Gleanings for April 3

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

John 13: 34, 35 NKJV: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

An example of love in action was shown by Jesus to the disciples when He washed their feet after the Passover meal. One writer suggests that Jesus “picks up on that theme and now speaks of it as “the new commandment” which was “to love one another with a new standard of love: “the love which Jesus had shown”. Selfless, unconditional love for others lets the world know that they are TRUE disciples.

This New Commandment to “love one another as I have loved you”; is recorded immediately after Jesus had identified His betrayer as Judas Iscariot. He “gave Judas a piece of bread” and John 13: 29 says: “Satan entered him.” Then Jesus said to him “What you do, do quickly.” Verse 30: “(Judas) having received the piece of bread then went out immediately, AND IT WAS NIGHT”

“The statement: “IT WAS NIGHT” has not only a literal meaning but a symbolic theological meaning as well. To leave the fellowship of Jesus (which is exactly what Judas did) is to exchange the LIGHT for inevitable darkness!”

Let us not miss the impact of Jesus Command “to LOVE” one another. He told the disciples He would be going away and they should put into practice the love He had taught. I believe it is significant that this command was placed—right where it is: after the betrayer’s identity and just before the prediction that Peter would deny Jesus. That the exhortation to LOVE was placed RIGHT THERE to me seems very significant, something I really hadn’t noticed other times when I read the chapter.

God’s love SUPERSEDE’S EVERYTHING! To “supersede” means: “to replace: supplant: To cause to be set aside or be replaced by another.” Oh, that is special! There is NOTHING that can quench GOD’S LOVE!

We can “MISS” His love—not understand---it but we can’t get away from it. Peter seemed to have missed the main point of Jesus’ statement when he asked why he couldn’t follow Jesus. He was preoccupied with Jesus’ soon departure and the fact that the physical presence of Jesus would not be there, to be without Him was unthinkable to Peter. We shouldn’t be too hard on him! He had a long way to go before he became the “Rock” that Jesus named him.

Each of us can “take heart” as we are reminded of the scripture in Romans 5: 4 & 5: “Endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character of this sort produces joyful hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints, for GOD’S LOVE has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” the Amplified Translation.

REMEMBER: THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!!