LOVING ONE ANOTHER

Text:John 13:34-35

John 13:31-35 (ASV)31 When therefore he was gone out, Jesus saith, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him; 32  and God shall glorify him in himself, and straightway shall he glorify him. 33 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 unto you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:31-35 (Montgomery)

31 So when he was gone, Jesus said. "Now has the Son of man been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and straightway will he glorify him. 33 My little children, I am only to be with you a little longer. You will seek me; just as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. 34 I give you a new commandment, Love one another! 35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another."

Consider then verse 31

“When he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified” -- These remarkable words plainly imply that up to this moment our Lord had spoken under a painful restraint. There is, for example, the presence of the traitor within His little circle which was preventing the free and full outpouring of His heart.Judas’ determined act to betray Him led Christ to say: “Now is my glory!”

Glory after these prospects

Prospect of being betrayed by a friend, Being arrested for a crime He has not committed,Being sold for 30 pieces of silver money, which price amounts only to the value of a full-grown pig, a little over P5,000, Being tried overnight in a trial that lasts just a few hours if not a few minutes,

Take these into consideration too…

Being tried by a bunch of men whose righteousness and moral sensibilities are open to question, Being sentenced with the maximum penalty of death by the very people He has created and given life,Being hung between two criminals, as if He too was a criminal, Prospect of dying as a result of that deed…

But think of these prospects in another vein…

Think of these as some kind of a closure to an unjust deed,Or being released from an agonizing situation,Or being victorious over struggles, Or achieving success after accomplishment of a mission, Or reaping the glory after having been trodden over by your oppressors.

“Now is the Son of Man glorified”

Jesus knows the prospect of the cross, but He rather dwells on the glory that it brings. Jesus speaks in the aorist tense when He says, “Now is the Son of Man glorified.”The aorist tense in Greek is often translated as past tense in English. But past action is not the only meaning of the aorist tense. It also means point action.

“Point action” explained

By point action, we mean the action wholly seen as a point, an action accomplished and done. For that reason the ASV translates it thusly: “Now IS the Son of man glorified.”Jesus thus speaks of the prospect of His dying as an accomplished glory. Jesus also says that as a result of His being glorified in an about-to-be-done crucifixion, the Father is also glorified in Him.

Like the ancient Polycarp?

Bound at the stake, surrounded by chunks of wood, on which drums of asphalt had been pouredA Roman soldier standing by, ready to throw in the torch that would start the fire burningYet in the midst of it all, you’d see Polycarp facing his death with joy.“Eighty and six years have I served Him. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”“Those fires would hasten my trip to heaven.”The prospect of dying and death is to them already a certainty of their reward!

Consider verse 32

“And if God was glorified in Him, God will also glorify him in Himself, and straightway (that is, immediately) shall he glorify him.” Let us remember that God did exalt Jesus while he hanged on the cross. “If I be lifted up, then shall I draw men unto myself,” says Jesus. There was darkness on earth when Jesus died. That miracle of darkness led some to exclaim: “This is indeed the Son of God!”

Consider verse 33

He is about to leave His disciples. He calls them “little children,” an expression of endearment as if they already are family to Him (verse 33).And since they are family, He gives them a commandment that becomes the rule that will guide them (verse 34).

OUTLINE OF THE SERMON

I. THE NOVELTY OF IT.“A new commandment I have given you” (v. 34a).II. THE SCOPE OF IT.“That you love one another” (v. 34b).III. THE COMPARISON OF IT.“As I have loved you” (v. 34c).

First, Love is indeed a new commandment.

“A new commandment I give unto you” (verse 34a).New, not because there was no command before which required them to love their fellowmen, because there was (see Leviticus 19:18).

It was new as far as the Jews were concerned.

Although they had that commandment in the OT, the Jews never loved the Gentiles, only his fellow Jews.Among his fellow Jews, he loved only those that he selected.Among those he selected, there were those he loved more and those he loved less.His external rites and cultural peculiarities hindered the Jew from truly loving his neighbor.

It was new as far as the Gentiles were concerned.

The Greeks had rationalized love and invented some distinctions which in English were still translated “love.”For romance and sexual feelings, they invented the word EROS.For closeness toward comrades and friends, they used the term PHILEO.If they loved their dogs and their cats and their things, they used the word STORGE.For the kind of feeling that motivated one to make sacrifices for the one he loved, the Greeks invented the word AGAPE.

It is a new commandment for those who are in Christ.

If they would be Christians, the Greeks would have to do away with their rationalization.If they would be followers of Jesus, the Jews would have to throw their arrogance and discriminatory feelings to the winds.If both races would unite as one body, one people, one kingdom, one church, one family in Christ, they would have to destroy the barriers that divide them.The Jews loving the Greeks and vice versa would be some kind of a new commandment to these people.

