Love in Action

Read John 13:1–14:31

21. Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”
22. The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean.
23. The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table.
24. Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?”
25. So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”
26. Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
27. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.”
28. None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.
29. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. John 13:21-29

On a cold, rainy night when you can’t get to sleep, what thoughts arise? Do you think of people from your past who had a positive influence on your life? Do you remember the stories your mother or father read to you on nights like this? Or do you fantasize about your first kiss or marrying the person of your dreams?

All these thoughts have one thing in common: love. Appropriately, this reading has a lot to do with love, especially Jesus’ love for his disciples. Here Jesus demonstrates his love for them before giving them the ultimate command by which they should live. Look for Jesus’ dramatic demonstration of love, and compare your love with his.

Jesus commanded his disciples, “Just as I have loved you, you should love each other” (John 13:34). You know what happened next—Jesus died for their sins. This was the ultimate demonstration of love. As Christ’s followers reflected that love, others would surely notice (John 13:35).

What separates Christians from the rest of the world is love. If you belong to Christ, love others as he loved you. Help people when it’s not convenient. Give of your resources even when it hurts. Devote your energy to others’ welfare rather than your own, and absorb hurts from others without complaining or fighting back. This kind of love does not come naturally. That is why only God’s people, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can love unconditionally. This kind of love makes others sit up and notice.