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Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers John 15:9–17. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Christ, who is love itself, is here discoursing concerning love, a fourfold love.
I.Concerning the Father's love to him; and concerning this he here tells us,
1.That the Father did love him (Joh 15:9): As the Father hath loved me. He loved him as Mediator: This is my beloved Son. He was the Son of his love. He loved him, and gave all things into his hand; and yet so loved the world as to deliver him up for us all. When Christ was entering upon his sufferings he comforted himself with this, that his Father loved him. Those whom God loves as a Father may despise the hatred of all the world.
2.That he abode in his Father's love, Joh 15:10. He continually loved his Father, and was beloved of him. Even when he was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, yet he abode in his Father's love. See Psa 89:33. Because he continued to love his Father, he went cheerfully through his sufferings, and therefore his Father continued to love him.
3.That therefore he abode in his Father's love because he kept his Father's law: I have kept my Father's commandments, as Mediator, and so abide in his love. Hereby he showed that he continued to love his Father, that he went on, and went through, with his undertaking, and therefore the Father continued to love him. His soul delighted in him, because he did not fail, nor was discouraged, Isa 42:1-4. We having broken the law of creation, and thereby thrown ourselves out of the love of God; Christ satisfied for us by obeying the law of redemption, and so he abode in his love, and restored us to it.
II.Concerning his own love to his disciples. Though he leaves them, he loves them. And observe here,
1.The pattern of this love: As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. A strange expression of the condescending grace of Christ! As the Father loved him, who was most worthy, he loved them, who were most unworthy. The Father loved him as his Son, and he loves them as his children. The Father gave all things into his hand; so, with himself, he freely giveth us all things. The Father loved him as Mediator, as head of the church, and the great trustee of divine grace and favour, which he had not for himself only, but for the benefit of those for whom he was entrusted; and, says he, "I have been a faithful trustee. As the Father has committed his love to me, so I transmit it to you." Therefore the Father was well pleased with him, that he might be well pleased with us in him; and loved him, that in him, as beloved, he might make us accepted, Eph 1:6.
2.The proofs and products of this love, which are four: -
(1.)Christ loved his disciples, for he laid down his life for them (Joh 15:13): Greater proof of love hath no man to show than this, to lay down his life for his friend. And this is the love wherewith Christ hath loved us, he is our antipsuchos - bail for us, body for body, life for life, though he knew our insolvency, and foresaw how much the engagement would cost him. Observe here,
[1.]The extent of the love of the children of men to one another. The highest proof of it is laying down one's life for a friend, to save his life, and perhaps there have been some such heroic achievements of love, more than plucking out one's own eyes, Gal 4:15. If all that a man has he will give for his life, he that gives this for his friend gives all, and can give no more; this may sometimes be our duty, Jo1 3:16. Paul was ambitious of the honour (Phi 2:17); and for a good man some will even dare to die, Rom 5:7. It is love in the highest degree, which is strong as death.
[2.]The excellency of the love of Christ beyond all other love. He has not only equaled, but exceeded, the most illustrious lovers. Others have laid down their lives, content that they should be taken from them; but Christ gave up his, was not merely passive, but made it his own act and deed. The life which others have laid down has been but of equal value with the life for which it was laid down, and perhaps less valuable; but Christ is infinitely more worth than ten thousand of us. Others have thus laid down their lives for their friends, but Christ laid down his for us when we were enemies, Rom 5:8, Rom 5:10. Plusquam ferrea aut lapidea corda esse oportet, quae non emolliet tam incomparabilis divini amoris suavitas - Those hearts must be harder than iron or stone which are not softened by such incomparable sweetness of divine love. - Calvin
(2.)Christ loved his disciples, for he took them into a covenant of friendship with himself, Joh 15:14, Joh 15:15. "If you approve yourselves by your obedience my disciples indeed, you are my friends, and shall be treated as friends." Note, The followers of Christ are the friends of Christ, and he is graciously pleased to call and account them so. Those that do the duty of his servants are admitted and advanced to the dignity of his friends. David had one servant in his court, and Solomon one in his, that was in a particular manner the king's friend (Sa2 15:37; Kg1 4:5); but this honour have all Christ's servants. We may in some particular instance befriend a stranger; but we espouse all the interests of a friend, and concern ourselves in all his cares: thus Christ takes believers to be his friends. He visits them and converses with them as his friends, bears with them and makes the best of them, is afflicted in their afflictions, and takes pleasure in their prosperity; he pleads for them in heaven and takes care of all their interests there. Have friends but one soul? He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, Co1 6:17. Though they often show themselves unfriendly, he is a friend that loves at all times. Observe how endearingly this is expressed here.
