by Randy Eliason
1. SCRIPTURE
SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTS:
Vs 21 “After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Vs 31-32 “When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.”
Vs 34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
2. OBSERVATIONS :
Jesus saw his impending crucifixion as integral to his glorification (See Day #31 SOAP).
Jesus described his commandment to love one another as a “new commandment”. The command to love one another was certainly not new. The command to love your neighbor as yourself was a fundamental command in Judaism. Jesus’ command was “new” in that it called his disciples to love another “as Jesus had loved them”. The new commandment is a call to love the way Jesus loved.
3. APPLICATION:
What does this passage tell me about Jesus?
Jesus was not immune to the pain of rejection and betrayal. He experienced the full range of emotions that all people experience because he became fully human. While the scripture testifies to the sinlessness of Jesus, it does not depict Jesus as a “special” kind of human who was exempt from temptation. It is the fact that Jesus was “one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” that qualifies him to be our representative and to enable him to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (Heb 4:15).
What does this passage teach me about myself/mankind?
It reminds me to bring all my hurts to Jesus because he really does understand. It also reminds me that loving my brothers and sisters in the Lord is not an option, but a command. The ultimate test of our relationship to Jesus is our love for one another. Church attendance, prayer and bible study, and serving in the church must all be motivated by love for God and others. If not, they are meaningless.
How does this passage impact my affections, attitudes and actions?
I will seek to live a Spirit-filled life so that the love of God will be continually poured out into my heart, enabling me to love like Jesus loved.
4. PRAYER:
In Your name, Amen.
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