Love as Christ Loved: A Call to Action
Summary
In the final moments Jesus spent with His disciples before the cross, He chose not to address a crowd, but to sit intimately with His closest friends. In that upper room, Jesus spoke words that were deeply personal and urgent, knowing His time with them was short. He wanted them to understand that even though He would soon leave, their relationship with Him was not ending. Instead, He called them to remain in Him and, just as importantly, to love one another as He had loved them. This was not a suggestion, but a command—a single, clear instruction that would define their lives and their witness to the world.
Jesus’ command to love is not about a soft, sentimental feeling, but a robust, sacrificial, action-oriented love. It’s a love that goes beyond our natural capacity, requiring us to draw from the limitless well of Christ’s own love. We are called to love not just those who are easy to love, but even those who have hurt us, annoyed us, or whom we find difficult to forgive. This love is practical: it means choosing grace over gossip, reconciliation over resentment, and patience over frustration. It means reaching out, making peace, and serving others even when we don’t feel like it.
Obedience to this command is not the price of friendship with Jesus, but the evidence of it. Just as fruit reveals the health of a tree, our willingness to love as Jesus loved reveals the depth of our relationship with Him. Jesus does not call us servants, but friends—He invites us to sit at the table with Him, to share in His heart and His mission. Friendship with Jesus is marked by intimacy, trust, and a willingness to invite Him into every area of our lives, even the places we’d rather keep hidden.
As we remember Christ’s sacrifice through communion, we are reminded that His love for us was not theoretical—it was demonstrated in the giving of His body and blood. We are called to examine our hearts: where have we withheld love, where have we failed to obey, where have we not saved a seat for Jesus? The invitation is to let Him fill us with His love, so that we might love others as He has loved us, and to courageously invite Him into every part of our lives.
Key Takeaways
- Jesus’ command to love one another is not a suggestion, but a defining mark of His followers. This love is not based on our feelings or preferences, but on the example of Christ, who loved sacrificially and unconditionally. When loving others feels impossible, we are invited to draw from Christ’s inexhaustible love, asking Him to fill our hearts for those we struggle to love. [09:19]
- The call to love is intensely practical and personal. It means choosing grace over gossip, reconciliation over resentment, and patience over frustration—even when it’s difficult or undeserved. True love is not passive; it actively seeks the good of others, even at personal cost, and refuses to give up on those whom God has placed in our lives. [13:27]
- Obedience to Jesus’ command is not what earns us His friendship, but it is the fruit that proves it. Just as healthy fruit reveals the health of a tree, our willingness to love as Jesus loved reveals the authenticity of our relationship with Him. Friendship with Jesus is marked by a desire to delight in His ways and to walk in obedience, not out of duty, but out of love. [18:13]
- Jesus redefines our relationship with Him—not as servants or mere followers, but as friends who are invited into His heart and His mission. This friendship is not casual or superficial, but holy and transformative. We are not just tools in God’s hands, but partners at His table, called to share in His work and to invite Him into every area of our lives. [24:10]
- Communion is a sacred reminder of Christ’s sacrificial love and a call to self-examination. Before we partake, we are invited to ask where we have withheld love, where we have failed to obey, and where we have not made space for Jesus in our lives. The grace of Christ meets us in these places, offering forgiveness and empowering us to love others as He has loved us. [27:57]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Setting the Scene: The Upper Room
[03:45] - Jesus Prepares His Disciples for Life Without Him
[04:36] - The Command to Love One Another
[07:30] - Loving as Jesus Loved: Making It Personal
[09:19] - The Limits of Human Love and the Need for Christ’s Love
[12:06] - Love as a Command, Not a Suggestion
[13:27] - Practical Expressions of Christlike Love
[15:33] - The Sacrificial Example of Jesus
[16:41] - The Sufficiency of Love and the Challenge of Obedience
[18:13] - Obedience as the Fruit of Friendship
[20:23] - Servants vs. Friends: Jesus’ Invitation
[24:10] - Saving a Seat for Jesus in Every Area
[27:57] - Communion: Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice
[29:16] - Closing Prayer and Sending
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
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### Bible Reading
- John 15:12-17
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. 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. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
