Pastor Slaughter
May 18, 2025
Easter 5
Confirmation
How will they know that you are Jesus’ Disciples?
Text: John 13: 31-35
Here you are today. You survived another Slaughter casteism class. I have one last question for you now that examination is done. Don’t worry you won’t have to answer it in font of everyone. But I want you and everyone here to really think about it and take this to heart “How will people know that you are Jesus’ disciples?”
You might be thinking that today you will come up here and make a confession before the congregation. That you believe in what you have learned. You might get a cool cross for your confirmation that you wear around, a small way showing you are a Christian. You might simply tell other people that you are a Christian. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 10:9 “Certainly, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Confessing Jesus is Lord is certainly a part of it, but that can’t be it, can it?
There has to be more though, right? I mean someone can wear their cross around their neck, get a Jesus tattoo that says, “I am a Christian” is that all there is to it? Is that what makes you Jesus’ disciple? If it that simple, then after your confirmation you would be done. You confessed your faith in your examination, you are going to confess your faith today. If that were it confirmation would be like a graduation. You graduate and move on. It doesn’t matter if you go back to church, It doesn’t matter if you study the Bible any more, it doesn’t matter if you volunteer your time here at church. It doesn’t matter how you live. All that matters is the confession you make in 8th grade. That can’t just be it… How will people know that you are Jesus’ disciples?
Well first of all you need to know Christ’s love. I am not simply talking about being able to recite what Jesus did for you. I am not simply talking about knowing the facts of Jesus love for you and me. But to know full extent of Christ’s love that penetrates through the unbelieving heart, the love that takes us who were spiritually dead, and making us spiritually alive.
You need to know Christ’s love. Our lesson takes place on Holy Thursday. When Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples. The same place where Jesus showed what service was, that the God of universe washed his disciples’ feet. The same place where Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. After Judas left that upper room to betray Jesus, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.”
What brought Jesus’ glory and by extension brought his Father glory? It was love. It was his love for you, Beau, Lilly, Jackson, Wyatt. It was his love for all you are sitting there today. This love wasn’t simply an emotion that God had for you. This love was an action. It wasn’t just a feeling; it was something he did. Jesus sacrificed himself for you. He paid the punishment for your sins. He suffered hell, on the cross for you. And there he died, for you. And he rose for you.
You are forgiven. You have eternal life. Being a recipient of this love, seeing this love, understanding this love changes everything in our lives. Having this saving faith in Jesus leads us to want to do what Jesus says. And in that upper room Jesus give us a new command, “Love one another.”
Love one another. That’s not really a new command. It was well understood in the Old Testament second part of Leviticus 19:18 says, “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus makes reference during his ministry in Mark 12:30-31, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” It’s not new in the sense of the command that he gives. But it is new in the standard by which this command is measured. Jesus goes on to say, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you are to love one another.” The example or the standard in which we are to love, is how Jesus loved us. Then Jesus says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
How will people know that you are Jesus’ disciple? If you have love for one another… If you love with the same kind of love that Jesus loved, you. Not simply a feeling but a action. A love that is willing to sacrifice for the sake of others.
This love that Jesus loved us with changes everything. It penetrates all aspects of our lives and is evident to the people around us. People should be able to look at you and say that there is something different about him or her. Because Jesus love for us changes how we view ourselves… we are dearly loved children of God. It changes how we prioritize our time… We make time to study and worship. This becomes priority to thank and praise him. It changes how we interact with people around us, showing love and sharing Jesus’ love with people.
When we hear Jesus words “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you are to love one another.” To have to love with the standard of Jesus perfect love that suffered and died. How well do we carry this out? Do we withhold this love for others because of something they said or did? Do we find ourselves loving other things or people more than God, where we spend all of our energy and effort pursing those things that we push God to the back burner of our lives? Do we view our discipleship (following Jesus) as something that is personal that we neglect showing love to our brothers and sisters, by neglecting serving the body of Christ?
When people look at you with the choices you make, the priorities that you set, the time spent with God, the way you act around others. Can they tell without a doubt that you are Jesus’ disciple?
The truth is that we have failed. And in all honestly, we can never love in the way that Jesus loved us… on our own. What do I mean by this? I have here a lamp. What does this lamp need to light up? It needs to be connected to a power source. If it is not connected to a power source, it will never light up. It won’t be able to do what it is supposed to do… give light. We are a lot like this lamp. If we are not connected to a power source we won’t light up, we won’t do what we are supposed to do. It won’t be evident to people that we are his disciples.
What is the power source that we need to stay connected to? We need to stay connected to Jesus’ love, which says I forgive you for all your sins…which takes away all of our guilt and punishment giving us peace with God. What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple? It means that we need to see Jesus sacrificial love for us which empowers us to show that kind of love toward others.
So, what does this require of you, confirmands…members…visitors? This may require you to seriously reevaluate your priorities and what is most important in your lives. Because if something is a priority, you are going to make it happen. Are you going to make time to be in worship, not just once and a while, not just when you usher but this is a priority to be in God’s house? Are you going to delve deeper and deeper into God’s word by coming to Bible study and learning more and more about Jesus’ love for you? Are you going to take time at home in devotions with your family to grow in Christ love? Are you going to talk about your faith as you leave these church walls or demonstrate Christ’s love to the world by how you live and talk and conduct yourselves.
What does it mean to be Jesus’ disciple? It means that we love him. Not just a feeling or emotion but love that is action. If we look at Jesus love, it was a love that entailed a sacrifice. To love Christ, may mean that we sacrifice something important to us, it means that we may have to do the hard thing, and deal with a screaming child in worship, missing a ball game to hear God’s word. We may need to sacrifice our time or some activity that enjoy, so we can see his love more and more for us and that love empowers us to love others.
My precious family in Christ, and especially to you Lilly, Jackson, Beau, Wyatt. Today you are going to make a confession of your faith. That you are going to be faithful to the Word of God. But that’s not the end. Take that love that you have been convinced of and show it in your lives? How will people know that you are Jesus’ disciple? Well, you need to know and grow in Christ’s Love, and 2) you show Christ’s love to others. Amen.