Love and Obedience

Introduction

How do you say goodbye when your heart is full? How do you say goodbye when the person who is leaving must leave? There are any number of times that we say goodbye to people when we don’t want them to leave—sons and daughters going off to college, military personnel going off to serve, the death of a loved one, a close friend moving away, or children getting married and moving away.

We have all had to say goodbye at some point. It’s never easy. It’s rarely wanted. Emotions well up within us and we know that time will allow the hurt to be eased, but it never fully goes away. Can you imagine what it must have been like for the disciples who have heard Jesus say he is going away? Can you imagine the confusion, hurt, and grief that is already welling up within them? Can you imagine how much they don’t want him to leave?

Our text today is one that speaks of assurance and benefit even as it speaks of what is inevitably to come—Jesus is going away. There is no doubt who is in charge of this situation. There is no doubt about what message Jesus is trying to convey: his leaving will be good for the disciples. How can that be? How can leaving benefit when there is pain and grief? We are from time to time confronted with a reality that causes us to rethink and refocus. Such is the case today. Jesus’ leaving was a good thing. Rediscover God’s plan for you and what he desires for you.

Encouraging Words

We are looking at the final words of Jesus before his crucifixion. We have noticed that his emphasizes the need for love. He wants his disciples to love in the same way that he has loved them. Such a display of costly love will reveal that they belong to him. He then reassures them that his going away will be temporary. That a day is coming when he will return to claim them so that they can be with him forever. In our section, he challenges them to think about their relationship with him. Is it genuine? Is it real?

Four disciples speak in chapters 13 and 14: Peter, Thomas, Philip, and Judas son of James, also known as Thaddeus. All four confirm what Jesus has known—they do not understand what is happening and what is expected of them. But Jesus wants to keep these final words clear and precise. What does he expect from his disciples? Obedience. “Keep my commands,” he says. Certainly the command to love is included but not just that one command—all that he has said. By keeping his commands they will demonstrate that their relationship with Jesus is real.

As long as Jesus was around, the disciples were able to remain close to him. Jesus often bailed them out of difficult situations. He taught them; he took on confrontations head on. There were times when he got frustrated with them (remember the event after the Mount of Transfiguration story), but he was their guide, mentor, friend, and Lord. He is going away. He calls them to obedience. Demonstrate your love through obedience.

When I was a kid, doing what my parents wanted me to do was easy when they were around. Under their watchful (back of the head) eyes, I behaved. The real mark of my relationship with them was how I acted outside their eyes. Who I truly was became evident when I went out without them. In the same way, Jesus says to his disciples, I am leaving. When I am gone, what you think about our relationship will be demonstrated by your actions. Was the past three years real or were you just pretending?

The genuineness of our love for Jesus is revealed by our actions. “Oh, how I love Jesus” we sing and then we mistreat our family; curse; act arrogantly with the store clerk; think about ourselves rather than others. If someone was to observe your life, would they be convinced by your conduct that you loved Jesus? Jesus is clear—how we live speaks volumes about our relationship with him. Who do you love—Jesus or the world? What does your life say about Jesus—he is most important or a Sunday only Savior? If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Help

Even as Jesus calls us to demonstrate our love by how we live, he promises that we are not left to our own strength to fulfill his desire. In verse 16, he promises another Comforter, the Holy Spirit, will come and help us. The word for comforter means advocate but carries the idea of encourager. The Holy Spirit takes Jesus’ place as encourager to us. So closely aligned is Jesus and the Holy Spirit that Jesus uses the word “another” to describe their relationship. The Spirit becomes the presence of Jesus in our lives. So close is their relationship that in verse 18, Jesus promises that he will not leave the disciples as orphans. When the Spirit came it was the presence of Jesus in spirit form rather than physically.

In the same way, we too upon our confession of faith and the expression of that faith in baptism receive the Spirit of Christ. In Romans 8:9-11, Paul expands on this concept by reminding us that the Spirit of Christ must live in us in order for us to be children of God. If you have not been baptized then you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you and if the Spirit of Christ is not in you then you do not belong to Christ. The Spirit’s presence means that we are encouraged to live for Jesus. The Spirit’s presence means that we are given strength to keep Jesus’ commands so that our love is seen.

Look at verse 31. Just as Jesus had to demonstrate to the world that he loved the Father, so must we demonstrate our love for Jesus. For Jesus to disobey the Father would have left his love in question. Who do you love? Is your life demonstrating your love for Jesus? Do you have the Spirit in your life?

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