AGAPE in the New Testament

It is interesting to note that the Greek terms STORGE and EROS did not find any usage in the Bible. Do you know why?Both terms PHILEO and AGAPE are being used in John 21:15-17.

John 21:15-17

15 So when they had broken their fast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love [agape] me more than these?” He said to him, “Yea, Lord; you know that I love [phileo] you.” He said him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love [agape] me?” He said to him, “Yea, Lord; you know that I love [phileo] you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep.

Second, The scope of love is from one to another.

“That you love one another” (verse 34b).Does the phrase “one another,” “each other” have limits? Does it refer only to members of the church?I am inclined to believe that love here is both extended and limited. Let me explain.

The limits of AGAPE

“Love one another” is limited only to people.It does not include living beings and things other than people.It does not include cats and dogs. There is a church that baptizes cats and dogs and reserves special seats for them in worship, but making these animals “Christians” is the height of stupidity! Reminder: The Greek the word for “one another” in the NT has never been applied to objects but only to people.

But AGAPE too has no limits!

While it is limited only to people, it is not limited to people of one kind.It is not limited to color of the skin, whether white or black or brown or yellow; It is not limited to the size of the nose, whether aquiline or hawk;

AGAPE has no limits or boundaries

It is not limited to educational attainments, whether graduates or drop-outs; It is not limited to the IQ, whether genius, average or moron; It is not limited to the possession of wealth or non-possession of it, whether rich or poor. It is not limited to religion, or sect, or gender preferences.

Lastly, The comparison, the model and the spirit of the command to love is the love of Christ himself.

“As I have loved you” (verse 34c).In everything in the church, Jesus the Head is always the role model and form to copy from.Christians are to love as Jesus loves all men.Jesus loved all men enough he created this world for them.He loved all men enough he died for them.

What are Christians to be known for?

Christians are not to be known by distinctions of wealth, or learning, or fame; They are not to aspire to earthly honors, or love the best seats; They are not to adopt any peculiar style of dress or badge, but they are to be distinguished by tender and constant attachment to each other;

What Christians are to be known for?

They are to surmount all distinction of country, of color, of rank, of office, of sect.They are to feel that they are on the same level, that they have common wants, are redeemed by the same sacred blood, and are going to the same heaven. They are to befriend each other in trials; be careful of each other's feelings and reputation; and deny themselves some comforts and privileges to promote each other's welfare.

What Christians are to be known for?

They are to refrain from jokes or comments that could offend the sensibilities of other people; and if they have offended some, they must be ready to apologize.They must not allow differences of opinion or taste or likes or preferences to build walls between them; and if they had some disagreements, they must allow the Lord to become their Arbiter, and the Lord shall settle whatever differences there are on the day of judgment.

What Christians are to be known for?

Christians are second-milers; they are willing to walk the second mile.They are “other-cheekers” because they allow themselves to be slapped on the other cheek.In these times when many are looking for advantages, Christians allow themselves to be taken advantage of.In these times when brethren defraud each other, Christians allow themselves to be defrauded.

What Christians are to be known for?

They don’t settle the scores but let God take a hand in doing so. Their wives or their husbands leave them but they don’t buy guns to even the score, or hail these spouses to court in order to get alimonies.If you still don’t get it, we are a group that has lost many chapels and much land and more Bible colleges and much funds and more people to the digressive and the progressive among us.It does not mean we cannot change for the better; it only means we will not change because our state as-is is already better.

What Christians are to be known for?

The Christian discusses differences with other sects only to win those people to Christ, not to win points for Christ.Like Paul, he becomes all things to all men in order to win some.He may eat with a prostitute but not sleep with her, as a way of helping her overcome her struggles with sin.He will spend time talking to a lunatic if only to show to the world that he loves everyone.He is a loving model to a little boy or a little girl if only to start that little soul on the road to greatness. He remembers what Jesus says, that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such little ones.

Are you saying this is an impossible thing to do?

Love is a commandment (John 13:34a). If we love Jesus, we have to keep His commandments (John 14:15).If you have faith, it is not impossible to think that we can love all.We have to love the people who are unloved, the people who are unlovable, and the ones who have an unloving characteristic.If we cannot fulfill this command now, I don’t think we can fulfill it tomorrow, for it might be too late.

Do it now

If you love a soul, express that love now.Giving flowers to the living is better than offering a wreath to the dead. They may not smell it.Give something to the hungry and the thirsty and the unclothed before you regret not having done anything.Give of what little you have now, and don’t wait for yourself to become rich because you might not. The Bible says do good as you have the opportunity (Galatians 6:10). Opportunities, by the way, don’t have any schedules.Jesus says we must serve Him, and we serve Him by serving our fellowmen.

FINIS

Glad to be imparting this message to you all. God be with you.