Study From The Watchtower, Week of May 29 to June 4, 2023, "In this way everyone will know that you are my disciples", Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, 29-May-4-June 2023, "In this way everyone will know that you are my disciples", Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

"In this way everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you have love for one another" (JOHN 13:35).

1. What strikes many when they first attend a meeting? (See also photo).

 IMAGINE a married couple attending a meeting at the Kingdom Hall for the first time. They are impressed to see how kind the brothers were to receive them and the love they show each other. Back home, her wife tells her husband: “There is something special about Jehovah's Witnesses, and I like it.”

ILLUSTRATION

Brothers and sisters of different ages and cultures enjoy conversing before a congregation meeting. A brother welcomes a non-Witness couple. What do many people think when they see the love that is breathed in Jehovah's people? (See paragraph 1).

2. Why have some stopped serving Jehovah?

2 The love that exists in the Christian congregation is truly special. Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses are not perfect (1 John 1:8). Therefore, the more we get to know the brothers, the more likely we are to see their flaws (Rom. 3:23). Sadly, some have allowed the imperfections of others to stop them from serving Jehovah.

3. What identifies true Christians? (John 13:34, 35).

3 Let's look again at the thematic text of this article (read John 13:34, 35). What would identify true followers of Christ? Love , not perfection. Also, note that Jesus did not say “In this way you will know that you are my disciples”, but he said “In this way everyone will know that you are my disciples”. So Jesus made it clear that his disciples and others would recognize true Christians by the sincere love they would show one another.

4. What might some ask?

4 Some people who are not Jehovah's Witnesses may wonder: “Why is it love that identifies true Christians? How did Jesus show love to his apostles? And how to imitate Jesus? It is good that those of us who are already Witnesses also ask ourselves these questions. Doing so will help us show more love, especially when others make mistakes (Eph. 5:2).

WHY IS LOVE WHAT IDENTIFIES TRUE CHRISTIANS?

5. What kind of love is Jesus talking about in John 15:12, 13?

5 Jesus made it clear that the love that would identify his followers would be very special (read John 15:12, 13). Let's look at the commandment he gave them: "Love one another just as I have loved you." What kind of love was he referring to? He himself explained that it is a love that makes a Christian willing to die for his brother.

6. How does God's Word highlight the importance of love?

6 God's Word teaches that love is very important. Many say that verses like the following are his favorites: “God is love” (1 John 4:8); “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matt. 22:39); “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8), and “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8). These verses and many others highlight how important it is to cultivate and demonstrate this beautiful quality.

7. Why can't Satan get people to come together and show love to each other?

7 Many people wonder: “How can I know which is the true religion? They all say they teach the truth, but in reality they teach different things about God.” Satan has created many false religions, and that confuses people. But he can't create a worldwide family of loving Christians; it is impossible. Only Jehovah can do something like that. We know this because love comes from Jehovah. Only those who have his spirit and his blessing can truly love each other (1 John 4:7). No wonder Jesus said that sincere love would distinguish true disciples from him.

8, 9. How has the love Jehovah's Witnesses have had on many people?

8 Just as Jesus predicted, many people have been able to identify true Christians by the love they show one another. For example, a brother named Ian remembers his first convention, which was held in a stadium near his home. He had gone to the same stadium a few months ago to watch a game. He recounts: “This time the atmosphere was completely different. The Witnesses were friendly and well dressed, and their children knew how to behave . ” And he adds: “What impressed me the most was that everyone seemed happy and at peace, precisely what I longed for. I do not remember any of the talks that were given, but the conduct of the Witnesses was forever etched in my memory.”  That behavior that he saw was the result of the sincere love we have for each other. Because we love our brothers so much, we treat them with kindness and respect.

9 A brother named John was also impressed when he went to a Kingdom Hall for the first time. He was so struck by everyone's kindness and their impeccable conduct that he said, “The sincere love they showed each other convinced me that they had the true religion.”   The truth is that there are many more experiences that confirm that Jehovah's Witnesses are the true Christians.

10. What occasions will test our love? (See also note.)

10 As we said at the beginning, none of our brothers is perfect. Sooner or later they are going to do or say something that offends us (James 3:2). Those occasions will test our love. What will help us to react in the right way, with love? Let's look at the example of Jesus (John 13:15).

HOW DID JESUS ​​SHOW THAT HE LOVED HIS APOSTLES?

11. What did James and John demonstrate on a certain occasion? (See also pictures).

11 Jesus did not expect perfection from his followers. Rather, he lovingly helped them correct his shortcomings so that they could have Jehovah's approval.   On one occasion, the apostles James and John had their mother ask Jesus to give them important positions in the Kingdom (Matt. 20:20, 21). The two apostles showed that they were being proud and ambitious (Prov. 16:18).

