John 15:14
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You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you--hold yourselves in absolute subjection to Me.
Open source ↗It is generally agreed that Christ's discourse in this and the next chapter was at the close of the last supper, the night in which he was betrayed, and it is a continued discourse, not interrupted as that in the foregoing chapter was; and what he chooses to discourse of is very pertinent to the present sad occasion of a farewell sermon. Now that he was about to leave them, I. They would be tempted to leave him, and return to Moses again; and therefore he tells them how necessary it was that they should by faith adhere to him and abide in him. II. They would be tempted to grow strange one to another; and therefore he presses it upon them to love one another, and to keep up that communion when he was gone which had hitherto been their comfort. III. They would be tempted to shrink from their apostleship when they met with hardships; and therefore he prepared them to bear the shock of the world's ill will. There are four words to which his discourse in this chapter may be reduced; 1. Fruit (Joh 15:1-8). 2. Love (Joh 15:9-17). 3. Hatred (Joh 15:18-25). The Comforter (Joh 15:26, Joh 15:27).
Open source ↗15:14-16 Both Abraham and Moses were called friends of God (Exod 33:11; 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23). This is the highest relationship possible between God and a person. Jesus chooses his friends (John 15:16), who demonstrate their friendship by obeying him.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
“But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend—
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.