Austin Alonso
Author: Stephen Weller
1,326 words, 7 minutes read time
A New Commandment
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35 ESV)
To love is not new, but in Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV), we are taught “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” In Leviticus 19:18, we are told to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus brings these two expressions of love together in Mark 12:30 – 31 ESV: 30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
To love God and to love neighbor is love expressed in the Old Testament, but Jesus is going to make the commandment new by adding others to be loved. He begins by saying that we are to love one another. The “one another” would include our neighbor, but according to Jesus it also is to include loving our enemies (Matthew 5:43 – 48).
We are to love anyone we come in contact with, in the world; those God so loved that he gave his Son (John 3:16). There in John 3:16 is the new part of the commandment; to love as God loved, which includes sacrifice to meet a need. Jesus said that we are to love one another just as he loved us, and how did he love us? “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1 ESV). His love for us never failed, even as he hung dying on the cross in our place. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 ESV).
How willing are we to sacrifice ourselves for someone else? Under persecution, how willing are we to express love to those who are torturing us as a powerful form of witness in hopes of leading them to salvation? This love for one another is evidence that we have passed out of death into life (1 John 3:14).
The bottom line is this, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20 ESV).
The Following Addendum Is Provided by ChatGPT
Summary Theme
The Defining Mark of Christ’s Disciples: Love One Another
Summary Paragraph
In John 13:34–35, Jesus gives His disciples a “new commandment” during the final hours before His crucifixion: they are to love one another as He has loved them. This command is new not because love was previously unknown in Scripture, but because Jesus establishes Himself as the perfect model and measure of that love. His love was sacrificial, humble, forgiving, and unconditional, ultimately demonstrated through the cross. Jesus teaches that genuine discipleship is not primarily identified by outward religious activity, knowledge, or status, but by visible love among believers. The unity, compassion, patience, and selflessness displayed within the body of Christ become a testimony to the world that they belong to Him. These verses reveal that Christian love is both a command and a witness, reflecting the character of Christ to others.
Discussion Questions with Extended Answers:
1. Why does Jesus call this a “new commandment” when the Old Testament already taught people to love others?
The command to love was present in the Old Testament, especially in passages such as Leviticus 19:18, where God commanded His people to “love your neighbor as yourself.” However, Jesus makes this commandment new in several important ways. First, He provides a new standard for love: “as I have loved you.” The love of Christ becomes the model believers are called to follow. Jesus loved sacrificially, humbly, patiently, and completely, even to the point of death on the cross. Second, Jesus creates a new community centered on this love—the church, made up of people united through Him. Third, His coming death and resurrection would reveal the fullest expression of divine love. This commandment is therefore new in depth, example, and application. Believers are not simply called to show kindness; they are called to reflect the self-giving love of Christ Himself.
2. What does it mean to love others “as I have loved you”?
Jesus’ love was active and sacrificial, not merely emotional or theoretical. He served His disciples, forgave them, taught them patiently, and remained faithful even when they failed Him. Earlier in John 13, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, demonstrating humility and servant-hearted love. Soon afterward, He would give His life on the cross for sinners. To love others as Christ loved means believers should seek the good of others even when it requires personal sacrifice. It means showing grace when wronged, patience during difficulty, compassion toward weakness, and faithfulness in relationships. This love is not based on convenience or feelings alone; it is rooted in obedience to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Christian love reflects the character of Jesus in practical everyday actions.
3. Why does Jesus say that love is the identifying mark of His disciples?
Jesus teaches that love is the visible evidence of genuine discipleship. Many people can claim religious belief, possess biblical knowledge, or participate in religious activities, but true followers of Christ display His character through love. Love reveals spiritual transformation because it reflects the nature of God Himself. When believers care for one another, forgive one another, and serve one another, the world sees a picture of Christ’s work within them. The unity and love among Christians become a testimony that the gospel is real. Jesus knew that divisions, pride, selfishness, and hatred would damage that witness. Therefore, He emphasized love as the distinguishing characteristic that would set His followers apart from the world. Christian love becomes both evidence of faith and a witness to unbelievers.
4. How can believers demonstrate this kind of love in practical ways today?
Believers demonstrate Christlike love through everyday actions that reflect humility, grace, and service. This includes encouraging others during hardship, forgiving offenses, helping those in need, listening with compassion, praying for others, and putting the needs of others before personal comfort. Love may involve sacrificing time, resources, or personal preferences for the benefit of another person. It also means speaking truth with kindness and seeking unity within the church. Sometimes loving others requires patience with difficult people or perseverance in caring for someone over a long period of time. Christlike love is not limited to feelings; it is expressed through consistent actions that reflect the heart of Jesus. Through these acts, believers become living testimonies of God’s transforming grace.
5. Why is Christian love important for the church’s witness to the world?
Jesus specifically says that “by this all people will know that you are my disciples.” The world often evaluates Christianity not only by what believers say, but by how believers treat one another. When Christians demonstrate genuine love, unity, humility, and forgiveness, they display the reality of Christ’s presence among them. On the other hand, division, bitterness, hypocrisy, and selfishness can weaken the church’s witness. Christian love points beyond human ability because it reflects the supernatural work of God in changed hearts. It reveals the gospel in visible form. As believers love one another faithfully, they show the world the character of Jesus and the transforming power of salvation.
Anchor My Faith 
Leave a comment