“If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
In the Upper Room the Lord gives His last words before the cross to His disciples. Knowing what is coming, He reminds them of a truth that they know from the scriptures. Deuteronomy 30:19–20 states “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live: That you may love
the LORD thy God, and that you may obey his voice”.
In the Upper Room the Lord begins His last instructions to His disciples by saying “if you love me”. The word “if” is significant. In Greek, there are four different ways to say “if.” For example earlier that night when the Lord washed the disciples’ feet he said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). There ”if” could be translated since. The Lord says they know this statement is true. The Lord warns his disciples who are arguing over who is the greatest that tthere is a problem – they know God’s truth but they are not doing it .
When we come to John 14:15 the Lord gives the same lesson with two variations. First He uses a different grammatical construction for the word if”. Here Jesus uses a word that implies a choice that the disciples must make,. The second variation from His statement in John 13 is He changes the word “know” to “do”. One’s love of God has evidence attached to it. The Lord tells His disciples that the proof of genuine love for God (and Him) is if a person choses to obey His commandments.
Why is this true? If we love a person we want to please them. We enjoy doing things that make them glad. We please God when we are filled with the Spirit of God, trust him and live in love for God and others. The evidence of genuine love is to obey his commands which are grounded in His character. But the word “if: indicates there is a choice to be made. Will they love (obey) Him?
What can we learn? Paul tells us that “they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).
In the Upper Room, in the Garden of Gethsemane and all the way to the cross, the Lord’s disciples act in the flesh. The Lord knows their acts. He warns the disciples and Peter of their behavior. He instructs them using the word of God. He shares with them an example of love by washing their feet. Yet the disciples do not apply His words to themselves. As God looks down from heaven He sees the obedience of His Son which greatly pleases Him contrasted with 11 of His followers walking in the flesh – greatly displeasing to Him. (In the Upper Room after the Lord washes the disciples feet he is being greatly troubled in heart. The cross looms before Him but it is also because one will betray Him. His words make us realize how Judas’ betrayal and the other disciples walking in the flesh impacted His heart. We see how our obedience can please or grieve the Lord.) Our love for the Lord is directly liked to our faith in the Lord and the place He holds in our lives. When our love is active and genuine we want to please Him which means we listen to and obey His commandments. That fertile soil (faith and love) is what the Holy Spirit uses to grow fruit in our lives which glorifies God. When our love grows cold, our flesh takes control. Peter’s worst week teaches us the lesson why God consistently equates love with obedience.