1. Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen. The message from God’s Word for this 5th Sunday of Easter is taken from John 13:31-35, it’s entitled, “The Love of God in Christ,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. The song “One” by the Irish rock band U2 holds significant personal and artistic meaning for its lead singer, Bono. The song was released in 1991 as part of U2’s album Achtung Baby. The story behind “One” is often traced back to a particularly difficult period in Bono’s life. At the time, the band was experiencing internal conflicts and tensions, both personally and professionally. Bono himself was going through a rough patch in his marriage. The song’s lyrics reflect themes of unity, reconciliation, and the struggle to find common ground amid adversity: “One love, one blood, One life, you got to do what you should. . . .” Bono himself has described it as a song about forgiveness, both seeking it and granting it. Only love, true love, has the potential to unite and reveal our purpose in life. It’s as Bono sings: “One life with each other, sisters, brothers, One life, but we’re not the same. We get to carry each other, carry each other. . . .”
3. We get to carry each other. I find that this song captures the idea of shared humanity and the importance of empathy and understanding. We can sense that Bono, as a confessing Christian, got his inspiration from the words of the Gospel reading: “Love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34–35).
4. For us, it’s the Fifth Sunday of Easter, but in our text, for Jesus, it’s the last night before his crucifixion. He’s in the Upper Room with his disciples, sharing the Last Supper. One last chance to give them something—something to teach them, something to remember him by, something they can cling to. Their hearts are troubled (John 14:1). Jesus himself is facing great anguish. Surely it’s what we would call a “Gospel moment”—a moment when the word of God to be shared should be comfort, reassurance of what God is doing for us, a word that lifts the burden of grief off of us.
5. And what does Jesus speak? “A new commandment I give to you” (John 13:34). What? Another commandment? Weren’t ten enough—more than we can keep? It’s a Gospel moment, surely, and Jesus gives the disciples Law—something more for them to do. Love is good and nice and all, but commanding us to love is still Law. And this is a really hard commandment! “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.”
6. Yes, love always sounds good, and we know we ought to do it, but sometimes it’s really hard! See, our human condition is sinful, and we live in a broken world. Our world views love as sentimental, romantic, or emotional. That sounds nice, but romantic sentiments can just as quickly turn to disappointment, anger, hatred when our fantasies aren’t met. And emotional love for the neighbor fluctuates too, when we see his or her less than lovable qualities.
7. The Apostle Peter saw how hard it is to love (Acts 11:1–18). You’d think everyone would rejoice when Gentiles received the Gospel. Instead, Peter was immediately criticized: “They don’t belong! God’s never loved them!” We’ve all been on the hard end of trying to love the less-than-lovables—the grumpy coworker, the critical family member, the neighbor who never waves. It’s hard to love! This is a hard new commandment!
8. Jesus goes on, is this any help? “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you.” Doesn’t that just raise the bar higher? We’re supposed to love as lovingly as Jesus does? I know I don’t measure up to that! Ah! Not Jesus’ point! He doesn’t say, “as I have loved you” as an example for us to match. He’s saying that we are loved by him!
9. Think of the whole Passion story. It’s not about people loving one another or loving Jesus. It’s about Jesus loving Judas who betrays, Peter who denies, the priests who condemn, Pilate and the Romans who crucify him. Jesus is always on the hard end of loving people who are unlovable.
10. Jesus loves you! Now that is Gospel! Yes, that does help us love! Because Jesus’ “as I have loved” has loved us! The one love of God (that we’re commanded) is given in the one life of Christ for all.
11. Jesus loves you sacrificially— what the Bible calls in Greek ἀγάπη love, a love that is unconditional, no strings attached. He loves you by where he’ll go from the Upper Room: his death on the cross and resurrection. He loves everyone by offering forgiveness and reconciliation to all who believe in Him.
12. We couldn’t yet go where Jesus was going—and wouldn’t want to (John 13:31–33)—but someday we will go where Jesus has gone. Not to the cross. But to the mansions he’s prepared for us in heaven (John 14:2–3).
13. And that one love of God for all we experience right here in our congregation! In Word and Sacrament. In care and service here at Grace through our: Fellowship Committee, Grief Share, Stephen Ministry, ministering to God’s people at Willow Crest. Through the love we show to our ECC and School families and their children, and through the love our ladies in LWML show through their support of local and national missions, and that’s just naming a few of the things we do here at Grace to show our love to one another and to those within our community. Love as Jesus has loved you is transformational!
14. Turns out Jesus’ new commandment comes with just the Gospel we need to love it! “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Whom and how can you love as Jesus has loved you?
15. If Jesus really did have just one last word to leave with us, I’m confident it wouldn’t be another commandment. But the word that he has loved us—well, knowing that, I think our last word today can be the commandment to “love one another.” Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.
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