6th April 2023
The sign
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34, 35 (NIV)
Christians know the life-transforming blessing it is to know Jesus, and we long for others to know him as well. Knowing we have been saved through Jesus’ sacrifice for us changes our lives in unimaginably good ways, and we would love other people to understand as well and appreciate what he has done for them. So, is there anything we can do that might cause others to want to know about Jesus? If only there was something that would make Christianity attractive and make people want to find out more, so that, hopefully, they will become Christians too.
Let’s look at some possibilities. In John chapter 13 we see that Jesus took on the role of a servant by washing his disciples’ feet. Perhaps, if we decided to serve other people, they would see our example and then want to find out more about Jesus. Is this the way to make Christianity more attractive? The answer is, not necessarily.
Later in the same chapter, Peter said he would be willing to die for Jesus. Is being a martyr for the Christian faith the way to make people want to know more about Jesus? Once again, the answer is not necessarily.
A parallel account to John chapter 13 is found in Matthew chapter 26. Here we see Jesus instructing his disciples to take bread and wine to remember the sacrifice he was about to make for them. Perhaps taking these symbols regularly would be such a witness to the world that people would want to find out more about Jesus. Is that the case? The answer here is also not necessarily.
We see in the account in Matthew that the disciples sang a hymn together. Will our songs about Jesus be what attracts people to us and, by extension, to our Saviour? The answer here is not necessarily as well.
While all these things listed can be a good witness of our faith, they can also become empty rituals, things which could appear weird to a non-Christian and put them off. Service to others can be done out of a sense of obligation. Even giving your life for your faith can be done without love and be a meaningless sham (1 Corinthians 13:3).
So, what is it that will set us apart as Christians and will make people sit up and take notice? It’s the love we have for one another. We can spend as much time as we like singing songs, taking communion and doing things for other people, but it’s our love for one another that matters. It’s loving others as Jesus loves us. ‘God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.’ (1 John 4:16). So let’s let God’s love flow through us to our fellow believers. That is something that will set us apart and make others take notice.
Prayer
Father, as we think of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we are in awe of the love that was shown to us. Please give us that same love for one another, so that we love others as you love us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Study by Anthony Dady
About the writer:
Anthony Dady is a minister in Grace Communion International and is the Regional Pastor for Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England.
Local congregation:
GCI Northampton
Ecton Village Hall
78A High Street
Ecton
Northampton
NN6 0QB
Local congregational contact:
Maggie Mitchell
Email: maggie.mitchell@btinternet.com
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church