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Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
What do you think about when you hear the word "obedience"?
Do you think about obligation to a set of rules? Do you think about resignation to duty, whatever that may be? Do you think about arbitrary authority demanding conformity and extinguishing freedom? Do you think about choosing your actions with the goal of avoiding negative consequences?
Or do you think about faith, hope, and love?
What do you think about when you hear the word "obedience" in the context of the church?
Do you think about strict rules of behavior and appearance that determine who is in and who is out? Men's hair should be short; women's hair should be long. No dancing, no card-playing, no drinking.
Do you think about what you have to do to meet minimum requirements? Pay your "dues". Volunteer to usher at least once a year, whether you want to or not. Accept those the church tells you to accept. Reject those the church tells you to reject.
Do you think about arbitrary authority demanding conformity and crushing questions? This is church; we will tell you what to think; check your brain at the door.
Do you think about rewards and punishments? Do you wonder what you have to do to be considered righteous enough for Peter to open the pearly gates for you? Do you nervously hope that God doesn't notice you, because if he does he won't possibly be pleased?
Or do you think about faith, hope, and love?
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
Last Sunday the choir sung an anthem called "Yes, Lord." (The composer is Pepper Choplin.) The refrain in that song really struck me. "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?" It's amazing to me how a simple line in a song can express a spiritual truth so incredibly powerfully. "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?"
The song that showcased these words is a joyful, upbeat song. The music is cheerful. Listening to the choir sing last week, it seemed to me that the song carried a sense of expectancy, of anticipation-not the kind of nervous anticipation you get waiting to hear your grade on an exam or waiting to find out about the layoff notices at work-but a joyful, almost even gleeful, anticipation-the kind you get waiting to find out what dessert is going to be after a fabulous meal at the home of your friend the chef or the kind you get waiting to hear from the adoption agency that the child you've longed for is finally ready to come home.
Expectancy and anticipation. Eagerness. "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?"
The song that the choir sang last week is about obedience. Imagine that-a song about obedience!
This song is about obedience, but there is nothing in it about rules. Imagine that.
This song is about obedience, but nothing about it suggests resigned, dutiful obligation. Imagine that.
This song is about obedience, but nothing about it suggests dry conformity or inhibition of freedom. Imagine that.
This song is about obedience, but not one note of the music carries a tremor of fear of punishment. Imagine that.
"Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?"
What was the song writer thinking? It seems that the song writer was thinking about faith, hope, and love. "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?"
It seems that the song writer was thinking about faith, hope, and love. The result is a song about obedience that is filled with eager anticipation. The result is a song about obedience that could easily be called a love song. "Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That is my answer. What is your question gonna be?"
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
On the last night of his life on earth, Jesus talked at length with his disciples. Several themes come up again and again in what Jesus said that night.
Jesus started by assuring the disciples that, though he is leaving, he will come back for them, and they will be with him always. "In my Father's house are many rooms. … I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2-3) I preached about this a few weeks ago. Again and again, on his last night on earth with his followers, Jesus emphasized that point. It's here again in the passage for today: "Because I live, you also will live." It all goes back to the first verse of chapter 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
Jesus also explained to his followers again and again that because they know him they know the Father. When Philip, who didn't quite get what Jesus was saying, asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replied, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." (John 14:11) I preached about this last week. Again and again, on his last night on earth with his followers, Jesus emphasized that point. It's here again in the passage for today: "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you." It all goes back to the first verse of chapter 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
On this night, when the time was nearly upon them that he must leave them, Jesus told his followers about the Holy Spirit. I'll preach more about this in the next few weeks. Again and again, on his last night on earth with his followers, Jesus offered the reassuring promise of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Comforter. It's here in the passage for today: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth." It all goes back to the first verse of chapter 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
On the last night of his life on earth, Jesus also spoke to his followers about obedience. "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
Again and again, on his last night on earth with his followers, Jesus returned to this idea.
John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
John 14:21 "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
John 14:23 "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching."
John 15:10 "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."
It all goes back to the first verse of chapter 14. If you don't remember anything else about Jesus' farewell discourse in John 14, 15, 16, and 17, remember John 14:1. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
There are several things that I want you to notice about Jesus' words to his disciples about obedience.
