My Commandment

At the end of John 14, Jesus says, “Arise, let us go from here.” Many think the next words were spoken on the walk out of the city that night, toward the Mount of Olives. If so, they passed vineyards along the way. And Jesus began to talk about vines.

“I am the vine, you are the branches.” Stay connected to Me. Abide in My love. Then He said it plainly:

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Here’s something easy to miss. Two verses earlier, Jesus said, “If you keep My commandments” (15:10). Plural. But in verse 12 the Greek turns singular: hē entolē hē emē, “the commandment that is Mine.” All His commands, gathered into one.

That’s the Law of Christ. Not a longer list. One command with a measure attached: as I have loved you.

And He told them the measure in the very next breath: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (15:13). Within hours, He did exactly that.

Notice where the command comes from, too. It’s spoken right in the middle of the vine. Branches don’t produce grapes by trying harder. They produce fruit because life flows into them from the vine. We don’t love one another by gritting our teeth. We love because His love is flowing through us.

The verb is present tense, too: keep on loving. Not a single act. A way of life.

Where do you need to stop trying harder and start abiding?

On Saturday: “These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17).