[1.]He will not call them servants, though they call him Master and Lord. Those that would be like Christ in humility must not take a pride in insisting upon all occasions on their authority and superiority, but remember that their servants are their fellow-servants. But,
[2.]He will call them his friends; he will not only love them, but will let them know it; for in his tongue is the law of kindness. After his resurrection he seems to speak with more affectionate tenderness of and to his disciples than before. Go to my brethren, Joh 20:17. Children, have you any meat? Joh 21:5. But observe, though Christ called them his friends, they called themselves his servants: Peter, a servant of Christ (Pe1 1:1), and so James, Jam 1:1. The more honour Christ puts upon us, the more honour we should study to do him; the higher in his eyes, the lower in our own.
(3.)Christ loved his disciples, for he was very free in communicating his mind to them (Joh 15:15): "Henceforth you shall not be kept so much in the dark as you have been, like servants that are only told their present work; but, when the Spirit is poured out, you shall know your Master's designs as friends. All things that I have heard of my Father I have declared unto you." As to the secret will of God, there are many things which we must be content not to know; but, as to the revealed will of God, Jesus Christ has faithfully handed to us what he received of the Father, Joh 1:18; Mat 11:27. The great things relating to man's redemption Christ declared to his disciples, that they might declare them to others; they were the men of his counsel, Mat 13:11.
(4.)Christ loved his disciples, for he chose and ordained them to be the prime instruments of his glory and honour in the world (Joh 15:16): I have chosen you, and ordained you, His love to them appeared,
[1.]In their election, their election to their apostleship (Joh 6:70): I have chosen you twelve. It did not begin on their side: You have not chosen me, but I first chose you. Why were they admitted to such an intimacy with him, employed in such an embassy for him, and endued with such power from on high? It was not owing to their wisdom and goodness in choosing him for their Master, but to his favour and grace in choosing them for his disciples. It is fit that Christ should have the choosing of his own ministers; still he does it by his providence and Spirit. Though ministers make that holy calling their own choice, Christ's choice is prior to theirs and directs and determines it. Of all that are chosen to grace and glory it may be said, They have not chosen Christ, but he had chosen them, Deu 7:7, Deu 7:8.
[2.]In their ordination: I have ordained you; hethēka humas - "I have put you into the ministry (Ti1 1:12), put you into commission." By this it appeared that he took them for his friends when he crowned their heads with such an honour, and filled their hands with such a trust. It was a mighty confidence he reposed in them, when he made them his ambassadors to negotiate the affairs of his kingdom in this lower world, and the prime ministers of state in the administration of it. The treasure of the gospel was committed to them, First, That it might be propagated: that you should go, hina humeis hupagēte - "that you should go as under a yoke or burden, for the ministry is a work, and you that go about it must resolve to undergo a great deal; that you may go from place to place all the world over, and bring forth fruit." They were ordained, not to sit still, but to go about, to be diligent in their work, and to lay out themselves unweariedly in doing good. They were ordained, not to beat the air, but to be instrumental in God's hand for the bringing of nations into obedience to Christ, Rom 1:13. Note, Those whom Christ ordains should and shall be fruitful; should labour, and shall not labour in vain. Secondly, That it might be perpetuated; that the fruit may remain, that the good effect of their labours may continue in the world from generation to generation, to the end of time. The church of Christ was not to be a short-lived thing, as many of the sects of the philosophers, that were a nine days' wonder; it did not come up in a night, nor should it perish in a night, but be as the days of heaven. The sermons and writings of the apostles are transmitted to us, and we at this day are built upon that foundation, ever since the Christian church was first founded by the ministry of the apostles and seventy disciples; as one generation of ministers and Christians has passed away, still another has come. By virtue of that great charter (Mat 28:19), Christ has a church in the world, which, as our lawyers say of bodies corporate, does not die, but lives in a succession; and thus their fruit remains to this day, and shall do while the earth remains.
