EASTER 6

May 13/14, 2012

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: John 15:9-17

“ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH JESUS?”

1.     You have every reason to be.

2.     You have ways to show it.

John 15:9-17 (NIV 1984)  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. ⁷ This is my command: Love each other.”

          So many things going on today, how do you fit them all together? In the Church year it’s the 6^th Sunday of Easter and we continue to rejoice at the difference a living Savior makes. Our nation is observing Mother’s Day and so we have thoughts of our mother’s love for us and our love for our mothers. At St. Jacobi it’s Examination Sunday where the confirmands are asked a lot of questions. How do you fit them all together?  How about an examination question based on love that is all about Jesus? Here it is. Are you in love with Jesus/

          As you heard from Jesus you have every reason to be. He says,  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Jesus reminds us of His great love for us. Just like children don’t do anything to become the children of their parents we didn’t do anything to earn Jesus love. He loved us first. We know the extent of that love. Our mothers carried us around for 9 months and went through discomfort and pain to bring us into the world or loved us from afar and went through great expense to adopt us. Jesus suffered Hell for us. Jesus fought through every temptation for us. Jesus endured living among sin for 33 years for us. Jesus loves us.

          That’s one reason for us to love Jesus in return but there is more. “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Often times when people choose people it’s for what they can do for them. And so on my playground you always chose Mark Sellnow for your kickball team because his massive leg meant a sure homerun whenever he was up. Mother’s do a little better.  Mothers don’t get to choose their children or what they will be like. God gives them to them. Mothers who adopt children don’t know what their children will be like but they adopt them anyway. Just like it is between children and mothers, no one can decide to choose Jesus. He chooses. But His choosing is different. Jesus chooses us even though He knows we are sinners, that we have, are and will continue to struggle with selfishness. It’s like he chooses the worst players for His team. He chooses sinners like you and me.

          And His loves goes even further. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Jesus calls us friends! Although He has every right to call us slaves, servants or anything He wants, He calls us His friends. He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords and He calls us friends. He’s the one and only Son of God and He calls us His friends. He’s the one who’s going to judge the living and the dead and He calls us friends. He’s made known to us the Father’s business, His plan to save souls and to use us to get the message out. We’re His friends. We have every reason to love Jesus.

          Now it’s examination time. Are you in love with Jesus? Jesus says we are to remain in His love. That means to stay surrounded by it, empowered by it and changed by it. If we are in love with Jesus it will show.

          Just like children’s love for their mothers shows. Children I know you’re your moms appreciate what you do for them on Mother’s Day. They are happy for the hugs, the kisses, the cards, the gifts you make and the gifts you buy, flowers and everything else. But you know what they would appreciate more? Your willing obedience all year long. That’s a meaningful way to show love to them and the most meaningful way to show love for Jesus. “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.” Obedience to Jesus because we want to is a sign that we are in love with Jesus and are remaining in the love He has shown us. That’s why we learn His commands and strive to keep them. We strive to put God first in our lives. We are careful with the use of God’s name. We prioritize worship. We obey with respect those in authority over us. We protect other’s lives and don’t try to make their lives miserable with hurtful words and actions. No matter what kind of misuse of sex is allowed in our country we uphold God’s will for a one man/ one woman marriage and sex used only within marriage. We strive to be content and use money and things in God pleasing ways. We watch carefully how we talk about others and try to protect their reputations. We spread the Gospel. We teach everything Jesus has commanded. These are His commands and obedience to them demonstrates love for Jesus. So what does it say if Jesus examines us and finds that we regularly misuse His name or are casual in scheduling worship time or wear down our parents, teachers and others in authority by making them force us to obey? What does it say if we make someone’s life so miserable they don’t want to go to school or if the people of God are living together without being married or using His gift of sex before marriage? What if we aren’t content and we are using money and things selfishly? Then can we really say we are in love with Jesus?

          Hear His words again, “Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ 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… ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.^{1 7} This is my command: Love each other.” This week we will celebrate Jesus’ Ascension into heaven. It is a reminder that we don’t have Jesus with us visibly in person to show our love to. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have Jesus to show love to. He has left us with each other. A meaningful way to show our love for Jesus and to test ourselves to see if we are remaining in Jesus’ love is to see how we are treating each other. Love each other as I have loved you.” Think for a minute. How has Jesus loved you? He gave Himself for you. He loves you by taking you where you are at and helping you get better. He doesn’t leave you even when you are mean to Him. He loves by giving.

          Now are you in love with Jesus? How are you treating each other? Think of the different Jesus’s in your life. Who is your each other? Do you have parents, children, a spouse? Do you have co-workers or classmates, fellow church members? These are your each other. Think of those relationships. Are you a giver or a taker? Loving each other as Jesus loved us means giving what they need. Attention, affection, a shoulder to cry on. Understanding. Apologies. Forgiveness. Helping each other get better instead of pushing each other away. Remain in my love.

          And the result is happiness. I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “If mom ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” I heard another one recently that is similar but different. It was advice to newlyweds that said, “Happy wife. Happy life.” Both phrases talk about a human being’s desire to be happy. And while there are some general truisms there it doesn’t really tell mom or wife how to be happy or help her. But Jesus does. In the midst of His encouragement to stay in His love is the happy nugget of truth. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Do you want to have happiness and joy on this earth while you wait for the complete joy of heaven? Heed the words of Jesus, the bookends of our text. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. Love each other.” Amen.