Obedience, Friendship and Fruit (John 15:12-17)
Jesus continues to speak to his disciples about various aspects of their calling as his followers. It is important to realise that he is speaking initially about the apostles, although there are applications from his instructions that apply to all believers.
The commandment of Jesus (v. 12)
Clearly, the reference by Jesus to his love would have a personal relevance for the apostles because they had experienced his love as they interacted with him. Yet we can think about how his love applies to his people through how he showed it to the apostles.
The requirement of Jesus may seem daunting: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.’ After all, we know that he loved us perfectly, and we can never love in such a manner while we are in this world. And we also know that even if our love was perfect, it would not be as big and wide as the love of Christ. So Jesus is not referring to the perfection of love when he says that his disciples should imitate his example.
Here are some suggestions by which we show love like Jesus did, taken from how he showed love to the disciples that evening. First, Jesus loved his people freely – his love for them was not based on what they did for him. So our love should not be conditional, dependent on how others treat us.
Second, the love of Jesus for his disciples was always a forgiving love – after all, they did nothing perfect even in their best moments. Yet he always forgave them. The same expression of love is required of us. We must forgive from the heart other Christians.
A third expression of the love of Jesus for his disciples was that it was frequently practical. He showed this in various ways, such as when he washed their feet earlier that evening. As has often been observed, on that occasion none of them showed that kind of practical love for one another.
A fourth way in which Jesus showed his love for his disciples was that he did so in a forbearing way. There are examples of his forbearance in John 14, such as when he observed the responses of Thomas and Philip to his teachings that they were unable to grasp.
A fifth feature of his love for them was its fervency. He had informed that it was with great desire that he wanted to spend time with them that evening before he suffered on the cross. A person in his last hours wants to be with the ones he loves the most. Our love for other Christians must burn within us.
A sixth feature of his love for them was its frankness. He told Peter that because of his self-confidence, he would deny his Master later on that evening. Sometimes, truth has to be stated frankly and clearly. When a Christians needs to be told about something that is wrong in his or her life, it should not be waffled. God speaks frankly throughout his Word, but it is not an indication that he has ceased to love.
The seventh way that Jesus showed his love for his disciples is that he saw what they would be like in the future. He spoke to them at the start of chapter 14 about the Father’s house in which they and he would dwell together forever. We love Christians in the present time, but our expression of it includes that we also love what they are going to be. We rejoice and love the fact that one day they will be perfect.
It is important for us to remember that this word of Jesus about loving one another is a command which we dare not disobey. Why? Among other reasons, brotherly love is the proof that we are converted. And it must extend to all Christians, and it is connected to the fact that Jesus loves all of them so much that he died for them.
Friends of Jesus (vv. 13-15)
Again, with regard to these verses, we can see how they apply in a special way to the apostles because Jesus in a literal way spoke to them about the things of his Father. But as with the commandment to love in verse 12, we can apply what he says in verses 13 to 15 to all of his people.
Jesus himself says that the greatest expression of love is to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. There are conditions for friendship. It is hard to be friendly with an unreliable person or to be friends with someone who puts a spin on your words. The proof that a person is a friend of Jesus is that he or she obeys the commandments of Jesus.
It is possible to be a person with power and not be friends with those who are below. We don’t expect a managing director of a large firm to be friends with all the staff. Yet in the case of the biggest firm there is, the church, the Person in charge is friends with all who work for him. They show their friendship by obeying him. How does he show friendship to them?
First, he does it verbally in that he calls them friends. Have you ever looked up the word ‘friends’ in a concordance and noted how often Jesus used it, apart from this reference? The answer is twice. In Luke 12:4-5, he says to his disciples, ‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!’ And in John 11:11, he says, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.’ So we have in this statement by Jesus a likely example of how much is not recorded of how he addressed his disciples.
Second, Jesus showed his friendship by conveying information to them. If they had only been his servants, all they would been given would have been instructions. But since they were his friends he told them about the secrets of the kingdom of God. He explained to them the truths of salvation that had delighted the Father as he discussed them with his Son.
How would the Friend speak to his friends about such things? Surely he would speak about them diligently, eager for them to know what they were. After all, when our earthly friends tell us about places they have been, they take steps to ensure we understand what they mean. And he would have spoken about them passionately – he is not like a news reporter trying to be impartial. Rather, he was speaking about the desires in the heart of God.
We can see in this description by Jesus an aspect of his role as the Mediator. In that role, he takes from the Father and gives to his people and he represents his people in the presence of the Father. The Holy Spirit is also involved in this ongoing role of Jesus because he conveys the blessings of the Father to us by the Holy Spirit. We can see another example of how Jesus fulfils this role in the opening verses of the Book of Revelation when he says that God gave the contents of the book to him to give to the church.
Why we are disciples – bear fruit (vv. 16-17)
As we consider this verse, we must acknowledge that there is a sense in which it applies primarily to the apostles. I don’t think Jesus is referring to their eternal election here when he says that he chose them. Rather, he is reminding them that he chose them for a particular role as his apostles who were to go round the world establishing the church by preaching the gospel. The fruit in their case would be converts, converts that would last. And in order for that to happen, they would need to pray for divine blessing. Their success would be connected in some way to them being a community of love, and we can see how prayer and love go together in many places in the New Testament.
That primary reference to the apostles does not mean that we cannot take a secondary reference to ourselves. How can we apply personally the comments in this verse?
First, as the apostles were given their roles by Jesus, so we are given our roles, and these roles are connected to the gifts he has given to us. There is not much difference between our gifts and our roles. For example, a leader will be given the gift of leadership, otherwise he cannot lead. The list of gifts given in the New Testament involve doing something for other people, helping to bring forth fruit. An example is Romans 12:4-8:
‘For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.’
Second, in order for those roles to be fruitful, there has to be ongoing prayer to the Father in the name of Jesus. Praying in the name of Jesus means to pray using his authority. Since he has given us gifts, it is very appropriate that we pray about how we use them and ask God to bless what we do. Paul tells us that every Christian is gifted by Jesus in some way, but the gifts will not work without prayer.
How do we know the gifts that Jesus has given to us? I think that we become them as we use the means of grace and over time they mould us into the persons Jesus wants to use as his gifts to the church. We will want to fulfil those roles as best as we can. They will be on our minds and we will find them suitable to who we are. We will pray about them and ask God for ways to implement them, and he will provide opportunities. They are all designed for service, but they are given by the One who calls us friends and reveals to us the great purpose of God. And when we see that we are involved in that spiritual endeavour we will be glad to serve. The vision of bringing glory to him in those areas will be a priority. And it will always be an expression of brotherly love similar at its level to how Jesus loved us.