This is My command to you:In this phrase, Jesus emphasizes the authority of His words by using "command," indicating a directive that is not optional for His followers. This reflects the biblical theme of obedience to God's will, as seen throughout Scripture, such as in
Deuteronomy 6:5, where love for God is commanded. The use of "My" signifies the personal nature of Jesus' instruction, highlighting His role as the divine teacher and leader. This command is given in the context of the Last Supper, a pivotal moment in Jesus' ministry, underscoring the importance of His final teachings to His disciples.
Love one another.
This command to love is central to Christian ethics and is a recurring theme in Jesus' teachings, as seen inJohn 13:34-35, where He introduces the "new commandment" to love as He has loved. The love referred to here is "agape," a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the best for others, reflecting the love of Christ. This command is set against the backdrop of a world that often values power and self-interest, challenging believers to live counter-culturally. The call to love one another is also a fulfillment of the law, as Paul explains inRomans 13:8-10, where love is described as the fulfillment of the law. This directive is not just for the disciples present but extends to all believers, forming the foundation of Christian community and witness.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe speaker of this command, Jesus is addressing His disciples during the Last Supper, imparting final teachings before His crucifixion.
2.
The DisciplesThe immediate audience of Jesus' command, representing all believers who are called to follow His teachings.
3.
The Upper RoomThe setting of this discourse, where Jesus shares intimate teachings and prepares His disciples for His impending departure.
4.
The Last SupperThe event during which Jesus delivers this command, a pivotal moment in the Gospels where Jesus institutes the New Covenant.
5.
The WorldImplicit in the context, representing those outside the community of believers who may not understand or accept this command.
Teaching Points
The Centrality of LoveJesus places love at the heart of His commandments, indicating that it is not optional but essential for His followers.
Love as a CommandThis is not merely a suggestion but a directive from Jesus, highlighting the importance of obedience in the Christian life.
Love in CommunityThe command to love one another is directed towards the community of believers, emphasizing the need for unity and mutual care.
Reflecting Christ's LoveOur love for one another is a reflection of Christ's love for us, serving as a testimony to the world of His transformative power.
Practical Expressions of LoveLove should be evident in our actions, words, and attitudes, manifesting in tangible ways that meet the needs of others.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 15:17?
2.How can we practically "love one another" in our daily interactions today?
3.Why does Jesus emphasize love as a command in John 15:17?
4.How does John 15:17 connect with 1 John 4:7-8 on love?
5.What challenges might we face in obeying the command to love?
6.How does loving others demonstrate our obedience to Christ's teachings?
7.What does "This is My command to you: Love one another" mean in John 15:17?
8.How does John 15:17 challenge our understanding of love in a modern context?
9.Why is love emphasized as a command in John 15:17?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 15?
11.What does 'I Have Called You Friends' mean?
12.What does loving Jesus entail?
13.What does 'Love One Another as I Have Loved You' mean?
14.What were the teachings of Jesus?What Does John 15:17 Mean
This is- Jesus draws a line of focus: “This is.” He is isolating one truth out of everything He has said in the Upper Room. Nothing here is optional or peripheral.
- The phrase signals certainty and finality—much like in1 John 3:23, “And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another.”
- By stating “This is,” the Lord invites us to treat the next words as the non-negotiable center of Christian life (cf.John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”).
My command- “Command” (not advice, ideal, or suggestion) speaks of Christ’s full authority (John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”).
- Because He is both Savior and Lord (John 13:13), obedience is the natural expression of genuine faith (1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”).
- The singular “command” echoesDeuteronomy 6:5, where love for God stands above every statute, signaling that Christian love is likewise foundational.
To you- Jesus addresses His disciples personally—men who have already been “chosen and appointed” (John 15:16).
- The instruction therefore lands on every believer today; we are the “you” who abide in the Vine (John 15:4-5).
- Love becomes the family trait of God’s household (Ephesians 5:1-2), distinguishing us from the hostile world Jesus has just warned about (John 15:18-19).
Love- The word sums up the Gospel itself: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
- Christian love is:
• Sacrificial—modeled on the cross (John 3:16).
• Active—expressed in deeds (1 John 3:18, “let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth”).
• Enduring—“Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
- Such love flows from abiding in Christ; it cannot be manufactured (John 15:5, “apart from Me you can do nothing”).
One another- The command is mutual, forming a community where each member both gives and receives love (Romans 12:10, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love”).
- “One another” directs love inward toward the body of believers, creating a testimony outward to the world (John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another”).
- Practical expressions include:
• Bearing burdens together (Galatians 6:2).
• Forgiving as Christ forgave (Colossians 3:13).
• Showing hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter 4:8-9).
summaryJohn 15:17 is the Lord’s uncomplicated yet all-encompassing directive: Because He is our authoritative Master, He issues a single binding command, aimed personally at every disciple, calling for active, sacrificial love that circles back to bless fellow believers. Obeying this command anchors us in Christ, verifies our discipleship to the watching world, and knits the church into a living display of the Gospel.
(17)
These things I command you--
i.e., the things of which He has spoken from
John 15:1 onwards, and especially from
John 15:12-16. After speaking them He comes back to the purpose from which this section started, "that ye love one another."
We must beware of the not unfrequent mistake of interpreting "these things" of the words which follow, as if it were, "I command you this, viz., to love one another." The thought is, "I am giving you these precepts that you may love one another."
Verses 17-27. - (b)
The results of this union with Christ to the unbelieving world.
Verse 17. -
These things do I command you - clearly pointing back to Ver. 12 -
that ye may love one another. This entire meditation culminates where it began. The digression comes back to the main theme Westcott regards it as the starting-point of a new theme, but our Lord did not return upon the idea of mutual love, but discusses the effect upon the world of that love to each other and to him which blended their personalities into one mystic unity. This verse shows how the new topic links itself with the previous discussion. His dying for them, thus proving his friendship for them, and all the other signs of his interest and confidence, have been set before them to this great end; for while the world is full of outrage and mutual animosities, the motive of his own entire self-manifestation is to awaken a new and higher type and model of humanity. Well may the familiar legend of St. John in the churches of Ephesus confirm this sublime truth. From this point to the end of the chapter (Ver. 27) Christ unfolded the consequences, to the unbelieving world, of the sacred union between himself and his disciples, and he discussed the reciprocal relations between his own disciples and the world, seeing that they are united with him in such a close incorporation.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Thisταῦτα(tauta)Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.is My commandἐντέλλομαι(entellomai)Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1781:To give orders (injunctions, instructions, commands). From en and the base of telos; to enjoin.to you:ὑμῖν(hymin)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.Loveἀγαπᾶτε(agapate)Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 25:To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.one another.ἀλλήλους(allēlous)Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 240:One another, each other. Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another.
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NT Gospels: John 15:17 I command these things to you that (Jhn Jo Jn) 
