How does John 15:10 connect to the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20? The Call to Remain in Love John 15:10 — “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” • “My commandments” link directly to everything Jesus taught and modeled, yet He frames them by saying He Himself keeps “My Father’s commandments.” • The Father’s commandments were first voiced in stone at Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17). By tying our obedience to His own, Jesus bridges the upper room with Mount Sinai. Commandments Then and Now Exodus 20 lays out ten foundational words: 1. No other gods (v. 3) 2. No idols (vv. 4-6) 3. Do not misuse the LORD’s Name (v. 7) 4. Keep the Sabbath holy (vv. 8-11) 5. Honor father and mother (v. 12) 6. Do not murder (v. 13) 7. Do not commit adultery (v. 14) 8. Do not steal (v. 15) 9. Do not bear false witness (v. 16) 10. Do not covet (v. 17) • Jesus does not replace these commands; He fulfills and embodies them (Matthew 5:17). • By telling disciples to “keep My commandments,” He invites them to walk the same path of obedience He already walks. Jesus as the Perfect Law-Keeper • John 15:10 shows Jesus grounding His authority in His own obedience: “just as I have kept My Father’s commandments.” • Hebrews 4:15 affirms He was “tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.” • Because He perfectly kept the Ten Commandments, He can call us to do the same in dependence on His life within us (Galatians 2:20). The Heart Behind the Tablets • The first four commands focus on loving God; the last six on loving neighbor. • Jesus sums up the entire law with these two loves (Matthew 22:37-40). • John 15:10 ties remaining in Christ’s love to keeping His commandments—echoing the same two-directional love written on stone. Living Out the Connection • Obedience is relational, not mechanical. “This is love for God: to keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). • Abiding love motivates practical faithfulness to every word God has spoken. • The Ten Commandments provide daily checkpoints for remaining in Christ’s love: – Worship Him alone, shunning modern idols. – Honor His Name in speech and conduct. – Guard rest and worship rhythms. – Show integrity toward family, life, marriage, property, truth, and contentment. As we keep these commandments in the power of Christ, we experience the ongoing communion promised in John 15:10—the same communion the Law intended to foster from the beginning. |
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