[3.]His love to them appeared in the interest they had at the throne of grace: Whatsoever you shall ask of my Father, in my name, he will give it you. Probably this refers in the first place to the power of working miracles which the apostles were clothed with, which was to be drawn out by prayer. "Whatever gifts are necessary to the furtherance of your labours, whatever help from heaven you have occasion for at any time, it is but ask and have." Three things are here hinted to us for our encouragement in prayer, and very encouraging they are. First, That we have a God to go to who is a Father; Christ here calls him the Father, both mine and yours; and the Spirit in the word and in the heart teaches us to cry, Abba, Father. Secondly, That we come in a good name. Whatever errand we come upon to the throne of grace according to God's will, we may with a humble boldness mention Christ's name in it, and plead that we are related to him, and he is concerned for us. Thirdly, That an answer of peace is promised us. What you come for shall be given you. This great promise made to that great duty keeps up a comfortable and gainful intercourse between heaven and earth.
III.Concerning the disciples' love to Christ, enjoined in consideration of the great love wherewith he had loved them. Three things he exhorts them to: -
1.To continue in his love, Joh 15:9. "Continue in your love to me, and in mine to you." Both may be taken in. We must place our happiness in the continuance of Christ's love to us, and make it our business to give continued proofs of our love to Christ, that nothing may tempt us to withdraw from him, or provoke him to withdraw from us. Note, All that love Christ should continue in their love to him, that is, be always loving him, and taking all occasions to show it, and love to the end. The disciples were to go out upon service for Christ, in which they would meet with many troubles; but, says Christ, "Continue in my love. Keep up your love to me, and then all the troubles you meet with will be easy; love made seven years' hard service easy to Jacob. Let not the troubles you meet with for Christ's sake quench your love to Christ, but rather quicken it.
2.To let his joy remain in them, and fill them, Joh 15:11. This he designed in those precepts and promises given them.
(1.)That his joy might remain in them. The words are so placed, in the original, that they may be read either,
[1.]That my joy in you may remain. If they bring forth much fruit, and continue in his love, he will continue to rejoice in them as he had done. Note, Fruitful and faithful disciples are the joy of the Lord Jesus; he rests in his love to them, Zep 3:17. As there is a transport of joy in heaven in the conversion of sinners, so there is a remaining joy in the perseverance of saints. Or,
[2.]That my joy, that is, your joy in me, may remain. It is the will of Christ that his disciples should constantly and continually rejoice in him, Phi 4:4. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. The word of the Lord enduring for ever, the joys that flow from it, and are founded on it, do so too.
(2.)That your joy might be full; not only that you might be full of joy, but that your joy in me and in my love may rise higher and higher, till it come to perfection, when you enter into the joy of your Lord." Note,
[1.]Those and those only that have Christ's joy remaining in them have their joy full; worldly joys are empty, soon surfeit but never satisfy. It is only wisdom's joy that will fill the soul, Psa 36:8.
[2.]The design of Christ in his world is to fill the joy of his people; see Jo1 1:4. This and the other he hath said, that our joy might be fuller and fuller, and perfect at last.
3.To evidence their love to him by keeping his commandments: "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, Joh 15:10. This will be an evidence of the fidelity and constancy of your love to me, and then you may be sure of the continuance of my love to you." Observe here,
(1.)The promise "You shall abide in my love as in a dwelling place, at home in Christ's love; as in a resting place, at ease in Christ's love; as in a stronghold, safe in it. You shall abide in my love, you shall have grace and strength to persevere in loving me." If the same hand that first shed abroad the love of Christ in our hearts did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it, but, through the love of the world, should go out of love with Christ himself.
(2.)The condition of the promise: If you keep my commandments. The disciples were to keep Christ's commandments, not only by a constant conformity to them themselves, but by a faithful delivery of them to others; they were to keep them as trustees, in whose hands that great depositum was lodged, for they were to teach all things that Christ had commanded, Mat 28:20. This commandment they must keep without spot (Ti1 6:14), and thus they must show that they abide in his love.
