Weekly Devotional 7-16-18
Obedience, The Measurement of Love
The Gospel of John is seemingly the most intimate of the four Gospels. The final chapters of John 13-17 record Jesus’ last hours with His disciples just prior to His arrest and crucifixion. Knowing that He would soon leave them, He assured them of His love and His Father’s love for them. Jesus promised that even though He would not be physically present with them, yet He would not leave them alone. He would be with them in Spirit form. That is, He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them and indwell them. The Holy Spirit would comfort, guide and instruct them. He would remind them of all that Jesus had taught them while He had been with them. Even though it was necessary that He return to heaven Jesus would not leave them alone, He made provision. The record assures us that “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (John 13:1b).
In the intimacy of the moment Jesus said to His disciples, “15If you love Me, keep My commandments.16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him. 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’ 23Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Fathers who sent Me’” (John 14:15-25).
Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (vs. 21). Keeping His commandments was to be the affirmation of their love for Him. He added, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (vs. 24). Throughout the remainder of their lives they were to live by His words (His commandments). Keeping His commandments was to be the barometer of their love for Him. Those commands are capsulized in the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. (See Matthew 5:17-7:11). These commands are principles of the kingdom of heaven, but they were applicable to those to whom Jesus spoke in the upper room that night. They are applicable to all those of His church, generation to generation.
The question is, do I or do you truly love Jesus? Each of us must answer that question for ourselves. According to John 14:15-25 our love is measured by our obedience.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Scripture is from the NKJ Bible