Many people today when they think of God obey Him through fear. Yet, as His children, we should obey from love. Because of our Lord’s great love for us, He asks us to obey His commands so that we may remain in His love and our joy may be complete.
The world in which we live tries to find joy in the pursuit of sinful pleasures- at the bottom of a bottle, at the end of a needle, or the accumulation of great wealth and possessions. As Christians, we struggle with these temptations and many more. Yet, our joy is found in humble service to a loving Savior. We are reminded here of the great price that Jesus paid for us to live in His love – our sins should have brought upon each of us destruction and death. But because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; His taking upon Himself flesh and blood, being born into our sinful world, His living the perfect life that God commanded us to live, His enduring the temptations of the devil, the persecution, the beatings, the whippings and finally, death by crucifixion, because of this sacrifice we have forgiveness, life and salvation given to us. Jesus has given every human being the opportunity to live in His love and find true joy.
Sadly, in our world people live under the misguided notion that obedience means we can’t do what we want. Think back to when you were a teenager. Was there ever a time you asked your mom and dad if you could go out with your friends and they said no? You probably didn’t think that was very loving. Did you ever ask your parents for the car and they said no? You probably did not think that was very loving, either. Did you ever ask your parents to go to a party or spend the night with a friend, and their answer was no? How did you take it? Did you enjoy it? Did it make you angry? What was your response? “You’re trying to ruin my life.” “You never let me have any fun.” “You don’t remember what it’s like to be my age.” “You are the meanest parents ever.” “I hate you.” Sadly, many today respond to God’s commands like teenagers respond to their parents.
We have forgotten, or maybe we have never heard, that God is love. His commands are there to protect us, not to hinder us. Obedience is not a burden, but a blessing. We grow to discover that through obedience our relationship with Him grows stronger, as do our earthly relationships. We begin to realize joy- true joy through our relationship with God. So He commands us in verse 12: “Love each other as I have loved you.” You see, God wants us to have joy not only in our relationship with Him, but also with our spouse, children, friends, and neighbors. You see, love is not a quality that God has but rather the all-embracing totality of what He is.
Jesus goes on, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command.” The supreme sacrifice a person can make for his friends is to lay down his life for them.
A Greek story tells of the devotion and loyalty of Damon and Pythias. Dionysius had condemned Pythias to death. Pythias begged and pleaded to be set free for a short time so that he might arrange his affairs. Damon pledged his life for the return of his friend. And Pythias faithfully returned before the appointed hour of execution, just as he had promised. Dionysius was amazed at the devotion and loyalty of these two and begged to be included in their friendship. They were good men, and each was ready to die for the other. However, Jesus not only laid down His physical life, He also suffered the torments of hell, separation from His heavenly Father to pay for your sins and mine. Through this sacrifice, Jesus has called us His friends.
Verse 14 now describes who Jesus’ friends are. “You are My friends if you do what I command.” Jesus’ friends are those who believe He laid down His life to pay for their sins. They show their faith by obeying His commands. Only the believer, the one whose faith accepts Jesus’ love, can do what Jesus commands-namely to love others. John explains it like this in his first epistle: “We love because He first loved us.” Our love is simply a response to the great love that God has first shown us in His Son.
Jesus further describes His friends by showing the privileges they enjoy. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus is stating a general truth. Servants are simply doers. They do not know what their masters are trying to accomplish. Friends, on the other hand, are in the know.
Jesus’ apostles were not servants. They were friends. They were friends because Jesus had revealed to them the words of His heavenly Father, the Gospel message of salvation and they, in faith, had accepted it.
All people need and want friends. What a blessing it is for us who have faith in Jesus; we now have Him as our friend. He is the one friend who is always there when we need Him. He is the one friend who completely knows and understands us. He is the one friend who never fails to give us the right advice through His word. He is the one friend who will receive us into His heavenly home.
Friendships usually develop mutually. Friends choose one another. Jesus points out this is not the case when it comes to Him and His friends: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.” In grace, Jesus chose the apostles to be His friends. He chose them for a definite purpose-to go out and be fruitful ambassadors for Him.
So it is with all believers. By nature we were spiritually dead, blind and enemies of God. We had neither the desire nor the ability to come to faith in Jesus and become His friends. But Jesus, in grace, chose us and brought us to faith through His word. Like the apostles, all believers are chosen for a definite purpose. Jesus chooses His believers to live fruitful Christian lives for Him. What meaning and what challenge that purpose puts into our lives. We too, like the apostles, are called upon to continue the work of our Lord.
One day a meat packer was asked, “What is your business?” He answered, “I am a Christian.” Rather puzzled and perplexed over the answer, the inquirer continued, “Sir, you evidently did not understand me. I mean what is your daily business in life?” “My daily business in life is to be a Christian. I pack meat to pay the expenses.” How many of us think this way? Our purpose in life is not our job, but simply to be a Christian-a friend of Jesus Christ, loving others as He has first loved us.