To induce them to keep his commandments, he urges, [1.] His own example: As I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. Christ submitted to the law of mediation, and so preserved the honour and comfort of it, to teach us to submit to the laws of the Mediator, for we cannot otherwise preserve the honour and comfort of our relation to him. [2.] The necessity of it to their interest in him (Joh 15:14): "You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you and not otherwise." Note, First, Those only will be accounted Christ's faithful friends that approve themselves his obedient servants; for those that will not have him to reign over them shall be treated as his enemies. Idem velle et idem nolle ea demum vera est amicitia - Friendship involves a fellowship of aversions and attachments. - Sallust. Secondly, It is universal obedience to Christ that is the only acceptable obedience; to obey him in every thing that he commands us, not excepting, much less excepting against, any command.
IV.Concerning the disciples' love one to another, enjoined as an evidence of their love to Christ, and a grateful return for his love to them.
We must keep his commandments, and this is his commandment, that we love one another, Joh 15:12, and again, Joh 15:17. No one duty of religion is more frequently inculcated, nor more pathetically urged upon us, by our Lord Jesus, than that of mutual love, and for good reason.
1.It is here recommended by Christ's pattern (Joh 15:12): as I have loved you. Christ's love to us should direct and engage our love to each other; in this manner, and from this motive, we should love one another, as, and because, Christ has loved us. He here specifies some of the expressions of his love to them; he called them friends, communicated his mind to them, was ready to give them what they asked. Go you and do likewise.
2.It is required by his precept. He interposes his authority, has made it one of the statute-laws of his kingdom. Observe how differently it is expressed in these two verses, and both very emphatic.
(1.)This is my commandment (Joh 15:12), as if this were the most necessary of all the commandments. As under the law the prohibition of idolatry was the commandment more insisted on than any other, foreseeing the people's addictedness to that sin, so Christ, foreseeing the addictedness of the Christian church to uncharitableness, has laid most stress upon this precept.
(2.)These things I command you, Joh 15:17. He speaks as if he were about to give them many things in charge, and yet names this only, that you love one another; not only because this includes many duties, but because it will have a good influence upon all.
Historical interpretation
Eight Centuries of Reception
11 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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Discord cannot attain to the kingdom of heaven. The one who has done violence to the love of Christ by faithless dissension will not attain to the reward of Christ, who said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another.” Whoever does not have charity does not have God.
“This is my commandment.” Have you then only one precept? This is sufficient, even if it is unique and so great. Nevertheless he also said, “Do not kill,” because the one who loves does not kill. He said, “Do not steal,” because the one who loves does even more—he gives. He said, “Do not lie,” for the one who loves speaks the truth, against falsehood. “I give you a new commandment.” If you have not understood what “This is my commandment” means, let the apostle be summoned as interpreter and say, “The goal of his commandment is love.” What is its binding force? It is that of which [the Lord] spoke, “Whatever you want others to do to you, you should do also.” “Love one another” in accordance with this measure, “as I have loved you.” That is not possible, for you are our Lord who loves your servants. But we who are equals, how can we love one another as you have loved us? Nevertheless, he has said it.… His love is that he has called us his friends. If we were to give our life for you, would our love be equal to yours?… How then can what he said be explained, “As I have loved you”? “Let us die for each other,” he said. As for us, we do not even want to live for one another! “If I, who am your Lord and God, die for you, how much more should you die for one another.”
Do we fail to love according to the commandment of the Lord? Then we lose the distinctive mark imprinted on us. Are we puffed up till almost bursting with empty pride and arrogance? Then we fall into the inevitable condemnation of the devil.
"This is My commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you." Seest thou that the love of God is intertwined with our own, and connected like a sort of chain? Wherefore it sometimes saith that there are two commandments, sometimes only one. For it is not possible that the man who hath taken hold on the first should not possess the second also. For at one time He said, "On this the Law and the Prophets hang"; and at another, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." And, "Love is the fulfilling of the Law." Which He saith also here; for if to abide proceeds from love, and love from the keeping of the commandments, and the commandment is that we love one another, then the abiding in God proceeds from love towards each other. And He doth not simply speak of love, but declareth also the manner, "As I have loved you." Again He showeth, that His very departure was not of hatred but of love.
