Radical Love: The Heart of Discipleship
Summary
At the heart of everything is the love of Jesus—a love that is not just a feeling, but a radical, self-giving act that redefines what it means to be God’s people. In John 13, as Jesus prepares to leave his disciples, he doesn’t give them a list of rules or a strategy for success. Instead, he gives them a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” This is not a new idea in the sense that God’s people have always been called to love, but Jesus brings a new depth to it. The love he demonstrates is sacrificial, costly, and rooted in the cross—a love that lays down its life for others, even for those who don’t deserve it.
This love is not just a private, internal reality. It is the very evidence to the world that we belong to Jesus. The way we love each other—especially when it’s hard, when people are difficult, or when we feel invisible or misunderstood—becomes the signpost that points to Christ. Jesus’ glory is not found in fireworks or spectacle, but in the humility and suffering of the cross. The cross, which seemed like defeat, is actually the moment of ultimate glory, where God’s character is revealed most clearly.
We are called to love not out of our own strength or pride, but out of our own brokenness and need for grace. Like Peter, we often think we can love well until we fail, and it’s in that failure—when we realize our limits and our need for Jesus—that we become truly able to love as he does. The journey of following Jesus is not about achieving greatness or recognition, but about faithfulness, humility, and a willingness to lay ourselves down for others.
As we come to the table, we remember that Jesus’ body was broken and his blood was poured out for us. We are invited to experience that love deeply, and then to carry it out into the world, loving those who are hard to love, forgiving deeply, and welcoming the outsider. This is the call and the evidence of discipleship: to love as Jesus has loved us.
Key Takeaways
- The glory of God is revealed not in power or spectacle, but in the humility and suffering of Jesus on the cross. True majesty is found in self-giving love, where God and Jesus mutually glorify each other through sacrifice, not domination. This challenges our assumptions about what it means for God to be “glorified” and invites us to see greatness in vulnerability. [49:04]
- The command to love one another is not new in content, but Jesus gives it a new depth by rooting it in his own sacrificial love. Loving as Jesus loves means embracing the cost, staying when it’s hard, forgiving deeply, and welcoming those on the margins. This love is not sentimental, but fiercely committed and willing to suffer for the sake of others. [54:35]
- Our ability to love others is shaped by our own brokenness and need for grace. Like Peter, we often discover the limits of our love through failure and disappointment. It is only when we surrender our pride and acknowledge our need for Jesus that we become capable of loving others with his kind of love. [58:31]
- The love we show to one another is the primary evidence to the world that we are followers of Jesus. It is not our theology, our worship, or our programs that mark us as disciples, but the way we love—especially when it is difficult or costly. This love is both a command and a witness, revealing God’s heart to a watching world. [01:02:53]
- We cannot love others under our own power; it is only by experiencing the deep love of Jesus that we are able to love as he commands. The invitation is to first receive and revel in Christ’s love for us, and then to let that love overflow to those around us, even those who are hard to love. This is a lifelong journey of surrender, humility, and dependence on God’s Spirit. [01:04:17]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[24:48] - Worship: Here I Bow Down
[27:56] - Announcements and Community Updates
[31:08] - Middle School Camp and Asking Hard Questions
[36:26] - Introduction to John 13
[37:56] - Faithfulness Over Success
[40:51] - The Context: Jesus’ Farewell Address
[43:36] - Jesus’ Anticipation of the Cross
[45:19] - Reading John 13:30-35
[46:31] - The Mutual Glorification of Father and Son
[48:46] - The True Meaning of Glory
[49:52] - The Cross as Ultimate Glory
[52:14] - The New Commandment: Love One Another
[54:35] - The Depth of Jesus’ Love
[56:29] - Loving When It’s Hard
[58:31] - Brokenness and the Capacity to Love
[01:02:53] - Love as the Mark of Discipleship
[01:04:17] - Communion: Experiencing and Extending Christ’s Love
[01:06:05] - Responding to God’s Love
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Loving as Jesus Loves
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### Bible Reading
John 13:30-35 (ESV)
> 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
> 31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
> 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
> 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
> 34 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.
