John 13:34 * January 1, 2007 * New Year’s Day * Pastor Pagels
In the name of the One who makes everything new, dear friends:
It is no surprise that there were few surprises in a recent top ten list of New Year’s resolutions for 2007. You could probably recite the list with me. The most popular resolutions include: exercising more, eating less, working less, spending less and quitting smoking.
How come that list never seems to change? Why do so many people make and break the same resolutions every year? I have a theory, and it has to do with prevailing attitudes toward New Year’s resolutions.
Most people have the desire to change the things they don’t like about themselves, but they rarely (if ever) have the resolve to follow through. It’s easy to identify the problem. It is not so easy to fix it. And if people don’t have a plan and stick to the plan, if they think to themselves, “I would sure like to make this change or kick that habit, but if I don’t there is always next year,” then failure is almost inevitable.
Jesus never broke a New Year’s resolution. He never broke one because he never made one. He never made one because he didn’t need to. He was perfect. But when the Lord looked around he saw plenty of imperfect people. He saw jealousy and hypocrisy. He saw selfishness and ignorance. And those are just a few of the faults Jesus identified in his own disciples.
Instead of suggesting that they try to improve themselves, instead of encouraging them to make resolutions to make themselves better, Jesus gave the disciples a command, a command that is two thousand years old, a command that will never grow old, a command that Jesus repeats to the disciples who have gathered in his house this morning. On this New Year’s Day the Lord gives us…
A NEW COMMAND FOR A NEW YEAR
I. What makes it new
II. What makes it possible
The time was just before the Passover Feast. The place was a rented upper room somewhere
in
Jesus was serious, more serious than usual. He had worked his way around the room washing
his disciples’ feet, one by one. He
followed up that unexpected act with this unexpected prediction: I tell you the truth, one of you is going
to betray me” (John
Jesus knew. Jesus knew what Judas was about to do. Jesus knew what he had to do. In a few short hours he would be arrested. In less than twenty four hours he would be condemned and crucified. But instead of thinking of himself, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was more concerned about his followers. Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for what was about to happen.
The gospel of John dedicates five chapters (almost 25% of
the book) to Jesus’ farewell address to his disciples. He comforted them. He consoled them. He prayed for them. But before he did any of
those things he said this: “A new
command I give you: Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John
This was by no means the first time the disciples had heard
those words. Moses had given essentially
the same command fifteen hundred years earlier when he told the children of
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took that command one step further when he declared: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43,44). When Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, he was repeating a spiritual truth that had been held by God’s people for centuries. So what exactly was it that made this command “new?”
This is one of those times when it is helpful to know a little Greek. In the Greek language there are two different words that are commonly translated, “new.” One word means new in respect to time, like when a couple rejoices upon the birth of their new baby.
The other word describes something that is new in quality. For example, let’s say that you remodel your kitchen. After the project is completed the room may look very different, but it is still a part of the existing house. And yet you might invite your friends over to take a look at your “new” kitchen.
Jesus uses the latter word here. His command wasn’t new in the sense that it had never been given before. The command for the disciples to love each other was new in respect to quality. And love was a quality that was sometimes lacking in the disciples.
Like the time when James and John asked for the places of honor on each side of Jesus in his glory. Their request rubbed the other disciples the wrong way. And the ensuing argument forced Jesus to bring them all together to remind them that greatness in God’s kingdom comes through service (Mark 10:35-45).
I would like to say that the disciples learned their lesson. I wish I could tell you that they didn’t get into anymore petty arguments. But they did. On the very night Jesus gave them the command to love one another these grown men got into another dispute about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24).
Were the disciples being selfish? Yes. Were they more interested in self-promotion than service? Yes. The disciples were guilty of many things, but at the most basic level they were lacking in genuine Christian love. That is why they needed to hear Jesus’ words. That is why we need to hear Jesus’ words.
Jesus warns us that in the end times (and we are living in the end times) “the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). As we look back at the year that has just come to a close, we have to ask ourselves: How do those words apply to me? Have I been selfless or selfish? Have I let go of my anger or am I still holding on to bitterness? Am I on fire to serve my God and my neighbor or would it be a stretch to say that I am even lukewarm?
For our loveless words and actions, we need to repent. We need to repent, but we do not need to despair. We don’t have to despair because the one who has given us the command to love one another has also given us the motivation and the means do it. And as we ponder his words, we will discover what makes obeying his commands possible.
Jesus said: “A new
command I give you: Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John
Jesus says: “I loved you by leaving the glory of heaven. I loved you by taking on your flesh and blood. I loved you by taking on your sin and guilt. I loved you by shedding my innocent blood. I loved you by dying in your place. I have always loved you, and I always will.”
John was the writer who copied down Jesus’ command to love one another. John was the disciple who witnessed Jesus’ love for the world displayed on the cross. John 3:16 proves that John understood the liberating power of God’s love. I John 4:19 demonstrates that he also understood the motivating power of God’s love: “We love because he first loved us.”
I love God because he loved me first. Because Jesus has forgiven my mountain of sins, I will forgive my spouse and my kids and my co-workers and everyone else for the comparatively minor things they have done to me. Because Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross, I will make the acronym, J-O-Y (Jesus-Others-Yourself), my personal motto for 2007. Because Jesus loved us literally to death, we will love one another.
If you are among the millions of Americans who have made resolutions today, God bless you. I hope that you are able to achieve your goals. But even if you don’t, even if you haven’t made any personal resolutions, don’t forget that the Lord has given you a new command on this New Year’s Day.
Because God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22,23), the sins of the past year have been forgotten. Because everyone who is in Christ is a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17), our future glory is secure. Because Jesus’ love makes it possible for us to do what he commands us to do, we will obey him. Because he loved us first, we love him, and we will love one another. Amen.