The Place of Love

John 13:31-38

 

INTRO: Love has a distinct place in the life of the believer, and love has a special place in the life of the church.  The true mark of a Christian is love for the brethren.  What is it that sets believers apart from the world?  It is not a bumper sticker that says, “Honk if you love Jesus,” nor is it a “Jesus First” pin on your lapel.  Bumper stickers and lapel pins are only symbols of our faith.  Love is the true mark of a Christian.  Arthur Pink said: “Love is the badge of Christian discipleship.”  How well do you wear your badge?

 

I.        VSS 31-32, JESUS GLORIFIED THROUGH LOVE AND SUFFERING

A.       Vs 31, “Therefore when he was gone. . .”  Judas has left the upper room and has walked out into the night, into darkness, not only physical darkness, but into eternal darkness (vs 30).

1. With the dismissal of Judas with the words, “that thou doest, do quickly,” Jesus shows His willingness “to enter the deep waters and the dark night of eternal death for His own” (Hendriksen 250).

a. The Lord knew that Judas left with a purpose in mind – to tell the rulers the whereabouts of Jesus and to show them how they could take Him.

b. With this in mind, the Lord had told this hardened sinner to go ahead and quickly do what he was doing.

c. This shows how obedient the Son desired to be to the will of the Father.

2. Jesus was glorified by means of obedience and love.

a. Jesus was glorified in the words He had spoken to Judas, the traitor; and the glory was still on Him (dramatic aorist– used of action that had just happened and whose effect reaches into the present).

b. Jesus saw the storm coming and walked right into it.  Like a mother hen protecting her chicks by spreading her wings over them, permitting the rain to come down on its back in torrents while the chicks are perfectly safe.

c. The Lord in the act of dismissing Judas, reflects glory on Himself; for in dismissing Judas, He allows the storm not of rain but of wrath to descend on His back while He shelters His own.  This was His glory.

d. Jesus is not defeated by the act of Judas.  He is glorified!

e. The Son was willing to die for sinners, and God the Father was willing to give up His Son to die for sinners.  In this, God is glorified.

B.       Vs 32, “If God be glorified in Him. . . “ Nor merely by Him, but in Him.  Like a parent is honored by and in his son’s character and behavior.  “God shall also glorify Him in Himself. . .”

1. Father and Son glorify each other.  For though they are two persons, they are on in essence.

2. The Son’s glory will reflect glory on the Father.

3. “Straightway,” immediately, for Gethsemane and Golgotha are just around the bend.  It was night (13:30).

 

II.       VSS 33-35, THE BADGE OF LOVE

A.       Vs 33, Three things that the disciples, little children (words of affection), need to know are found in this verse:

1. His departure is imminent.

2. People will look for Him.

3. Nobody can come with Him, not even the eleven.

4. There is a finality in the words of Jesus.  The disciples must have thought, “How can we go on without the Master?”

B.       Vs 34, The place of love is seen for believers.  We are to love one another.  The place of love in the church is that we are to love one another.  A church without love is as cold as a morgue.

1. You maybe doctrinally right, but do you love your brother in Christ?

a. You can be right concerning salvation by grace, but do you love your brother?

b. You can be right about baptism by immersion, but do you love your brother?

c. You can be right on the doctrine of the local church, but do you love your brother?

d. Friend, you may have the truth but lack love.  Some are always hard and harsh in speaking the truth.  The Bible says we are to speak the truth in love.  Ephesians 4:15 says: “Speaking the truth in love.”  If you don’t have love, you can’t speak the truth in love.

2. A lack of love many times is caused by a lack of forgiveness.

a. We are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).

b. You can’t love if you can’t forgive.  Jesus could say, “Father, forgive them,” because of love.

c. Note “forebear” in Col 3:13.  It is the Greek anechomai which means to put up with.  Peter and John were not alike, but they put up with each other.

3. If you don’t love your brother as you ought to, then you cannot love God as you should (I Jn 4:20-21).

a. If you don’t love me, you can’t love God as you should.

b. If I don’t love you, I can’t love God as I should.

c. Some of you have allowed a root of bitterness to spring up in you, and you are cold due to lack of love (Heb 12:15).  Lack of forgiveness causes bitterness.  Bitter people are not loving people.

C.      Vs 35, Nobody can ignore real love.  If we love one another, others will know it; and the impact will be tremendous.

1. The word “know” refers to a rub of the shoulders observation.

a. As we rub shoulders at work and school, people will know we belong to Jesus if we love one another.  The world can feel the warmth of Christ’s love.  They can see the difference.

b. If we do not love one another, the world will see and feel that too.

2. If we are mean and ugly to each other, if we do not forbear, put up with one another in love, we’ll not have an influence for good.

3. If the people of our community see us in the factions or clicks, if they can’t see the love of Jesus in us, they’ll not want to belong to our church or our Lord.

 

III.      VSS 36-38, PETER’S BEWILDERMENT

A.       Vs 36, Peter was interested in Jesus’ leaving and in his being left behind.  It was as though Peter was hit by a board.

1. Jesus is about to go to the Father, to heaven, by means of death.

2. Peter, as a believer, will follow later.