The Commanding Christ
Scripture Reading: John 15:1-27
Meditation
As Jesus moves closer to his death, he moves closer to his disciples. The final moments that he shares with them are sacred treasures. He wants to bury these treasures deep into their hearts, safe from thieves, secure from robbers, and protected from the approaching pirate of death.
He sees their troubled hearts and promises them his presence, a place in heaven, and a peace unlike the world could ever give.
Nothing is held back.
He senses their grief and so he weeps with them. He lays bare his heart. Pours out his love.
Nothing is hidden.
He knows their fear of the future and prays for their protection.
“Please, Father. Nothing harmful.”
His final prayers create a crown of jewels: not only a protective covering for their head but also a reminder that they are royalty.
His last breath is a ransom for many.
Debt paid in full!
As he prepares for his death, he cherishes the final hours with them. Nothing else matters or exists. In one evening, he lives a lifetime of love. He leaves nothing unsaid, nothing undone, nothing unclear.
On this final night, all he wants is love.
But the love that Jesus desires speaks another language. Simple words fail to capture the depth, the color, and the texture of his longing and so he exchanges the black and white order of words for the palette and array of a word picture.
He paints a metaphor—a vine, branches, and fruit.
He in them. They in him.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
He’s the vine and they are the branches. They are joined, connected, and grafted into him by love. He loves them and they are to live in that love as well as love out of it. They are to bear fruit: much fruit, fruit that will last.
If bad fruit results, then the branch is attached to the wrong vine. But if there’s much fruit—fruit that lasts—then, it’s a sure sign and witness to the world that they are connected to Him. But the fruit at the end of the vine is only a by-product and a result of the relationship.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
With the image painted, Jesus leaves the colorful metaphor of the vineyard. He now speaks plainly: no figures to figure out, no layered meanings. He simply says,
“Love each other as I have loved you.”
It’s a command, but it’s a command flowing from the authority of example and not the threat of punishment. He doesn’t shout,
“Just love! Do it! I command it.”
For the Commanding Christ, forced love is no love. Rather he whispers,
“Just as I have loved you, you also love.”
Love is a response. A result. The fruit of a relationship with him.
Prayer
Father,
In the final hours of your Son’s life, when time was short and words needed to be few, he gathered his disciples around him. In a solemn and yet soothing way he promised them his presence. He prayed for their protection and he commanded them to love one another. At the root of his command, there was a living example, not a heavy-handed mandate:
“Love each other as I have loved you.”
Your Son knew that forced love was no love. It must happen spontaneously, internally not externally. It must grow, blossom, and then bear fruit.
As he laid the seed of his soul into the soil of their hearts, he spoke of a vine, branches, and fruit—living metaphors for his love. He wanted them to remain in his love as well as live out of it. With him, relationship was the key.
During this day, I want to be connected to the Commanding Christ. I want to live in his love and love out of his example. I want to bear much fruit, fruit that will last. Help me understand that the seed of His love is sacrifice and the fruit of his sacrifice is new life.
It’s in his name I pray. Amen.
Reflection
What’s the greatest act of love that anyone has shown you?
What does “abiding” in Christ look like? How does it happen?
How does the Commanding Christ prompt you to love?
What does it mean to live in the love of the Commanding Christ as well as live out of his example?
All Scripture references in the meditation are marked by italics and are taken from the Gospel reading for the day (John 15:1-27). Those verses quoted outside of the chosen reading for the day are noted in parenthesis. All Scripture quoted on this site is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
