Love, faithfulness, joy and friendship

John 15:9-17

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

 Instructions / Guidelines:

1.      Please ask someone to read the passage through out loud.

2.      Read it through a second time quietly.

3.      Find a partner and share with them what struck you, what you found interesting or what you could not understand.

4.      Share your partner’s insights with the group.

In the group reflect, talk about and discuss what this passage says to us about:

1. Love: What does it mean to be loved by Jesus?

2. Faithfulness: Why do those whom Jesus loves keep his commands?

3. Joy: How does joy come to the one who is loved by Jesus and who is faithful in keeping Jesus’ commands?

4. Friendship: What does it mean to you to be a ‘friend of Jesus’ and what kind of a friend are you to others?