Expository Thoughts On John - JOHN 15:12-16
J.C. Ryle passionately expounds on Jesus' command to love one another with a self-sacrificing love, emphasizing that true Christian faith is inseparable from genuine brotherly love.
In this expository sermon on John 15:12-16, J.C. Ryle deeply explores Jesus' command to love one another with the same self-sacrificing love He demonstrated. Ryle highlights the indispensable role of brotherly love in authentic Christian living and warns against the emptiness of faith without charity. He also emphasizes the believer’s privileged friendship with Christ and the call to bear lasting spiritual fruit. This sermon challenges listeners to examine their hearts and live out the high standard of love commanded by Christ.
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My commandment is this--to love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this--that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
Three weighty points demand our attention in this passage. On each of these the language of our Lord Jesus Christ is full of striking instruction.
We should observe first, how our Lord speaks of the grace of brotherly love.
He returns to it a second time, though He has already spoken of it in the former part of His discourse. He would have us know that we can never think too highly of love, attach too much weight to it, labor too much to practice it. Truths which our Master thinks it needful to enforce on us by repetition, must needs be of first-class importance.
He commands us to love one another. "This is my commandment." It is a positive duty laid on our consciences to practice this grace. We have no more right to neglect it than any of the ten precepts given on Mount Sinai.
He supplies the highest standard of love--"Love one another as I have loved you." No lower measure must content us. The weakest, the lowest, the most ignorant, the most defective disciple, is not to be despised. All are to be loved with an active, self-denying, self-sacrificing love. He that cannot do this, or will not try to do it, is disobeying the command of his Master.
A precept like this should stir up in us great searchings of heart. It condemns the selfish, ill-natured, jealous, ill-tempered spirit of many professing Christians, with a sweeping condemnation. Sound views of doctrine, and knowledge of controversy, will avail us nothing at last, if we have known nothing of love. Without charity we may pass muster very well as Churchmen. But without charity we are no better, says Paul, than "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal." (1 Cor. 13:1.) Where there is no Christlike love, there is no grace, no work of the Spirit, and no reality in our religion. Blessed are those who do not forget Christ\
Sermon Outline
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I. The Commandment of Brotherly Love
- Love one another as a positive duty
- The command is as binding as the Ten Commandments
- Love must be active, self-denying, and self-sacrificing
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II. The Standard of Christlike Love
- Love as Jesus loved us
- No lower measure is acceptable
- All disciples, regardless of status, are to be loved
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III. The Necessity of Love for True Christianity
- Love is evidence of grace and the Spirit's work
- Without love, knowledge and doctrine are worthless
- Love condemns selfishness and ill temper among Christians
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IV. The Privilege and Responsibility of Friendship with Christ
- Jesus calls believers friends, not slaves
- Believers are chosen and appointed to bear lasting fruit
- Prayer in Jesus’ name is promised to be answered
Key Quotes
“Love one another as I have loved you. No lower measure must content us.” — J.C. Ryle
“Without charity we may pass muster very well as Churchmen. But without charity we are no better than sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.” — J.C. Ryle
“He that cannot do this, or will not try to do it, is disobeying the command of his Master.” — J.C. Ryle
Application Points
- Examine your heart to ensure your love for others reflects Christ’s self-sacrificing example.
- Commit to practicing active, self-denying love as a non-negotiable part of your Christian obedience.
- Seek to bear lasting spiritual fruit by living in close friendship with Jesus and relying on prayer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main command Jesus gives in John 15:12-16?
Jesus commands His followers to love one another just as He has loved them, setting the highest standard for Christian love.
Why does J.C. Ryle emphasize love repeatedly in the sermon?
Because love is foundational to Christian faith and practice, and neglecting it undermines the reality of one’s religion.
How does Jesus describe the relationship between Himself and His followers in this passage?
He calls them friends rather than slaves, indicating a relationship based on revelation and intimacy.
What does bearing fruit mean in the context of this passage?
It refers to living a fruitful Christian life that produces lasting spiritual results and glorifies God.
What role does prayer play according to this passage?
Believers are assured that whatever they ask the Father in Jesus’ name will be given to them, emphasizing the power of prayer.