"All You Need Is Love" is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was first performed by the Beatles on Our World, the first live global television link. Watched by over 400 million in 25 countries, the programme was broadcast via satellite on 25 June 1967. The BBC had commissioned the Beatles to write a song for the United Kingdom's contribution. The Beatles were asked to come up with a song with a message understood by everyone. "It was an inspired song and they really wanted to give the world a message," said Brian Epstein. "The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted. It is a clear message saying that love is everything."
According to journalist Jade Wright, "Lennon was fascinated by the power of slogans to unite people and never afraid to create art out of propaganda. When asked in 1971 whether songs like "Give Peace a Chance" and "Power to the People" were propaganda songs, he answered: 'Sure. So was All You Need Is Love. I'm a revolutionary artist. My art is dedicated to change.' The day before the Our World broadcast, the Beatles decided that the song should be their next single. Released on 7 July 1967, it went straight to number one and remained there for three weeks. It was similarly successful in the United States after its release on 17 July, reaching number one for a week. It was also included on the American LP version of Magical Mystery Tour in November as well as in the film, and on the LP Yellow Submarine, released in 1969. This song is also featured in the Cirque du Soleil's show Love, based on the songs of The Beatles, which has been performing in Las Vegas since 2006.
This begins with a clip from the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg on April 25, 1792. Its original name was "Chant de guerre de l'Armee du Rhin" ("Marching Song of the Rhine Army") and it was dedicated to Marshal Nicolas Luckner, a Bavarian-born French officer from Cham. It became the rallying call of the French Revolution and got its name because it was first sung on the streets by troops from Marseille upon their arrival in Paris. Now the national anthem of France, the song was also once the anthem of the international revolutionary movement, contrasting with the theme of The Beatles song. In the late 1970s, Serge Gainsbourg recorded a Reggae version "Aux Armes et cetera," with Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar and Rita Marley in the choir in Jamaica, which resulted in him getting death threats from veterans of the Algerian War of Independence. Today in this mornings devotion "All You Need is Love" is the slogan of another revolution the swept the world.
Sticking with the Easter theme, Jesus in John 13 is in the upper room with his disciples. He has just washed their feet. It's the last supper and Jesus is preparing to leave them. He is preparing them for a life as a community with "Love" at the centre. In other words Jesus is saying "All you need is love"
I am an avid reader, and I really enjoy buying books. In fact, book buying may be one of my greatest addictions. I'm especially prone to buying books on-line. I frequently buy cheap used books on Amazon . When I am done reading these books I collect them on my shelves or give them away. Just recently I've taken to selling the new ones that I've bought in our church bookstall that is stocked entirely from all by own personal books. However, this past week, instead of buying any books, I did a little research on book titles. Amazon lists 507,878 book titles about heaven, 547,195 about sex, 766,921 about God, and 884,737 about money. Isn't this astounding? Even more staggering is the fact that one topic beats out all of these—love. There are 922,816 that contain love in their title.
Love is a popular word in our society. Our world is desperately seeking true love. There are all kinds of dating services, escort services, personal classifieds, bars, clubs, and social organizations. There are illicit websites and chat rooms where you can pursue love without leaving your own home. All of these opportunities promise “true love” or “real love.” But this is an example of the classic country song by Johnny Lee, “Looking for love in all the wrong places…looking for love in too many faces.” I’ll stop there. The point is: Our world craves love, but they can’t find fulfilling and lasting love.
Love is also a frequent word in the Bible. The Bible uses the root word “love” over 500 times from Genesis through Revelation. Interestingly, for our purposes, the word love is used only twelve times in John 1–12, but in John 13–21 it is used forty–five times! Hence, in the last twenty–four hours of his life, Jesus uses the word love repeatedly. The closer He travels toward the cross, the more love is on His heart and mind. In John 13:31–38, Jesus suggests in our reading today that the key to impacting the world is for His followers to love each other. So why is the church having so little impact on society? We’re not giving the world what it so desperately craves—love. Yet, the church ought to be Jesus’ solution to the lack of true love in this world. We ought to be able to say, “All You Need is Love.” and you can find it here!
Our passage begins in John 13:31–32 with an important footnote and Jesus’ ultimate prediction of love. The footnote is simply: “Therefore when he [Judas] had gone out” (13:31a). One can almost hear Jesus heave a sigh of relief when Judas closes the door behind him. Once Judas departs, Jesus gets down with His believing followers and articulates the cross and the importance of love. Jesus declares, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately” (13:31b–32). What is the key word in 13:31b–32? It doesn’t take a Greek scholar to discern this. Five times in two verses Jesus uses a form of the verb “glorify” (doxazo). Notice as well the past tense verb “glorified.” The cross is as good as done in Jesus’ mind. For Him death is not a mournful tragedy, but a magnificent triumph. It is glorious not gruesome. At this very moment which seems to spell defeat, dishonour, and disaster for Him, the Son of Man is in reality glorified! Later in the Upper Room discourse, Jesus explains that He glorified His Father by finishing the work the Father gave Him to do (17:4). This is also how we glorify the Father. What has God called you to today? How does He want you to sacrificially express your love to others? Will you finish the work He has given you?
Chapter 13 concludes with three verses that seem a bit misplaced. In fact, many commentators include these verses with chapter 14. Yet, I see these verses fitting rather nicely with 13:31–35. John’s concern is that you and I don’t assume that we can pull off agape (Love) in our own strength. Naturally, John brings up another episode with Peter. Look at 13:36a: “Simon Peter said to Him [Jesus], ‘Lord, where are You going?’” I want you to notice that Jesus spoke some of the most profound words about Christians loving each other, and Peter did not hear a word of it. He asks a question that skips over that whole subject entirely (13:34–35), and he goes back to what Jesus had said about going away for a while (13:31–33). That was what got his attention, and he heard nothing else. We too down play "Love" we suggest other plans and strategies for the furtherance of the Gospel. Like Peter we get caught up in those other plans and strategies. Jesus has no other plan it's simply "All You Need Is Love"
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