Three Words, One Command

September 13, 2016

Three Words, One Command

This is my command: Love each other.

John  15:17

This morning, as I read, John 15: 9-17, three words caught my attention: love, friend and joy.

Over and over again, Jesus affirms his love for his disciples. Over and over, he affirms his command for his disciples to love others in the very same way he loves them. I believe it is his love that makes it possible for us to produce fruit; it is his love that raises us up in friendship; it is his love that fills our lives with joy.  This word love gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that I actually live my life in the truth of Jesus’ love for me.

Jesus’ words, “Now you are my friends” (John 15:15) inspired the praise song, I Am A Friend of God, with its simple, yet profound, chorus: “I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God. I am a friend of God, he calls me friend.” This word friend gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that I have more than head knowledge about Jesus. Do I actually live my life in the reality of a relationship with Jesus? If so, is that relationship more like boss and employee or servant; or do I hear him call me friend? (Israel Houghton, I Am A Friend of God)

Jesus said he wants me to be filled with his joy. Six times in his Farewell Discourse Jesus speaks of joy. In Psalm 23, King David said that his cup overflowed with the goodness of God; in John 15:11b, Jesus says to his disciples, “Yes, your joy will overflow.”  This word joy gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that Jesus’ joy overflows in my life.

Often I hear Christians express confusion over Jesus’ promise that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using his name. The last two verses in today’s passage provide the context for Jesus’ promise: “I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:16b-17). When our focus is on producing lasting fruit for God’s Kingdom and loving each other, when our asking is aligned with God’s will, Jesus’ promise becomes crystal clear.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.