"These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be fulfilled"; that is, "that ye might not be separated from Me that ye might not cut short your course. Ye were rejoicing in Me, and ye were rejoicing exceedingly, but despondency hath fallen upon you. This then I remove, that joy may come at the last, showing that your present circumstances are fit cause, not for pain, but for pleasure. I saw you offended; I despised you not; I said not, 'Why do ye not continue noble?' But I spake to you words which brought comfort with them. And so I wish ever to keep you in the same love. Ye have heard concerning a kingdom, ye rejoiced. In order therefore that your joy might be fulfilled, I have spoken these things unto you."
(Tract. lxxxiii. 3) Where then love is, what can be wanting? Where it is not, what can profit? But this love is distinguished from men's love to each other as men, by adding, As I have loved you. To what end did Christ love us, but that we should reign with Him? Let us therefore so love one another, as that our love be different from that of other men; who do not love one another, to the end that God may be loved, because they do not really love at all. They who love one another for the sake of having God within them, they truly love one another.
"This," He says, "is my injunction, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." Whether we call it injunction or commandment, both are the rendering of the same Greek word, entole. But He had already made this same announcement on a former occasion, when, as ye ought to remember, I expounded it to you to the best of my ability. For this is what He says there, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." And so the repetition of this commandment is its commendation: only that there He said, "A new commandment I give unto you;" and here, "This is my commandment:" there, as if there had been no such commandment before; and here, as if He had no other commandment to give them. But there it is spoken of as "new," to keep us from persevering in our old courses; here, it is called "mine," to keep us from treating it with contempt.
But when He said in this way here, "This is my commandment," as if there were none else, what are we to think, my brethren? Is, then, the commandment about that love wherewith we love one another, His only one? Is there not also another that is still greater,-that we should love God? Or has God in very truth given us such a charge about love alone, that we have no need of searching for others? There are three things at least that the apostle commends when he says, "But now abide faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." And although in charity, that is, in love, are comprehended the two commandments; yet it is here declared to be the greatest only, and not the sole one. Accordingly, what a host of commandments are given us about faith, what a multitude about hope! Who is there that could collect them together, or suffice to number them? But let us ponder the words of the same apostle: "Love is the fullness of the law." And so, where there is love, what can be wanting? and where it is not, what is there that can possibly be profitable? The devil believes, but does not love: no one loveth who doth not believe. One may, indeed, hope for pardon who does not love, but he hopes in vain; but no one can despair who loves. Therefore, where there is love, there of necessity will there be faith and hope; and where there is the love of our neighbor, there also of necessity will be the love of God. For he that loveth not God, how loveth he his neighbour as himself, seeing that he loveth not even himself? Such an one is both impious and iniquitous; and he that loveth iniquity, manifestly loveth not, but hateth his own soul. Let us, therefore, be holding fast to this precept of the Lord, to love one another; and then all else that is commanded we shall do, for all else we have contained in this. But this love is distinguished from that which men bear to one another as such; for in order to mark the distinction, it is added, "as I have loved you." And wherefore is it that Christ loveth us, but that we may be fitted to reign with Christ? With this aim, therefore, let us also be loving one another, that we may manifest the difference of our love from that of others, who have no such motive in loving one another, because the love itself is wanting. But those whose mutual love has the possession of God Himself for its object, will truly love one another; and, therefore, even for the very purpose of loving one another, they love God. There is no such love as this in all men; for few have this motive for their love one to another, that God may be all in all.
