Today we come to the end of our New Years series on the Church. This series has been called Gospel Culture…where we’ve pulled one single thread: how the gospel of Jesus Christ ought to shape our whole life together as a church. Allow me to briefly summarize what we’ve covered so far.
In week 1 we said we’ve been living in the greatest resurgence of Reformation doctrine since the time of the Reformation itself. And because of this, we’re now eager to be precise and careful in our doctrine, to be as exact as we can be on this side of glory. That must continue, indeed. But we’re in need of a similar resurgence of how that precious doctrine shapes our lives from day to day. The smug superiority of reformed churches must come to end and we must grow in humility, love, and grace in our relationships with one another.
In week 2 we said this series is not simply a call to be nice, as if ‘Thou shall be nice’ is the 11th commandment. That’s not what this is all about. The problem is not rudeness, and the remedy is not niceness. This problem is sin, and the remedy is the gospel! This re-orient’s everything about our life together.
We said the church isn’t supposed to just be a new community, but a new kind of community. Where we welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, and by doing so make the invisible gospel visible to the watching world.
Then last week we said that if we walk or live in the light, as God is in the light, we’ll have a true fellowship with one another. And one of the benefits of our fellowship together is a growth in, a renewed joy over, and a deeper knowledge of the work of Christ in our behalf. In this way the blood of Jesus that once cleansed us from all our sins, will still show its power in our fellowship with one another as it lands on us with fresh power.
Now[1], perhaps some of you have thought this emphasis on the culture of our church and our life together here, is too inward facing and places far too much focus on ourselves. I mean shouldn’t we be more focused on our mission in the world and reaching the lost for Christ? Why focus so much on the needs of those inside the church when we could be focusing on how we can meet the needs of those outside the church? Well, I get that critique, I do. But hear me, when we do the hard work of fostering a gospel culture in our church, we will not only have a more convincing message, we’ll have a more compelling message to the world. The whole series so far brings us to this point. Gospel doctrine leads to gospel culture, which taken together leads to gospel mission.
And gospel mission is what we turn to today. And to show us this, we’ll look at John 13:31-35.
Two headings today, see first…
A New Glory (v31-32)
Before Jesus gives His new commandment He begins with the theme of glorification. In v31 we read, “When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” The departure of Judas to betray Jesus as treacherous as it was, notice, was the very act that began Jesus’ hour of glory. Because the betrayal is now taking place, His arrest – His trial – and His execution on the cross will soon follow.[2] Jesus knows this, so, in no uncertain terms, He says “Now is the Son of Man glorified…” And the disciples probably think, ‘Goodness! Every time God has glorified Himself in the past throughout history there has been a magnificent display of power, a bright and blinding holy light, a grand quaking of the very foundations of the earth. Is this all about to occur?’ In a true sense it is right for them to think like this but John doesn’t speak of it as we expect him to. Instead he speaks of glorification with what appears to us is the very opposite of glory,[3] the humiliation and shame of the cross.[4]
And more. Jesus not only says He is glorified, but that the Father is also glorified in Him. Which means the work of the Father and the Son are so intertwined at the cross that the glorification of the Son is also the glorification of the Father. He expands on this in v32, “If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him at once.” Three certainties are presented to us here.[5] First, the Father is glorified in the Son. Second, the Father will glorify the Son in Himself. And third, the Father will glorify the Son at once. I’m aware that this language is immensely deep and is a bit boggling to the mind with all this interwoven Trinitarian glory here. But hunker down with me and see what Jesus is saying here. In these three certainties given in v32 about the glorification of Father and Son there is a now and a not yet element.[6]
The not yet is seen in that the Father and the Son did indeed look past the humiliation of the cross to the glory they would once again enjoy after it was over.[7] The now sense is seen in that the Father and the Son looked at the cross as the moment or ‘hour’ when they both would be glorified and made much of. This, in John 13, was only hours away. The Father’s wrath completely poured out on the Son, entirely satisfied by the Son, and (praise God!) fully quenched by the Son. Which, created and purchased a people who would be freed from sin and freed to glorify both Father and Son forevermore. Not yet glory is in view in their reuniting after the redemptive work is done, and now glory is in view in the cross which becomes the centerpiece of God’s redemptive work from that time on.
If you’re still boggled that’s ok. The unique yet interwoven roles in redemption of the Father and the Son are an inexhaustible mine of wealth for our souls. These two verses show us some of those riches. Remember, this is all here for a reason. Before we get the famous new commandment to love one another in v33-35, Jesus gives us the foundation of that love in v31-32 rooting His new glory in His cross. Why?
Because it is the cross of shame that displays the greatest act of love the world has ever known, which in turn sets the tune for our love to one another, which then all leads to God being glorified among us. All of that is why v31-32 comes before the rest.
A New Commandment (v33-35)
Now in v33 Jesus continues saying, “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek Me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” With fatherly affection He tells them that only a little time remains, and though they seek Him they will not find Him because where He is going they cannot come. So He’s brought up His betrayal and He’s already said it will lead to His departure (referring to His death and ascension). These things they cannot follow Him in. So, you can imagine the disciples panic at this moment, what are they to do when Jesus goes away? He tells them in v34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This new command is simple enough for a toddler to memorize and deep enough to captivate the most mature believer. Here, simply put, Jesus tells us that we His people should be characterized by a life of love.
