Having likened the Christian’s life giving union with Christ to a vine and its branches, Jesus now focuses on life among the branches. And what Jesus highlights is the necessity of love among those who follow him. Love is certainly one of the primary expressions of Christian fruitfulness. And while it is not a full summation of Christian fruitfulness, love is certainly a fundamental element. Indeed, so vital is love to the life of the Christian and the vitality of the church that Jesus commands it twice in this short passage (vv. 12, 17).

God has no needs. There is nothing lacking in him that must be met by us. Therefore, his commands are not a means to extract from us something he needs. Rather, God’s commands are means by which our lives may flourish and joy made full. Jesus’ command for his people to love one another is a call to joy and freedom. It is a call to add to our profession of the gospel the evidence of a life changed by that same gospel.

The love between Christians serves to mark them off as belonging to Jesus (13:35). Love is costly. It is a tough thing requiring particular decisions and acts. It always requires a degree of sacrifice. This is a common theme for the Apostle John. In his first epistle he writes: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (4:11-12).