Love One Another!

Sermon April 2, 2026, John 13:1–17, 31b–35

Love One Another!

Reverend Fred Okello

It's Maundy Thursday tonight. Jesus tells His disciples to "Love one another as I have loved you" on this night.

But before Jesus says those words, he shows what love means to him by doing something. He cleans the feet of His followers.

Back in Jesus' day, washing feet was the worst job in the house. It was a servant's job. But their teacher and Lord, Jesus, gets down on his knees and does it.

John says that Jesus knew exactly who He was. Jesus knew that He was returning to God and that He had come from God. And with that faith, He kneels. He grabs a towel and begins washing the disciples' feet.

Peter pulls back when Jesus gets to him. "No, Lord, you will never wash my feet." Peter doesn't feel good. It doesn't seem right for Jesus to do this for him. But Jesus says, "You can't be with me unless I wash you." Peter needs to learn something important: he needs to let Jesus help him.

After Jesus is done, He tells them what He did. He says, "You are right to call me Teacher and Lord." I have washed your feet, so now you should wash each other's feet.

Then He says, "If you do these things, you will be blessed." Not just if you get them. Not just if you agree with them. But if you do them.

And then Jesus gives the command: "Love one another as I have loved you." And He says that our love is how people will know that we belong to Him.

A man once told a story about his job. He was on a team with someone who had made a big mistake that cost the company time and money. People thought the manager would publicly call him out or give him a harsh punishment.

The manager, on the other hand, quietly stepped in, helped fix the problem, and then met with the employee alone. He didn't make him feel bad. He taught him, helped him, and made sure he didn't feel alone.

Later, that employee said, "I thought I would be embarrassed." I got help instead. That changed how I see everything, and it made me want to do better.

That's what love for a servant does. It doesn't hurt people when they fail. It raises them. It doesn't say, "How can I keep my job?" It asks, "What can I do to help this person?" That's what Jesus does for us in a much deeper way.

Christ shows us what love really looks like. Words alone do not show love. It is an action. It means choosing to help others, even in small ways. It could be helping someone who can't pay you back. Listening when you're tired. Choosing to be patient instead of being angry.

Loving one another reminds us that we need to get love, too. We sometimes don't want help, just like Peter. We want to stay in control.

But Jesus says we have to let Him help us. We need to let Him take care of us and forgive us; only then can we really care about others.

Loving one another means living by what we believe. It is simple to agree with what Jesus said. Living it is harder. But Jesus says that we will be blessed if we do it.

Finally, love is what makes us different. People may not remember what we said, but they will remember how we treated them.