John 15:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

NIV: This is my command: Love each other.

NASB: This I command you, that you love one another.

CSB: "This is what I command you: Love one another.

NLT: This is my command: Love each other.

KJV: These things I command you, that ye love one another.

NKJV: These things I command you, that you love one another.

For the third time in this discourse, Jesus refers to the Christian obligation to love others (John 13:34; 15:12). This is given an extremely high standard (John 15:12) and involves a very practical approach. Part of Jesus' teaching here is that His followers are not "above" Him (John 13:16). Christ lived out an example of humble service (John 13:12–13). Therefore, anyone who claims to be a Christian ought to be humble and loving towards other people (John 13:34–35), and especially towards other Christians (1 John 4:20–21).

Jesus has also tied the concepts of obedience and love together. He made it clear that those who truly love Him will naturally follow His teachings (John 14:15; 15:14). Christians can and do succumb to sin, at times (1 John 1:9–10). However, the normal, expected pattern of a person's life says a great deal about their relationship to Christ. Those who obey, and bear spiritual fruit, give evidence that they have been saved and are connected to the "True Vine" (John 15:1, 4). Those who do not obey are giving evidence they're only "around" the truth, not a part of it (John 15:2).

John 15:12–17 builds on Christ's explanation of the vine and branches. Once again, Jesus commands His followers to demonstrate love toward each other. This is phrased, in no uncertain terms, as an obligation given directly by Christ. Jesus once again ties willingness to obey to the legitimacy of one's love for Him. This contrasts with the hatred shown by the unbelieving world, which He discusses in the following passage.

This passage begins with a celebrated analogy from Christ: the vine and the branches. This includes the seventh and final "I Am" statement of the gospel of John. Jesus uses this metaphor to explain how our spiritual life, as born-again believers, is drawn from His life. God's intent for our lives is to progress from barrenness to fruitfulness, to spiritual abundance. Jesus also repeats His command for believers to love each other. In this context, He goes so far as to refer to those who follow His teachings as His "friends."

Jesus is in the middle of a long discourse given to the disciples, which began during the last supper. He presents the analogy of a vine and branches, then repeats His command for believers to love each other. Jesus also warns about how the unbelieving world will hate and persecute Christians. This leads into the teachings of chapter 16, which focus on perseverance in the face of trials.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.