> 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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### Observation Questions
1. In John 13:31-32, Jesus talks about being “glorified.” According to the sermon, what does Jesus mean by “glory” in this context? ([49:04])
2. What is “new” about the commandment Jesus gives in verse 34, and how does it differ from previous commands to love? ([54:35])
3. According to verse 35, what is the primary way people will recognize Jesus’ disciples?
4. In the sermon, what examples were given of loving others when it’s hard or when people are difficult? ([56:29])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The sermon says that Jesus’ glory is found not in power or spectacle, but in the humility and suffering of the cross. How does this challenge common ideas about what it means for God to be “glorified”? ([49:04])
2. The command to love one another is rooted in Jesus’ own sacrificial love. What does it mean to “embrace the cost” of loving others, as described in the sermon? ([54:35])
3. The sermon mentions that our ability to love is shaped by our own brokenness and need for grace, using Peter as an example. Why might failure or brokenness actually help us love more like Jesus? ([58:31])
4. The love we show is described as the “evidence” to the world that we belong to Jesus. Why do you think Jesus chose love, rather than something else, as the main sign of discipleship? ([01:02])
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon says that true glory is found in self-giving love, not in power or recognition. Where in your life are you tempted to seek recognition or “fireworks” instead of humble, sacrificial love? ([49:04])
2. Jesus calls us to love “as I have loved you”—a love that is costly and sometimes means staying when it’s hard or forgiving deeply. Is there someone in your life right now who is hard to love? What would it look like to love them as Jesus loves you? ([54:35])
3. The sermon suggests that we can’t love others well until we recognize our own need for grace, like Peter did after his failure. Can you think of a time when your own failure or brokenness made you more compassionate toward others? ([58:31])
4. The way we love each other is the main evidence to the world that we follow Jesus. How do you think your relationships with other Christians look to people outside the church? Is there anything you’d want to change? ([01:02])
5. The sermon encouraged writing down the name of someone you find hard to love and praying for them. Is there someone you want to commit to praying for this week? What is one small step you could take to show them love? ([01:04])
6. Jesus’ love welcomes the outsider and forgives deeply. Is there someone in your life or community who feels like an outsider? How could you reach out to them in a practical way this month? ([54:35])
7. The sermon says we cannot love under our own power, but only by experiencing Jesus’ love for us. What is one way you can intentionally receive or remember Jesus’ love for you this week—maybe through prayer, worship, or communion? ([01:04])
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God to help you experience His love more deeply, and to give you the strength and humility to love others as Jesus has loved you. Pray for specific people who are hard to love, and for your group to be a signpost of Christ’s love in the world.
Devotional
Day 1: The Cross as the Ultimate Glory of God
The cross is not a tragedy but the very place where Jesus is glorified and God’s love is most fully revealed; it is in Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice that we see the majesty and splendor of God, not in fireworks or spectacle, but in the humility and suffering of Christ lifted up for us. [49:18]
John 13:31-32 (ESV)
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.”
Reflection: In what ways does seeing the cross as God’s glory—rather than a defeat—change how you view suffering and sacrifice in your own life today?
Day 2: The New Commandment—Loving as Jesus Loved
Jesus calls his followers to a new depth of love, commanding us to love one another as he has loved us—sacrificially, persistently, and with a willingness to lay down our lives for others, even when it is difficult or undeserved. [52:14]
John 13:34-35 (ESV)
“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.”
Reflection: Who is one person you find difficult to love right now, and what is one small, concrete action you can take today to show them Christ-like love?
Day 3: Brokenness Precedes True Love
True Christ-like love is only possible when we recognize our own brokenness and inability to love perfectly; it is through our failures and surrender that we become able to love others with the humility and grace that Jesus demonstrated. [58:49]
Psalm 51:17 (ESV)
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Reflection: Can you recall a time when your own failure or weakness made you more compassionate toward others? How might you let God use your brokenness to deepen your love today?
Day 4: Love as the Mark of Discipleship
The distinguishing mark of Jesus’ followers is not knowledge, power, or success, but the visible, tangible love they have for one another—a love that serves as both command and evidence of belonging to Christ. [01:03:06]
John 13:35 (ESV)
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Reflection: What would someone who observes your interactions with others this week conclude about your faith? How can you make your love more visible today?
Day 5: Experiencing Jesus’ Love Empowers Us to Love Others
We cannot truly love others as Jesus commands until we have first experienced the depth of his love for us—his forgiveness, his welcome, and his sacrifice—which then overflows into our relationships with those around us. [01:04:17]
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV)
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on how Jesus has loved you personally; how might remembering his love for you change the way you approach someone difficult or overlooked today?
