How Would Jesus Love (HWJL) was the basis of Sabbath’s message as we continued the iFollow series on discipleship. We are learning that being a disciple is a call to join Jesus in His mission to change the world. Our motto: “Changed by Christ to Change the World” is not just a clever slogan. We are changed by Christ and become His disciples to change the world by making more disciples. This is the both the result and the goal of the gospel.
And the greatest need in the world today is love. Rewind to John 13:34, 35. Here is the fourth requirement for disciples: True disciples are those who demonstrate agape love to others because of their connection to Christ.
The literary structure of Christ’s words puts the emphasis on the phrase, “As I have loved you…” Well, how did Jesus love them? Rewind to John 13:1-5. The first verse sets the tone: “Having loved his own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of his love.” Or, “He loved them to the end.” Jesus goes on to wash the disciples feet. But how does that act reveal the full extent of His love?
First, it shows that true disciples don’t have to withdraw from men to get closer to God. Jesus was, in fact, God. Yet that didn’t keep him from the “filth” of humanity. In fact, it drew Him in closer. Jesus demonstrates righteousness and authority and love all in the same act. He showed by example that love doesn’t make you aloof from sinners, it compels you to serve them.
To love like Jesus loved, you must serve like Jesus served. He who should have been served found glory in serving others—even those who were undeserving. To love like Jesus loved, you must serve those who don’t deserve it. The betrayer was there for sure. But with their arguing about who would be the greatest, and their refusal to serve one another, they were all betraying His heart and His character.
Judas was in the place of highest honor at the table. Offering a special morsel from the dish was a sign of special friendship. (See John 13:22-26.) Again and again Jesus appealed to Judas but His appeals were refused, and Judas left the room. Notice, it was Judas who left the presence of Christ, not the other way around. To love like Jesus is to keep loving even when your love is rejected.
To love like Jesus means to do the hard thing rather than the easy thing—to do what can only come supernaturally, rather than to do what comes naturally. Treat the Judases in your life the way Jesus treated the Judas in His, and the world will know you belong to God!
After Judas left, Jesus takes the role of a dying father giving last instructions to his children. His most important words to the eleven are these: “Love one another. As I have loved you, you must love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Discipleship means somebody should be watching you follow Jesus. We’re all following somebody (on twitter, on Facebook, in politics, and in life). Your actions reveal who you follow, and Jesus said the act of love would reveal that you’re following Him.
That is why church fights, power struggles and believers taking one another to court, etc., rob the cross of its power. We reveal the glory of Jesus when we forgive each other; we reveal the glory of satan when we fight each other.
Jesus loved his disciples sacrificially, selflessly, patiently, and unconditionally. Do you find it easy to love Jesus because He gives you grace, but hard to love others because they give you grief? To love like Jesus loved, you’ve got to know what He has done for you! Have you like Peter denied Him? Have you like Thomas doubted Him? Have you like Nicodemus been ashamed of Him? Have you, like the thief on the cross, mocked Him? Have you like Paul persecuted Him? If you can say Yes to these and more, then you know how much He’s done to love and forgive you. It is that love that will open the gates of grace in your own heart towards others who need it.
We’re not to love anyone more than we love Jesus, but we’re to love each other just like Jesus loved us. And by loving Jesus first, He gives me the power to love you as He loves me. He has a basin and towel for you today. Let Him wash your feet, and then find someone else’s feet to wash. –Pastor Randy
p.s. Take the HWJL challenge. Resolve not to react to anyone without first asking, “How Would Jesus Love?” Keep track of your experiences.