But He says more. This love isn’t to be a general disposition or a universal love to all mankind, but a love toward ‘one another’, or, those who follow Christ. And He says even more, it’s not just warm affections or a loving disposition toward those in the Church, it’s a love that mirrors the love of Christ, “…love one another: just as I have loved you…” How did Jesus love us? By laying down His life for us.
So, the love commanded by Christ we’re to extend to one another is a love shaped by the cross. Meaning it’s a love that is costly and sacrificial. A love that’s not only willing to be inconvenienced by one another, but a love that’s willing to lay down our lives for one another. See the gospel here? The motivating purpose for this love for one another is to exist because of Christ’s great love for us.[8] The cross is not only the great symbol of how greatly God has loved us in Christ as He made atonement for our sins, it’s more. The cross now becomes the symbol for how we’re to love one another in the Church.
And notice what v35 adds? When we love one another like this the world sees it and learns who is truly following Christ. v35 isn’t an add on detail at the end, it gives the command to love a missional, outward, and spreading vigor to it.
And by and large the early Church got this! As you go through the book of Acts and the New Testament letters the scene we now behold is one where “Barbarian, Scythian, bond and free, male and female, Jew and Greek, learned and ignorant all sit down at one table, and felt themselves all one in Christ…they were ready to break all other bonds, and to yield to the uniting forces that streamed out from His cross. There had never been anything like it…and from seeing it the world began to notice and wonder.”[9] The Christ had come, had lived, had died, had risen, and ascended. A New Covenant had been made, a new creation had begun, new disciples were living new lives, that created a new kind of culture, all directed by this new commandment.
This is the new command…and this is so hard…because we are such selfish people.
I remember a time very early on in our marriage when Holly and I were eating at a Chili’s with our pastor. When the appetizers arrived I immediately grabbed a small plate and began stuffing my face. To my rebuke our pastor also grabbed a plate, handed it Holly, and waited patiently for her to grab some food before he did. I was thoroughly rebuked and humbled as I sat there with my mouth full of food. That might seem like a silly or small example, but it shows that a deep selfish streak exists in me, in all of us. This Church is what Christ is calling us out of, to leave behind, and walk in a new kind of way, a way defined by His love for us. This effects everything. In small things and in huge things the Christian is called to love others before themselves.
Do you believe this? I’m sure most of you say you do, but when the rubber meets the road and a brother or sister in Christ wrongs you, would you still love them like this? Not just wronged you as in selfishly gobbling up an appetizer before you can get to it, I mean really wronged you. So much so that when you think of them your pulse increases, your face reddens, and you get all sorts of angst about seeing them. Would you love them in this way? Or does a list of excuses as long as your arm start to come together about why you’re justified in not loving them like this?
O that we would remember the cross and see in it the great love of God! Aren’t we glad God didn’t give excuse after excuse when He thought of loving us? He would have done no wrong to us if He chose not to love us. Yet, all our sin wasn’t strong enough to stay His loving heart. So why then, if we’ve been so loved by Christ do we think certain reasons are strong enough to not love each other? I know some wounds are deep and take time to work through but…in all the wounds we create or receive in this fallen world, this kind of costly, sacrificial, cross shaped love isn’t just for mature Christians, it’s for Christians.
And those who love like this show themselves to the world to be Christians while those who don’t love like this show themselves to the world…to be just like the world.
Conclusion:
Church think of it like this. John 13:34-35 is public and accessible information. It’s not private as if we inside the church are the only ones who know about this passage or have access to this passage. Do you understand that? By including this command to love one another, and by saying the world will know us by this love…Jesus is giving the world permission to judge whether or not we truly belong to Christ.[10]
You know what that means? We cannot settle for being known in this world by what we believe only. We must be known in this world by what we believe and who we believe in as well as by our life of love toward one another.
Or in other words, the doctrine of our church is important, as important as the culture of our churches. And when those two are pursued, embraced, and lived out with care and precision, the world will notice.
Just as Jesus made the invisible God visible in His life and death, so too the Church can make visible the invisible Christ in our life and death here in this life!
So do you see how much a gospel culture matters? It fuels gospel mission to a watching world. A world that is clearly observing us. So what will they see in us? Will they see in us much of what they see in themselves? I hope not. May they see such a Christlike love between us that it can only be explained by the gospel! No other cause, campaign, or commonality has brought us together here in the Church. Only Christ! Only His love brought us in, and only His love fills out our life together.
Will we?
In the 1840’s some astronomers noticed something strange about the path of the planet Uranus.[11] They thought it had always been what had been, but they noticed at certain times it moves significantly from where they thought it should be. The only explanation they could think of was that something else out there was big enough and strong enough to pull it off its track like this. And so, based on this alone, they concluded another planet must be over there, and you know what they found? Neptune.
Church, the world can’t see Jesus. They don’t even believe in Him. But, we can be so marked by His love that His very existence will be more plausible to them by watching us. May the world see Him in us more and more.
[1] Ray Ortlund & Sam Alberry, You’re Not Crazy: Gospel Sanity for Weary Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023) 115-116.
[2] D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John – PNTC, page 482.
[3] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John – NICNT, page 631.
[4] Reformation Study Bible, note on John 13:31-32, page 1884.
[5] Morris, page 631-632.
[6] Ian Hamilton, The Glory of Christ, sermon – accessed via cambridgepres.org.uk, 5.23.18.
[7] Augustine and John MacArthur hold the minority position that this was the only thing in view.
[8] Morris, page 633.
[9] Hughes, page 331.
[10] Francis A. Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1970) 27.
[11] Ortlund & Allberry, 128-129.