12. Why do we know that Santiago and Juan were not the only ones who had a bad attitude?

12 Santiago and Juan were not the only ones who had a bad attitude on that occasion. Notice how the other apostles reacted: “When the other 10 heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers” (Matt. 20:24). We can imagine how tense things got. Perhaps the other apostles told James and John: “Who do you think you are to ask for important positions in the Kingdom? You are not the only ones who have worked hard with Jesus. We deserve those positions as much as you do." In any case, on that occasion the apostles stopped treating each other with affection.

13. How did Jesus treat the apostles despite their imperfections? (Matthew 20:25-28).

13 How did Jesus react? He was not outraged. He did not say that he would replace them with men who were more humble, who would always treat each other with love and who would be better apostles. Rather, he patiently reasoned with them because he knew they had a good heart (read Matthew 20:25-28). Although it was not the first or the last time that the apostles argued over who was the most important, Jesus always treated them with love (Mark 9:34; Luke 22:24).

ILLUSTRATION

Jesus speaks lovingly to his disciples. In a circle appear Santiago, Juan and their mother talking with Jesus. Jesus showed his apostles love even when they made mistakes. (See paragraphs 11 to 13).

14. What was the environment like in which the apostles of Jesus grew up?

14 No doubt, Jesus took into account the environment in which the apostles were raised (John 2:24, 25). At that time, religious leaders placed great importance on status and positions of authority (Matt. 23:6; compare Front Seats in the Synagogue video study note on Matthew 23:6). In fact, the Jewish religious leaders believed themselves to be superior to others (Luke 18:9-12).  Jesus knew that such an environment could influence how the apostles viewed themselves and others (Prov. 19:11). He didn't expect perfection from them or get upset when they made mistakes. Because he knew they had a good heart, he patiently helped them replace pride and ambition with humility and love.

HOW CAN WE IMITATE JESUS?

15. What do we learn from what happened with James and John?

15 We can learn a lot from what happened with James and John. It was not right for them to ask for important positions in the Kingdom. But neither was it right for the other apostles to let that affect their unity. Instead, Jesus treated the 12 apostles with love and care. What do we learn? It's not just about the mistakes others make, but how we react when they make them. Therefore, when we feel offended by something that a brother did, let us ask ourselves: “Why did what he did bother me so much? Could it be that I have to improve on something? Is the brother going through some difficult time? Isn't it better to show love and let it go even though it seems to me that I have reasons to feel that way?If we always treat others with love, we will show that we are the true Christians.

16. What else can we learn from Jesus' example?

16 The example of Jesus also shows us that we must strive to understand our brothers (Prov. 20:5). Sure, Jesus could read hearts, we can't. But what we can do is be patient with our brothers when they make mistakes (Eph. 4:1, 2; 1 Pet. 3:8). Something that will help us is getting to know them better. Let's see an example.

17. What happened when a circuit overseer tried to get to know a brother better?

17 A circuit overseer serving in East Africa met a brother who seemed to have a difficult personality. Did the superintendent get that first impression? He says: "Instead of avoiding him, I decided to get to know him better." Thus he learned that the things his brother had experienced influenced his character. He says: “Once I understood how intense his struggle to overcome the past had been and how far he had progressed, I couldn't help but admire him. We became good friends". If we make an effort to get to know and understand our brothers better, it will be easier to treat them with love.

18. What questions can we ask ourselves if a brother has offended us? (Proverbs 26:20).

18 Sometimes we may find it necessary to talk to a brother who offended us. But, before taking that step, we must do a self-examination. “Do I have all the facts?” (Prov. 18:13). Could it be that he did it unintentionally? (Eccl. 7:20). “Did I do something similar in the past?” (Eccl. 7:21, 22). "If I talk to the brother, will I create a bigger problem than the one I'm trying to solve?" (read Proverbs 26:20). If we spend time thinking about these questions, we may come to the conclusion that it is better to show love and forget about it.

19. What are we determined to do?

19 As a group, Jehovah's Witnesses prove to be the true disciples of Christ. And how can we do it individually? Showing sincere love to our brothers despite their imperfections. And because of that, other people may realize what the true religion is and want to worship Jehovah, the God of love, with us. So let us be determined to continue to demonstrate the kind of love that identifies true Christians.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

Why is love what identifies true Christians?

Because love comes from Jehovah. Only those who have his spirit and his blessing can truly love each other as mentioned in 1 John 4:7.

How did Jesus show that he loved his apostles?

Jesus did not expect perfection from his followers, since when they made mistakes he made an effort to understand the reason why they acted that way and he made an effort to treat them with love to correct those situations.

How can we imitate Jesus?

We can imitate Jesus by being careful how we react when others make mistakes against us. It is possible that we are the ones who have to improve something, which is why we must think about the personal background of each brother to understand why it is his personality and get to know each other better.