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### Observation Questions
1. According to Jesus in John 15:12-13, what is the standard for how we are to love one another?
2. What does Jesus say is the difference between being called a servant and being called a friend? (John 15:15)
3. In the sermon, what examples were given of practical ways to love others, even when it’s difficult? [13:27]
4. How does Jesus describe the connection between obedience and friendship with Him? [18:13]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus make loving one another a command, not just a suggestion? What does this reveal about His priorities for His followers? [12:06]
2. The sermon mentions that our ability to love others is limited, but Christ’s love is limitless. What does it mean to “draw from Christ’s inexhaustible love” in real life? [09:19]
3. How does obedience to Jesus’ command to love serve as “evidence” of our friendship with Him, rather than the “price” of it? [18:13]
4. Jesus invites us to be friends, not just servants. What does this invitation mean for how we relate to Him and to others? [24:10]
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### Application Questions
1. Think of a relationship in your life where loving the other person feels impossible or exhausting. What would it look like to ask Jesus to fill you with His love for that person this week? [09:19]
2. The sermon challenged us to choose grace over gossip, reconciliation over resentment, and patience over frustration. Which of these is hardest for you right now, and why? What’s one step you could take to move toward Christlike love in that area? [13:27]
3. Is there someone in your life group, family, or circle of friends you’ve given up on or stopped reaching out to? What’s one practical way you could re-engage or show love to them this week? [15:33]
4. The pastor asked, “Are we saving a seat for Jesus in every area of our lives?” Is there a part of your life where you’ve not invited Jesus in—maybe because it’s painful, embarrassing, or you want to keep it hidden? What would it look like to invite Him into that space? [24:10]
5. Before taking communion, we’re called to examine our hearts. Where have you withheld love, failed to obey, or not made space for Jesus? What’s one area you sense God inviting you to change or surrender? [27:57]
6. The sermon said, “Obedience is the fruit of friendship, not the fee for entry.” Do you find yourself obeying Jesus out of love or out of duty? How can you shift your motivation if needed? [18:13]
7. Jesus’ love is sacrificial and action-oriented. What is one specific, sacrificial act of love you could do for someone this week—even if it costs you time, comfort, or pride? [16:41]
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Devotional
Day 1: Love One Another as Jesus Has Loved You
Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” is not a suggestion but a call to a radical, action-based love that goes beyond our natural inclinations or limited resources. This love is not passive or sentimental, but assertive and sacrificial, requiring us to examine our hearts and ask whether we truly love others—our spouses, children, coworkers, even those who annoy or hurt us—the way Jesus loves us. When our own capacity to love runs dry, we are invited to seek God’s limitless love to fill us, so that we can extend grace, patience, and forgiveness even when it feels impossible. [09:19]
John 15:12-14 (ESV)
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Reflection: Who is one person in your life right now that you find difficult to love? Ask God to fill you with His love for that person and consider one specific way you can show them Christ-like love this week.
Day 2: Obedience Marks Our Friendship with Jesus
Friendship with Jesus is not earned by our actions, but it is revealed and marked by our obedience to His commands. Just as fruit reveals the health of a tree, our willingness to do what Jesus says—especially when no one is watching—shows the depth of our relationship with Him. This obedience is not about legalism or earning favor, but about delighting in God’s will and allowing our lives to reflect the reality of our friendship with Christ, rather than just an association or outward appearance. [18:13]
John 15:14 (ESV)
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Reflection: In what area of your life is it hardest to obey Jesus when no one else is looking? What would it look like to choose obedience in that area this week?
Day 3: Jesus Calls Us Friends, Not Servants
Jesus invites us into a relationship that goes far beyond servanthood; He calls us friends, sharing His heart and plans with us. Unlike a servant who simply follows orders without understanding, a friend is brought close, trusted, and included in the work and mission of God. This means we are not just tools or cogs in a spiritual machine, but beloved partners who are invited to sit at the table with Jesus, to know Him deeply, and to participate in His purposes for the world. [24:10]
John 15:15 (ESV)
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you still relate to Jesus more as a boss or taskmaster than as a friend? How can you invite Him to sit with you in that area today?
Day 4: Sacrificial Love Is the Standard
The love Jesus calls us to is defined by sacrifice—He laid down His life for His friends, and He asks us to love others with that same self-giving spirit. This means not just loving in theory or words, but in tangible actions: forgiving those who hurt us, choosing grace over gossip, reaching out to those who are distant, and serving even when it costs us. Sacrificial love is the evidence of Christ at work in us, and it challenges us to move beyond comfort or convenience to truly lay down our lives for others. [15:33]
1 John 3:16 (ESV)
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
Reflection: What is one practical way you can lay down your preferences or comfort for the sake of someone else this week?
Day 5: Invite Jesus Into Every Area of Your Life
Jesus desires to be present in every part of our lives, not just the areas we are comfortable sharing. Saving a seat for Him means inviting Him into our struggles, our wounds, our relationships, and even the places we would rather keep hidden. When we allow Jesus access to every area, we open ourselves to His healing, guidance, and transforming love, and we become more able to love others as He has loved us. [27:57]
Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have not yet invited Jesus in? Take a moment to pray and intentionally welcome Him into that space today.
Quotes
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