One-Jesus asked no more of his disciples and he asks no more of us, his disciples today, than he himself gave.
In his Letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes of Jesus: "who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death-even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)
The words recorded in John 14 were spoken by Jesus just a little while before he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Do you remember what Jesus prayed that night? Luke writes that Jesus prayed so hard that night that his sweat was like drops of blood falling from his forehead. He knelt down in anguish before the Father and he prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus prayed a prayer of submission and obedience.
For Jesus, obedience led to the cross.
When Jesus asks for our obedience, he asks nothing more of us than he himself gave.
Two-Obedience is an expression of love.
When Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey my commands," it is not a nagging attempt at guilt-based manipulation. It's a statement of logical consequence. Love and obedience go together. [If you love me, you'll obey me. If you obey me, you love me.] They go together. It's a statement of logical consequence.
Obedience is an expression of love. It's less about following rules and more about following Jesus.
Not that there aren't rules. The Bible clearly states some "thou-shalt"s and some "thou-shalt-not"s. But the obedience that Jesus calls from us is not fulfilled simply by following the rules. The obedience that Jesus calls from us is to follow him, as an expression of love.
In the early centuries of the church, there were those who couldn't quite grasp the idea that God himself would or could really suffer. In some circles, the idea was circulated that the Jesus who hung on the cross was not really a human being who could suffer and die. Instead, the divine Jesus merely gave that appearance for the sake of those who were watching. Surely, these people believed, the Son of God would not and could not really feel pain. Surely, these people believed, the Son of God would not and could not really suffer and die. Surely, these people believed, it must have been an act.
From the earliest years, however, the church knew that this wasn't quite right. Jesus, who was divine, was indeed human. He did feel pain. He did suffer. He did die. That was not easy. That required incredible courage. That required trust.
It wasn't just for show. And because it wasn't just for show, from the earliest years, the church knew that obligation was not enough to bring Jesus to the cross. Obligation wasn't enough. Following rules wasn't enough. Only love-the Father's love for the Son, the Son's love for the Father, and their love together for you and for me…only love was powerful enough to bring Jesus to the cross.
1 John 4:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us."
Obedience is an expression of love. For Jesus, obedience led him to lay down his life for us. For us, obedience is less about following rules and more about following Jesus.
If you don't like rules, then maybe you think this sounds easier. But think about it. It's actually a lot more demanding.
Earlier in Jesus' ministry, he said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…" (Matthew 11:28-29) He didn't say, "I will give you rest and free you from every expectation and every task." He said, "Come to me… Take my yoke. Follow me."
Taking Jesus' yoke is about following him every moment of every day. It's about being so connected to him that we ask, "Jesus, is it time to take a step? How far? How fast? Is it time to wait? Is it time to turn?" Being yoked to Jesus is about following him so closely that even at night we say, "Jesus, even as I sleep, set your yoke upon me and work within me to heal me, to conform me, to teach me to follow you."
Obedience is an expression of love. It is less about following rules, and more about following Jesus.
Three-Through obedience, trust is developed. Just as obedience and love go together, obedience and trust go together. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
It takes trust to begin to take those first steps of following Jesus. It takes trust to begin to lay down my life and begin to let him be my life. It is in doing that, in the experience of following, that there is the opportunity to experience relationship with Jesus and with the Father. In that process of obedience, of taking that step, in fear and trembling, is the opportunity to experience that the Father is trustworthy. In that first step is the opportunity to grow in trust so that we might take that next little step in the direction that he calls.
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
In our obedience, Jesus is revealed. Our eyes are opened to see him. He shows himself to us and draws us further in. Through obedience, trust is developed.
What do you think about when you hear the word "obedience"?
Do you think about commitment, not to rules, but to the Master?
Do you think, not about obligation, but about eager anticipation of the invitation to join the Master in what he is doing?
Do you think, not about forced conformity, but about trustworthy leadership from the author and perfecter of our faith, who by his grace conforms us to his image and likeness?
Do you think, not about avoiding punishment, but about enjoying fellowship with Jesus?
Do you think about faith, hope, and love?
"If you love me, you will obey what I command."
It all goes back to the first verse of chapter 14: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."
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