15:11
Why does Christ tells us to obey Him? Is it because He is a hard taskmaster? No, but because He wants our joy to be complete. Joy is not just a feeling, it is so much more than that. It is a life that is lived the way it is meant to be lived, a person who is at peace. We were created with a purpose. We did not come into existence by chance, the fact that we were created at all is fundamental to having a right understanding of who we are. And we were created with a purpose, but we rebelled against that purpose and that is the root of all our problems, of all our discontent. Jesus calls us back to that purpose, He calls us back home. He wants us to have His joy in our lives, and that joy was the joy of loving, obeying and knowing the Father completely. This is the joy that Jesus came to give us, and it is the most precious joy that a man or woman can have.
15:12
“My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you”. So an important part of what it means to obey Jesus is made clear. The question then is how did Jesus love the disciples? Well, He committed Himself to them, He sacrificed Himself for them, and He served them. Vitally, He did all this as One who was obedient to the Father and represented the Father. Jesus’ love is not just sentimental, not just serving, the obedience to the Father is central. He loved the Father above all else. We are to love each other as servants of Christ.
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