He now makes clearer by the illustration here given the meaning of the preceding passage; that is, the necessity of His disciples having His joy in them; and clearly says, "I give you this injunction, and teach those who think they ought to follow Me to do this, and be thus minded to practise such manner of love towards one another as I have heretofore shown and fulfilled." How great a measure can a man then find to the love of Christ, He Himself shows when He says that nothing can be greater than such love, which excites to forsake life itself for those one loves. And by all this He not only exhorts His own disciples that it becomes them so little to shrink from fearing to encounter dangers for those they love, but that also He Himself without shrinking held Himself in utmost readiness to undergo the death of the flesh. For the power of our Saviour's love attained so great a measure. And these words were borne out by His action, and by His encouragement to His disciples to attain an exceeding great and extraordinary courage, and by His exhorting them to the perfection of brotherly love, and fencing their hearts with the armour of enthusiasm and love of God, and raising them up into a zeal invincible and undaunted, so as impetuously to hasten to establish everything according to His good pleasure. Such a man Paul showed himself to us, when he said, For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. And again: For the love of Christ constraineth us: because we thus judge that one died for all, therefore all died. And besides: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Note how he promises that nothing shall be able to overcome it or prevail to cut us off from the love of Christ. But if tending the flocks and feeding the lambs of Christ be to love Him, is it not quite clear that he who preaches the word of salvation to those who know not God will prevail over death, persecution, and the sword, and will think distress of no account at all? And, if it be fitting to condense the meaning and to compress the words of our Saviour, and to express in a few words what He wishes His disciples to do, He bids them to keep their hearts undaunted and free from every fear, and minister the word of faith in Him, and to preach the Gospel to all who are in the world. And the selfsame command He gives by the word of the prophet Esaias: O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain. O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; be strong, fear not. And we shall find that the holy disciples themselves have power to do this aright, when they ask of God by earnest prayer: for on one occasion, accusing the madness of the Jews, they exclaimed: And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants to speak Thy word with boldness.
For those who resist and impiously rail against such as openly minister the Gospel are very many. But even if the terror be keen and the waves of evil counsel rise up most dreadfully, there will be no mention of suffering among His true disciples until the righteous acts that proceed from love attain their end----such love, I mean, as our Saviour set forth to us as a pattern, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, in order that He might accomplish salvation for those who have sinned. And if He had not been willing to suffer for us, we should be still dead, servants of the devil, fools and blind, and remaining in need of everything good, and slaves of pleasure and sin; having no hope, and without God in the world. But now the Saviour has even given His life for us from the love that He has unto us, and, exhibiting an incomparable love of mankind, has made us enviable and thrice-blessed, in want of no manner of thing that is good.
The meaning then of the text as thus conceived will fit in with the inspired chapters of the disciples. And if the saying shall go forth to all the world, that is, This is My commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you, much profit will result to all from the investigation. For if love towards brethren keeps and works the fulfilment of the whole command of our Saviour, how will not he who tries as far as possible to accomplish this without laying himself open to censure and blame be very worthy of admiration, since the sum. of all the virtues, so to speak, is stored up in it? For love towards one another is next to love to God, and all the power of righteousness towards God is concluded as in this one word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
(Hom. xxvii. in Evang.) But when all our Lord's sacred discourses are full of His commandments, why does He give this special commandment respecting love, if it is not that every commandment teaches love, and all precepts are one? Love and love only is the fulfilment of every thing that is enjoined. As all the boughs of a tree proceed from one root, so all the virtues are produced from one love: nor hath the branch, i. e. the good work, any life, except it abide in the root of love.
While all of sacred Scripture is full of the Lord's commandments, why does the Lord speak of love as if it were a singular commandment, saying: "This is my commandment, that you love one another," unless it is because every commandment concerns love alone, and all commandments are one, since whatever is commanded is grounded in charity alone? For just as many branches of a tree proceed from one root, so many virtues are generated from one charity. Nor does the branch of a good work have any greenness if it does not remain in the root of charity. Therefore the Lord's commandments are both many and one: many through the diversity of works, one in the root of love. Moreover, how this love should be maintained, he himself indicates, who in many passages of his Scripture commands both that friends be loved in him, and that enemies be loved for his sake. For he truly has charity who both loves a friend in God and loves an enemy for the sake of God. For there are some who love their neighbors, but through the affection of kinship and flesh, whom nevertheless sacred Scripture does not contradict in this love. But it is one thing that is freely given to nature, another that is owed to obedience from charity through the Lord's commandments. These indeed love their neighbor, and yet they do not attain those sublime rewards of love, because they bestow their love not spiritually but carnally. Therefore when the Lord said: "This is my commandment, that you love one another," he immediately added: "As I have loved you." As if he were saying openly: Love for the same purpose for which I loved you.
