9‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no-one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I 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. 16You 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. 17This is my command: love each other. (John 15 NIVUK)
 
The Gospel according to John is a somewhat unique account of Jesus. While Mark, Matthew and Luke all focus on trying to give an over-arching account of the life and ministry of Jesus, John focusses very much on specific moments which convey Jesus’ identity as God in human form, the Saviour of the world. Further, John gives particular attention to Jesus’ final days – just under half of his Gospel account is devoted to the lead up to Jesus’ death (chapters 12 through 19: that is 8 of 21 chapters!). At the heart of this focus on Jesus’ final days, there is also particular attention given to Jesus’ teaching (chapters 13 through 17); and in the middle of all this teaching, we have this section from John 15.
 
That was quite an introduction! So, why this passage for this pastoral letter?
 
I have recently been meditating on Jesus’ words in verse 13 – greater love has no-one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. I most often use these words during Remembrance Sunday; indeed, we now often associate these words with remembering those who have lost their lives in conflict, usually in a “dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” (it is a sweet and fitting things to die for one’s country) sort of way. (I should not that I know this phrase from the poem of a similar title by Wilfred Owen – and Owen’s intent in using this phrase is to deliberately highlight that dying in war is rarely “sweet” or “fitting” – in fact, he calls the phrase, “the old lie”).
 
Yet, as we read this verse within the context of Jesus’ teaching, and especially in light of the fact He is preparing to give His life for the salvation of all who would believe in Him, we can perhaps see that this image of “a heroic death” is far from Jesus’ mind.
 
The laying down of one’s life for one’s friends can be seen in a few different ways here. First, and perhaps most obvious, is Jesus’ laying down His life for the salvation of all those who follow Him. There is also the response we can make when receiving that salvation, in the laying down of our lives for Jesus. Jesus Himself expresses this, “24Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16 NIVUK).
 
Then, there is the way we lay down our lives for one another. This is not necessarily in the sense of literally dying for one another, but rather thinking of the needs of others before our own; being mindful of the impact of our words and actions; seeking to encourage and support one another, especially in the building up of our faith. And we are called to extend this love to all; even our worst enemies. Although in this passage, Jesus is talking about the greatest love one can have for friends, elsewhere He calls us to, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 NIVUK).
 
Jesus is not calling us to something He did not do Himself. For, although Jesus talks about dying for one’s friends in this passage, surely we can see that He came into this world, and died a criminal’s death, not because we were His friends, but while we were His enemies? As Paul puts is, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners [i.e. God’s enemies], Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIVUK).
 
I write this on Palm Sunday, at the beginning of Holy Week. My earnest hope and prayer, as we make this familiar journey, is that we appreciate anew the love Christ has shown us in bringing us salvation through the laying down of His life; and that we, in turn might learn to lay down our lives for one another, and for Him.
 
With every blessing,
Stuart
Email: slove@churchofscotland.org.uk
Tel.: 07916 176 873
 

With every blessing,
Stuart
Email: slove@churchofscotland.org.uk
Tel.: 07916 176 873