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Author: Stephen Weller
723 words, 4 minutes read time

The Importance of Loving Jesus

Scripture: John 14:23-26

In the previous lesson Jesus promised that he would not leave the disciples as orphans but would return to them after his death. He also pointed out the importance of loving him and obeying his commandments. In this lesson we will see further the importance of loving Jesus and keeping his commandments.

Jn 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

Jesus will now explain the important of loving him. If we love him then a consequence will be to keep (or obey) his word (or commands), and we will be loved by the Father. It is true that God loves everyone (John 3:16), but those of us who love Jesus and are born spiritually are children of the Father and thus are loved with a greater intensity and kindness. As God, Jesus loves all, but because of his love for those to be given to him by his Father, he was willing to give his life.

Those who love Jesus and thus the Father results in an invitation for them to come and make their home with us. Just as the Father and the Son now make their home with us in this age, Jesus is preparing for us a place in heaven where we will one day live with God. On the other hand, those who do not love Jesus will not keep his word but live in disobedience to it and continue on their way to eternal destruction in hell.

The things Jesus is telling them is not from Jesus alone, but is in full agreement with the Father’s will as there is perfect unity between them in what they do and say. Jesus was sent by the Father for a particular purpose and what Jesus says is always part of that purpose.

Jn 14:25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

While living on earth, Jesus is teaching about various things and backing it up in many cases with signs, but the time is coming when Jesus will return to his place in heaven. Shortly after his return, Pentecost will occur, and the Holy Spirit will come and reside in the life of each believer. He will bring to remembrance and give understanding of all the things he told his disciples. This is an important promise regarding the disciples’ future role in writing the words of Scripture. What is being said here applies specifically to the disciples, who would become the apostles after Pentecost.

There is, however, a broader teaching and guiding ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. We see this in the following: Romans 8:14 ESV: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”; Galatians 5:16, 18 ESV: ¹⁶ “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”; and John 16:13 ESV: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Conclusion

It is important that we love Jesus and maintain that love is a growth mode. If we don’t we end up being like those believers at the church in Ephesus, who were told: ⁴ “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”