Having said, If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, He shows what commandments they are to keep: This is My commandment, That ye love one another.
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Summary
John 15:12 encapsulates the core of Jesus' final instructions to His disciples, presenting mutual love as the defining characteristic and paramount command for those who follow Him. This divine injunction is not merely a suggestion but a foundational principle, setting the standard for all Christian relationships by pointing to Christ's own self-sacrificial love as the ultimate model and motivation.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within Jesus' Farewell Discourse (John 13-17), delivered to His disciples in the Upper Room on the night before His crucifixion. Following the Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet, Jesus transitions from preparing them for His physical departure to instructing them on how to live in His absence. The immediate preceding verses (John 15:1-11) establish the profound metaphor of the "true vine" and its branches, emphasizing the absolute necessity of abiding in Christ to bear spiritual fruit. Bearing fruit is directly linked to keeping His commandments, and the command to love one another, presented in John 15:12, is the climax and summation of these ethical demands, flowing directly from their union with Him. It is the practical outworking of abiding.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus' command was given to Jewish disciples steeped in the Mosaic Law, which included the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). However, Jesus elevates and redefines this command, providing a new standard: His own love. The setting of the Upper Room, likely during or immediately after the Passover meal, imbued His words with solemnity and urgency. Disciples in that era lived in close-knit communities, and the quality of their internal relationships was crucial for their survival and witness in a hostile world. This command would have resonated deeply, challenging their existing understanding of communal obligations and elevating the concept of love beyond mere social cohesion to a divine imperative, distinct from the prevailing Roman or Greek societal norms which often prioritized self-interest or honor.
Key Themes
John 15:12 serves as a pivotal expression of several overarching themes in John's Gospel and the broader New Testament. Firstly, it underscores The Centrality of Love as the defining characteristic of Christ's followers. Jesus explicitly calls this "my commandment," elevating it above all other ethical directives and echoing His earlier declaration of a "new commandment" in John 13:34. Secondly, it establishes The Standard of Christ's Love as the benchmark for all believers. The crucial qualifier, "as I have loved you," sets an incredibly high, sacrificial, and unconditional standard, exemplified by His entire life of service and culminating in His imminent death on the cross, as further elaborated in John 15:13. This standard moves beyond mere human affection to a divine, self-giving love. Thirdly, the command highlights The Distinctive Witness of the Church. This mutual, sacrificial love is intended to be the identifying mark of Christ's disciples, distinguishing them from the world and serving as a powerful testimony to the transforming power of the Gospel, as Jesus Himself states in John 13:35.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From entellomai, meaning "injunction" or "authoritative prescription." This word signifies a directive or precept given with authority. When Jesus states, "This is my commandment," He is not offering a suggestion or a mere piece of advice, but a binding, non-negotiable decree. It carries the weight of divine authority, making love not an option but a foundational obligation for His disciples.
This verb, agapáō, denotes a profound, selfless, and volitional love. Unlike phileō (brotherly affection) or eros (romantic love), agapáō is a love that chooses to act for the good of the other, often involving sacrifice, regardless of feelings or whether the recipient is deserving. It is the divine love exemplified by God Himself towards humanity (John 3:16) and is commanded of believers as a conscious act of the will.
This reciprocal pronoun emphasizes the mutual nature of the love commanded. It is not merely individual acts of love directed outward, but a communal, reciprocal dynamic within the body of believers. This "one another" aspect signifies the horizontal dimension of love, flowing between members of the Christian community, reflecting the vertical love received from Christ.
Verse Breakdown
"This is my commandment,"
Jesus introduces the command with a definitive statement, emphasizing its singular importance and His personal authority as the one issuing it. It's presented as the paramount command, not merely a command among many. This sets the stage for the specific content that follows, underscoring its weight and significance for His followers.
"That ye love one another,"
This is the core directive. It calls for a specific kind of relationship within the community of believers—one characterized by agapē love. The emphasis is on reciprocity and mutuality, indicating that this love is to be a defining feature of their interactions and a bond that unites them as His disciples. It is an active, outward-focused love directed towards fellow believers.
"as I have loved you."
