John 13:34-35 (KJV) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
13:34 On the night before He died one of the things uppermost in His mind was the need of all His disciples to love one another. And He did not merely request or advise them to do so – He issued a command. This command He gave three times John 13:35, 15:12 and 15:17.
“New”– the commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself is one of the two greatest commandments in the whole law of God. Why, then, does Jesus call His commandment “new”? He is commanding something higher and better than the law. He has created a new group of redeemed people later known as the Church. The love each member is to have for each other is something special, something beyond the love and kindness one should show to neighbors. It is a love based on Christ’s love to them. Christians are not merely to love fellow believers as they love themselves but as Christ loved them. And how did Christ love? To the uttermost, willingly giving His life for them 1 John 3:16. His was completely holy and pure love, unselfish love, unfailing love, divine love. This is the kind of love believers in Christ are to receive from God and show to others.
13:35 If Christians love one another, this will be evidence to people outside the Church and to themselves that they are true Christians, real followers of Christ. People will not be convinced of this if Christians bite and devour one another, cheat and deceive each other as so often happens.
As Christians, we have no unique identifying marks, jewelry, or manner of dress that set us apart as God’s people. Jesus instructs us to let love be our identification. When people look at a community of Christians, they should see people that are fully committed to loving, serving, and caring for each other with a love greater than anything found on earth. Let us remember our Father’s love, and let it motivate our thoughts, words, and actions.
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