Quotes
The church should be doing that, right? Like you should be you should feel safe in the church to ask the wild questions. I grew up knowing or thinking that you couldn't do that, that you weren't allowed to do that. Abraham is told to sacrifice Isaac. I grew up with the assumption that you couldn't raise your hand and be like, "Hey, um uh, what? Excuse me. There's a god that would say, uh, sacrifice your son. What are you talking about? The middle schoolers will ask those questions. You don't have to be scared of those. It's okay to say, "I don't know." But it's fun as heck to hear it. I'm just saying. They will ask you off-the-wall things. I'm sure you all have heard that at middle school camp. [00:32:37]
We talk with other people and sometimes just amongst ourselves about um about what the Christian life is about how it's not so much about um growing and pursuing success and having this massive ego about ourselves, but it's about uh faithfulness to God. It's about obedience to God. And sometimes that means you're going to feel like you did nothing for your whole life. And that's okay. [00:36:49]
The framing question that I have David is who is the true God and what is he doing in the world and through us? And there's something that we talk we did talk about this week um as Captain As Captain America said there's only one God and he doesn't look like that. [00:39:03]
The end of the story gives us this like greater depth. They're like, you know, hindsight is 2020, you know, and so we can now look back and we can see what Jesus is talking about um and what Jesus actually means. [00:40:01]
John chapter 13 through17 is kind of Jesus farewell address. Um, and what I wonder I was thinking about this like it's just a few days before just a day really before the crucifixion. Um, and Jesus is talking to his disciples like, "Hey, the time has come." [00:40:56]
No matter if you know that this is God's plan for you, being killed is not something you're looking forward to. I have to assume. So when the Greeks show up and he says, "Oh, now's the time." He had to have been a little bit blindsided by this. And now we hit John chapter 13 and Judas is going to leave. And Jesus says, "Oh, now's the time." [00:43:34]
So God is glorified in Jesus and Jesus is glorified in God and they're glorified in each other. I hope that helps. With all the artists that we have in our midst, you should choose. So with that, David, it is interesting. I I did the anign Ignatian retreat years ago and there is this mutual submission between the trinity and there's like God inherently is relational. [00:46:20]
There's this mutual submission in the trinity. And so as your art so perfectly port betrayed, thank you. Um there is this this glorifying the son will glorify the father who will glorify will glorify the son and the spirit. And so there's this this circle this this mutual submission this really beautiful. [00:47:20]
People are expecting this big giant spectacle when God is glorified in the Father and the Father is glorified in the Son. Um, glorify is just a big churchy word. What's not even churchy word? I mean, what does glory mean? Well, if you listen to the most recent Kendrick Lamar album, he calls glory his pen. [00:47:56]
Yeah. And now knowing that we know the end of the story, one of the things with John that he does really well with is the cross is not actually a tragedy. The gospel of John, the tragedy or the the cross, Jesus hanging on the cross is that ultimate glory. [00:49:09]
People expect fireworks and yet they get that Jesus up on a cross the the lifting up is actually death. All right. I love this next verse, verse 33. Um Jesus says, "Little children." That's so demeaning. Probably endearing though, too. You know, like, "Hey, my my children, you know, little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me just as I said to the Jews. So now I also say to you, where I'm going, you cannot come." [00:50:24]
And that call for us to love in that same way. Loving like Jesus means staying when it's hard, forgiving deeply, lifting up the low, welcoming the outsider. These this love that is of such great depth. [00:54:49]
Jesus says, "Hey, I'm going to be glorified in God and God's going to be glorified in me. I'm gonna you're gonna see how I am the the God, the one who's to come. And you're going to see that God is the God who's always been who's always been there. And you're going to see that because I love you so much that I'm laying my my life down for you. And so you now to follow me. You're going to lay yourself down for other people. You're going to live in such a way that you don't do things selfishly. You don't do only what makes you great or what helps you. You're going to do things to help others as well. And it's so easy not to." [00:55:27]
To truly love people, you have to realize that it's not under your own power. Because there's so much pride in loving people where there can be, you know, like ah I I take pride in the fact like I I feel like I can love anybody and everybody. [00:58:40]
And then, interestingly, he says, "You will follow me." He says, "You won't." And then he says, "You will." And interesting like I never really thought about this like that until you were saying what you did. He has to go through the failure, right? Yeah. To learn to follow Jesus like and we have was it the 20th chapter or the 21st when when Peter is when Jesus then comes back after the resurrection Jesus says Peter do you love me? [01:00:29]
And the thing is it it just sometimes it sucks to come to church because you know that your pastor's gonna say that, right? Like that we're supposed to love each other and we don't we don't want to do it. And rightly so. Some people are terrible. I'm not looking at any of you, but maybe I am. Some people are hard to love. [01:01:31]
And we we can't I we cannot actually love them until we've experienced the love of Jesus and that until we we realize the depth of the cross and the price that he paid and the great love and that he wants us into his family. [01:02:30]
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