GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS...

Passage: John 15:9-17

Key verse: 13

NIV

9 “As the Father has loved me,(A) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands,(B) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.(C) 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.(D) 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.(E) 14 You are my friends(F) if you do what I command.(G) 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.(H) 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you(I) so that you might go and bear fruit(J)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.(K) 17 This is my command: Love each other.(L)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

9 (A)As the Father has loved me, (B)so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 (C)If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as (D)I have kept (E)my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, (F)that my joy may be in you, and that (G)your joy may be full.

12 (H)“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 (I)Greater love has no one than this, (J)that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are (K)my friends (L)if you do what I command you. 15 (M)No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant (N)does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for (O)all that I have heard from my Father (P)I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but (Q)I chose you and appointed you that you should go and (R)bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that (S)whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, (T)so that you will love one another.

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Footnotes
  1. John 15:15 Or bondservants, or slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface); likewise for servant later in this verse and in verse 20
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Remain in Jesus' love (9-14) Jesus loves us, just as the Father loves Jesus. We remain in Jesus' love just as Jesus remained in God's love- by keeping his commands. Jesus' greatest command was this- to love each other. How do we love each other? Jesus loved us by giving his life for us. There is no lover greater than this. And we should lay down our lives for our friends (fellow believers). Jesus is not asking us to commit suicide for our friends. But we can love them this way by serving them wholeheartedly in Christ. When we love like this, we can experience true joy, just as Jesus did. 2. Jesus calls us friends (15-17) Jesus called his disciples friends, not his servants. Servants don't know their master's business. Jesus' disciples know his business. Jesus called them friends, and he made known the Father to them. Then Jesus reiterated to his disciples to bear fruit in him and to love each other. This love of others is the fruit Jesus and the Father want.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that Jesus loved us and gave his life for us. Help me to love others in this way.

One Word: Love each other