"If you love me...."

John 14:15, 14:23, 15:10

When reading scripture, one of the simplest methods of interpretation is looking for repetition. Repetition is when a phrase, or word is used multiple times in consecutive verses, or even chapters. One of the best examples of repetition is found in the Gospel of John chapters 14-15. Three times in two chapters, Jesus uses the same phrase or a variation of it. You can read the verses using the links at the top of this post. "If you love me..." When Jesus uses a phrase like this three times in two chapters, it is important to the reader. Let's complete the sentence. "IF you love me, you will keep my commandments/words." This poses two interesting questions. What commandments is Jesus talking about, and Were Jesus commandments any different from his Father's?

Let's go back for a moment to the book of Deuteronomy. Moses is speaking for the Lord to the Israelites and he says in chapter 18:18, 19 that He (the Lord) will raise up a prophet from among their people like Moses. A prophet who will speak my words and the people will obey that He says in my name. If you they don't obey him, they will be held accountable. The prophet the Lord is speaking of through Moses is our Messiah. Remember, that Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father. He was the Father incarnate. If He was the Father incarnate, then why would his commands be any different? Who did Moses meet at the burning bush? Who gave Moses the commandments? The Father and Jesus are one in the same. Jesus was in the burning bush, Jesus gave the commandments to Moses, and Jesus spoke of himself through Moses in Deuteronomy 18:18,19. Jesus never contradicted his Father, he confirmed His Father. Jesus isn't just speaking of the great commission and loving our neighbour as ourself. He is speaking of all the commandments given at Sinai, including the feasts and the sabbath. Jesus celebrated the feasts and kept the sabbath. Paul did the same. What makes us think that Jesus changed everything that was ordained from the beginning of time? Jesus didn't do away with, He wasn't the end of, He was the fulfillment of the Torah. He is what all the Torah and the prophets talk about.

How do we love God? What is the evidence of our love of God? The evidence is obedience. "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." Jesus is 100% our salvation and 100% our righteousness. The Torah was not given for salvation. Paul said in Romans 8:3, 4 that what the law (torah) was powerless to do...I'll let you read the rest. It was given for teaching and instruction (for more info read the post "What is Torah?"). Jesus is the living application of the Torah. He is the living Torah.