The last part of our text can be easily misunderstood. “Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.” One of the results of the apostles being chosen by Jesus as his friends was that they could pray to their heavenly Father in His name. This was an important and valuable blessing as they carried out their Savior’s purpose in choosing them.
Prayer is one of every believer’s great blessings. In time of need or difficulty, we can turn to our heavenly Father. Since we pray in Jesus’ name, that is, trusting in Jesus as our Savior and desiring our heavenly Father’s will be done, we always receive an answer to our prayers.
What is love? Many have tried to answer this question. Many think they have found it. Many more desire it. But what is love-something God commands? Something God is? Something we should be! This is all possible through Jesus Christ! Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for May 25, 2003
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer here once again with Pastor Ken Klaus. We’re continuing with some questions our listeners had concerning personal Bible study. First, “Are there any computer resources that can help me study the Bible at home?”
KLAUS: There are a multitude of resources. When I was at the seminary, one of our great objectives was to build up our libraries. We spent a small fortune doing it; couldn’t afford it. Now, it is possible to have an entire library right in your computer.
ANNOUNCER: Anything we should know about those programs?
KLAUS: Yes. Price is one. You can download some simple programs from the World Wide Web for free. Others cost a small fortune. If a listener wanted a computer program, I would talk to a trusted, computer-literate pastor and ask his advice. A solid Bible bookstore can also be of great help.
ANNOUNCER: You could also visit the Web site of Concordia Publishing House at www.cph.org. Here’s another question. Is it better to study the Bible with a group or alone?
KLAUS: Each type of study has advantages and disadvantages. Study alone and you can go at your own pace and meditate on God’s Word. Study with others and you can make some compromises on pace, but you gain other people’s insights and input.
ANNOUNCER: How can a group stay “on track” or avoid falling into what some have called “pooled ignorance?”
KLAUS: The answer to the first question is you have to decide the purpose of the group. Personally, I like a Bible study that gets off track a little bit. When a group studies Scripture one question can lead to another. Those questions may need to be answered. How to avoid “pooled ignorance?” Every class, sooner or later, will run into a situation where the answers just don’t seem to be there. At that point, a trusted, wise, and scripturally solid mentor can be consulted to help with the unraveling.
ANNOUNCER: What do I need to know about the Bible before I can properly study or understand it?
KLAUS: My answer is a quote from Matthew 18: “And (Jesus) said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” What do you need to know about the Bible? What will help you comprehend? You need to know that you are a little child and God is a loving Father. He will do things you don’t understand, but that’s because you’re a little child, and He’s the loving Father.
ANNOUNCER: Which part of the Bible should I read first?
KLAUS: Most people think they should start at the beginning.
ANNOUNCER: That seems logical.
KLAUS: But not necessarily a great idea.
ANNOUNCER: Why is that?
KLAUS: Well, you start out with the creation story. That’s great but soon you hit the “begats.”
ANNOUNCER: The “begats?”
KLAUS: Yes, the genealogies, explaining who was the father of whom. It’s like reading the telephone book. Now, God put that important information there for a reason. But it can stop a first-time reader cold.
ANNOUNCER: Where would you start?
KLAUS: Personally, Mark, I would start with one of the Gospels. Most would recommend the Gospel of John. It’s beautiful. It’s deep. It’s unique. My personal favorite is the Gospel of Luke. It’s easier and was written by a man with a western sort of mind.
ANNOUNCER: Why study the Bible? What should I expect to find there? Or rather, who should I expect to find there?
KLAUS: The question about why we should read the Bible, the Lord Himself answered. “These are the Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39). Proper Bible study is more than reading stories and memorizing facts. There are a lot of people who “know” the facts of the Bible, yet remain ignorant of salvation. In His Scripture, God is trying to reach more than your brain. He’s trying to touch your soul.
ANNOUNCER: Is it OK to study the Bible with someone of another religion?
KLAUS: I guess I would say don’t do it unless you’re a mature, skilled Christian. Wait until you have the ability to make the right decisions and are sure of your faith. If you undertake such a study to show a misguided person God’s truth, you first have to know the truth. If you’re unsure of your faith, you could easily end up joining them in their error.
ANNOUNCER: Is personal Bible reading a substitute for participation in church and worship?
KLAUS: No. Reading is not worship. Reading is not outreach. Reading does nothing to strengthen those around you. Reading is wonderful, but it shouldn’t stop with an intellectual exercise. Once you see the wonders of God’s love and what He has done for you in Jesus, you need to share it, and worship is one of those ways that sharing can be done.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. With that, we come to the end of our broadcast for another week. The Lutheran Hour message for next week is titled, “Seek the Lord.”