John 15:12

15:9-17 Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continue in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to him by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroad the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, yet names this only; it includes many duties.

John 15:12 . This is my commandment — This I especially enjoin you, whether as apostles or private Christians; that ye love one another — Cordially and constantly; even, if it be possible, with as great fervency and constancy, as I have loved you — So as to be ready to sacrifice your lives for each other, as I expose and give up mine for you. It is remarkable, that no one duty is more frequently inculcated, or more pathetically urged upon his disciples, by our Lord, than that of mutual love. This is my commandment, he says, as if it were the most necessary of all the commandments. The reason might be, 1st, That as under the law, the prohibition of idolatry was the commandment more insisted on than any other, because God foresaw the people would be prone to that sin; so Christ, foreseeing that the Christian Church would be addicted to uncharitable contentions and divisions, strife and animosity, thought proper to lay the greatest stress upon this precept. 2d, Mutual love among Christians is a duty which both includes many other duties, and has a good influence upon all: and to this duty, Christ’s love to us all should at once direct, animate, and urge us; he having thereby both shown us our duty in this respect, and laid us under the most powerful obligations to perform it.

Add to this, that our Lord was thus earnest in pressing his disciples to the duty of mutual love, not only because it was the great design of his gospel to promote it, but because this virtue exercised by his apostles and first disciples among themselves, and toward all mankind, would be one great means of making their preaching successful; just as Christ’s immense love to men will always have a great influence in drawing them to him.

John 15:12 . And that they might know definitely what His commandment ( John 15:10 ) is, He says, αὕτη … ὑμᾶς . “This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you.” Perhaps they expected minute, detailed instructions such as they had received when first sent out (Matthew 10). Instead of this, love was to be their sufficient guide. καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς .—His love was at once the source and the measure of theirs. In His love for them they were to find the spring of love to one another, and were to become transparencies through which His love would shine.

This is that which our Lord called the new commandment. John 13:34 : See Poole on "John 13:34" . He had before pressed the keeping of his words, continuing and abiding in his words, keeping his commandments, &c. Here he tells them what was his commandment: not his only commandment, but that which he laid a very great stress upon; a commandment most necessary to be pressed, because so necessary to keep up and uphold his church in the world, (love being the very ligament of that society), and because there was a greater failure in obedience to this than in some others, as may be learned from our Saviour’s correction of the Pharisees’ interpretation of that law, Matthew 5:1-48 . This he presseth to a higher degree, as he had loved them; not that it is possible that our love to our brethren can rise up in any proportion to that love wherewith Christ hath loved us; but to mind us to eye him, to press forward toward this mark. As here again doth not signify equality, but a comparison; as truly and sincerely as I have loved you, and pressing after the highest degree of love.

12–17 . The Union of the Disciples with one another in Christ 12 . This is my commandment ] Literally, This is the commandment that is Mine (see on John 14:17 ). In John 15:10 He said that to keep His commandments was the way to abide in His love. He now reminds them what His commandment is (see on John 13:34 ). It includes all others. A day or two before this Christ had been teaching that all the Law and the Prophets hang on the two great commands, ‘love God with all thy heart’ and ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ ( Matthew 22:37-40 ). S. John teaches us that the second really implies the first ( 1 John 4:20 ). That ye love one another ] Literally, in order that ye love one another: this is the purpose of the commandment. See next verse and on John 15:8 , John 6:29 , and John 17:3 . as I have loved ] Even as I loved ; comp. John 15:9 . Christ looks back from a point still further.

John 15:12 . Ἡ ἐντολὴ , commandment ) Previously, in this and the preceding chapter, He said in the Plural commandments . They all are comprised in the one, ‘love.’— ἵνα — καθὼς ) even as I have loved you : this clause is handled, John 15:13-16 . The inference of the former clause from this, viz. that ye love one another , is deduced in John 15:17 .

(12) This is my commandment. —Comp. Note on John 13:34 . In John 15:10 keeping of His commandments was laid down as the means of abiding in His love. He now reminds them that that which was specially the commandment to them was love to one another. Love to God is proved by love to mankind. The two great commandments of the law are really one. “If a man love not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

This is my commandment - The special law of Christianity, called hence "the new commandment." See the notes at John 13:34 . As I have loved you - That is, with the same tender affection, willing to endure trials, to practice self-denials, and, if need be, to lay down your lives for each other, 1 John 3:16.