Joh 15:12 | KingComments | STEP | With the commandment to love one another, the Lord returns to what He said earlier ( ). Love must permeate all relationships between the members of God’s family. The disciples must love one another with a love that is beyond all the weaknesses of the other. The Lord turns the spotlight on this commandment as “My commandment” because it is the summary of all other commandments. It is not the moral obligation to love one’s fellow man, but the reciprocal love of Christians, the standard of which is His love for them. We see this in the newly converted Thessalonians ( ). The commandment of love is the commandment of the Divine nature of which we have become partakers ( ) and through which everything may be done. It is a commandment for the believer, because in his heart the love of God is poured out. To such nature, which can do nothing but love, the Lord Jesus says that he must love. It is like saying to a fish: ‘You must swim.’ It cannot and will not do otherwise; when it swims, it is in its element. For our love for one another the love of the Lord Jesus is the norm. He has proven His love by laying down His life for us. He did this because He considers us His friends. We could say that giving up one’s life for enemies is an even greater proof of love, but that is not what this is about. The Lord calls His disciples His friends. Is there any greater proof of His love for those who are His friends than that He is laying down His life for them? We, too, can provide no greater proof of our love for our friends, our brothers and sisters, than that we give our lives for them. We also ought to do this ( ). However, what is the value of this theory if in daily life we close our hearts to the needs and concerns of God’s children? In his first letter John points to the practical expression of this love ( ). Christ does this by emphasizing obedience to Him. Love for Christ and obedience to Him always go hand in hand. He calls us His friends, but that does not mean that we should treat Him as a buddy. We have to be aware that we are His disciples and that He is our Lord. Incessantly the relationship between privilege and responsibility is presented to us. The Lord addresses His disciples here as privileged people whom He wants to tell what He is going to do. A master does not explain his plans to a slave, but to a friend. A slave must simply obey without asking for an explanation. His master owes him no accountability for any task whatsoever. In His friendship the Lord Jesus emphasizes that He calls us friends by giving us the reason why. We see that in His friendship He goes much further than just calling us to obedience. Friend means lover. He speaks to His disciples in their love for the Father, a love He also has. The hallmark of true friendship is that you can tell each other everything. A good friend has no secrets. Christ therefore introduces us into the depths of His heart. With a friend you share the most intimate thoughts, just as God does not hide from Abraham what He is going to do, and Abraham is called a friend or a lover of God ( ; ; ; ). This is what Christ does here in relation to His disciples and even on a higher level. As His friends, He has revealed to His disciples everything He has heard from His Father. What the Father has entrusted to Him, He has passed on to them as His friends. This is a special proof of friendship. And to think that they did not choose Him to be His friends, but He chose them. It is a great privilege that we have been chosen. It is also a great responsibility that we are set to bear fruit. In order to enjoy the privilege and fulfill the responsibility, the heart is directed from the privilege and the blessing to Him Who blesses. We may ask Him for anything that will lead to lasting fruit. It all originates from Him. Here, praying in the Name of the Lord Jesus is the praying of a heart that is made one with the Son and that prays in line with the Father’s eternal counsels. Such prayer will definitely be answered. The Lord concludes this part, which in began with the commandment of loving one another, by again bringing up this commandment of loving one another in . Love for one another is the new and repeated commandment of Christ for His own ( ). To love is the revelation of the Divine nature, as perfectly visible in Christ through the service of the Holy Spirit. It is the atmosphere in which the fruit can grow and blossom to the honor of the Father.

‏ John 15:12

The Commandment to Love One Another

With the commandment to love one another, the Lord returns to what He said earlier (Jn 13:34). Love must permeate all relationships between the members of God’s family. The disciples must love one another with a love that is beyond all the weaknesses of the other. The Lord turns the spotlight on this commandment as “My commandment” because it is the summary of all other commandments. It is not the moral obligation to love one’s fellow man, but the reciprocal love of Christians, the standard of which is His love for them. We see this in the newly converted Thessalonians (1Thes 4:9).

The commandment of love is the commandment of the Divine nature of which we have become partakers (2Pet 1:4) and through which everything may be done. It is a commandment for the believer, because in his heart the love of God is poured out. To such nature, which can do nothing but love, the Lord Jesus says that he must love. It is like saying to a fish: ‘You must swim.’ It cannot and will not do otherwise; when it swims, it is in its element.

For our love for one another the love of the Lord Jesus is the norm. He has proven His love by laying down His life for us. He did this because He considers us His friends. We could say that giving up one’s life for enemies is an even greater proof of love, but that is not what this is about. The Lord calls His disciples His friends. Is there any greater proof of His love for those who are His friends than that He is laying down His life for them?

We, too, can provide no greater proof of our love for our friends, our brothers and sisters, than that we give our lives for them. We also ought to do this (1Jn 3:16). However, what is the value of this theory if in daily life we close our hearts to the needs and concerns of God’s children? In his first letter John points to the practical expression of this love (1Jn 3:17). Christ does this by emphasizing obedience to Him. Love for Christ and obedience to Him always go hand in hand.

He calls us His friends, but that does not mean that we should treat Him as a buddy. We have to be aware that we are His disciples and that He is our Lord. Incessantly the relationship between privilege and responsibility is presented to us.

The Lord addresses His disciples here as privileged people whom He wants to tell what He is going to do. A master does not explain his plans to a slave, but to a friend. A slave must simply obey without asking for an explanation. His master owes him no accountability for any task whatsoever. In His friendship the Lord Jesus emphasizes that He calls us friends by giving us the reason why. We see that in His friendship He goes much further than just calling us to obedience. Friend means lover. He speaks to His disciples in their love for the Father, a love He also has.

The hallmark of true friendship is that you can tell each other everything. A good friend has no secrets. Christ therefore introduces us into the depths of His heart. With a friend you share the most intimate thoughts, just as God does not hide from Abraham what He is going to do, and Abraham is called a friend or a lover of God (Gen 18:17-19; 2Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; Jam 2:23). This is what Christ does here in relation to His disciples and even on a higher level.

As His friends, He has revealed to His disciples everything He has heard from His Father. What the Father has entrusted to Him, He has passed on to them as His friends. This is a special proof of friendship. And to think that they did not choose Him to be His friends, but He chose them. It is a great privilege that we have been chosen. It is also a great responsibility that we are set to bear fruit.

In order to enjoy the privilege and fulfill the responsibility, the heart is directed from the privilege and the blessing to Him Who blesses. We may ask Him for anything that will lead to lasting fruit. It all originates from Him. Here, praying in the Name of the Lord Jesus is the praying of a heart that is made one with the Son and that prays in line with the Father’s eternal counsels. Such prayer will definitely be answered.

The Lord concludes this part, which in Jn 15:12 began with the commandment of loving one another, by again bringing up this commandment of loving one another in Jn 15:17. Love for one another is the new and repeated commandment of Christ for His own (Jn 13:34). To love is the revelation of the Divine nature, as perfectly visible in Christ through the service of the Holy Spirit. It is the atmosphere in which the fruit can grow and blossom to the honor of the Father.