This crucial qualifier establishes the standard and model for their love. It is not a vague or subjective love, but one precisely patterned after Jesus' own love for them. This "as" (Greek, kathōs) points to the quality, nature, and extent of His love—a love that was self-sacrificial, unconditional, active, and ultimately culminated in His laying down His life for them. This standard elevates the command from a human ethical principle to a divine imitation.
Literary Devices
John 15:12 employs several significant literary devices. The most prominent is Command, as Jesus explicitly states, "This is my commandment," giving an authoritative directive that demands obedience. This is reinforced by the use of the subjunctive mood in "That ye love," indicating a purpose or result that is also a command. Secondly, Simile is central to the verse, found in the phrase "as I have loved you." This "as" (Greek, kathōs) creates a direct comparison, setting Jesus' own love as the perfect, imitable model for their mutual love. This simile provides both the standard and the motivation. Thirdly, there is a powerful element of Emphasis through repetition and placement; this command to love one another is a recurring theme in Jesus' farewell discourse (John 13:34-35), suggesting its supreme importance. Finally, the verse functions as a Summary Statement, encapsulating the practical outworking of the "abiding" metaphor from the preceding verses, showing that true abiding in Christ results in this specific, Christ-like love.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The command in John 15:12 is profoundly theological, revealing the very nature of God and the essence of the new covenant community. It underscores that love is not merely an emotion but a divine attribute and a volitional act, perfectly embodied in Jesus Christ. This love, agapē, is the hallmark of the triune God's relationship with humanity and the foundational ethic for those who bear His name. By commanding His disciples to love "as I have loved you," Jesus establishes a new, higher standard of love that transcends human capabilities and points to the necessity of divine empowerment. This love is the visible manifestation of their union with Christ and the spiritual fruit of abiding in Him, demonstrating the reality of their transformation and their participation in the divine nature. It is the practical outworking of the Gospel, making the invisible God visible through the actions of His people.
Reflection and Application
John 15:12 calls believers today to a radical, counter-cultural way of life. In a world often driven by self-interest, division, and conditional relationships, Jesus' command challenges us to embody a love that is selfless, unifying, and unconditional. This is not a passive sentiment but an active, daily choice to prioritize the well-being of others, especially within the Christian community. It means extending grace, offering forgiveness, practicing patience, bearing one another's burdens, and actively seeking reconciliation, even when it is difficult or inconvenient. To love "as I have loved you" demands humility, sacrifice, and a willingness to put the needs of others before our own, mirroring Christ's example. When the church genuinely lives out this command, it becomes a compelling and authentic witness to the transforming power of the Gospel, drawing others to the source of such profound love. This love is the true measure of our discipleship and the most powerful apologetic for the Christian faith.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What makes Jesus' commandment to love "new" or different from previous commands to love?
While the Old Testament commanded love for one's neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), Jesus' command in John 15:12 is "new" for several crucial reasons. First, the standard is elevated: "as I have loved you." This sets an infinitely higher, divine, and self-sacrificial benchmark, exemplified by Jesus' perfect life and His impending death on the cross. Old Testament love, while important, did not have this ultimate divine model. Second, it's a defining mark of a new community, the church, established by Christ's redemptive work. As John 13:35 states, this specific kind of mutual love would identify His disciples to the world. Third, this love is empowered by the Holy Spirit, enabling believers to live out a love that is otherwise humanly impossible. It's a new quality of love, for a new covenant people, by a new divine power.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
John 15:12 finds its ultimate fulfillment and perfect embodiment in Jesus Christ Himself. He is not merely the giver of the commandment but its living demonstration. His entire life, from His incarnation to His crucifixion, was an uninterrupted act of agapē love for humanity. He "loved us and gave himself up for us" (Ephesians 5:2), perfectly fulfilling the "as I have loved you" clause by laying down His life for His friends (John 15:13) and even for His enemies (Romans 5:8). Through His death and resurrection, Christ not only provided the perfect example but also made it possible for His followers to obey this command. He poured out His Spirit, enabling believers to love with a divine love that transcends natural human affection (Romans 5:5). Thus, the command to love one another is not a burden but an invitation to participate in the very life and love of Christ, reflecting His character to a world desperately in need of His self-giving grace.