Reading: John 13-16
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(John 13:34-35).
Once again, we are drawing near to the horrific yet Godordained ending of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Today, we are privileged to ‘listen in’ as Jesus privately prepares His disciples for the ordeal that is soon to come. The first crisis they will encounter is a betrayal by one of their own (13:21). Jesus knows that this will be hard for them to accept and overcome, but He reminds them that, ultimately, the right of judgment is God’s (12:47-48). For the remaining eleven, Jesus then emphasizes the true nature of His ministry. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord (Lev. 19:18). This was the old Command, given under the Law of Moses. The earthly ministry of Jesus had opened the eyes and hearts of His followers, allowing them to see, for the first time, a true and perfect love (17:26). Therefore, the bar had been raised. No longer were they to mirror an imperfect, self-centered love; instead, they were instructed to reflect the perfect, selfless love that Jesus had bestowed upon them. Those of us today who have found new life in Jesus Christ are also bound under this new commandment.
By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another. As Jesus prepared His disciples to carry His message into the world, He stressed that they must first be recognized as His followers before leading others to Him. Jesus knew that many false prophets would arise to “teach” in His name (Matt. 24:23-27). In order for the true Gospel to be spread, it had to be possible for the public to identify those in whom the Holy Spirit resided (John 15:26-27).
This fact remains as indisputable today as it was in the time of Christ. In order for our witness to be credible, it must be shared from a heart overflowing with the love of Christ. When Jesus is Lord of our lives, our words and actions will be guided by compassion, forgiveness, and mercy. We acknowledge our place in the family of God by sharing His unselfish love with everyone around us. Jesus taught: As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. In other words, when we live in obedience to Jesus, we live in love. There is no room in our lives for bitterness, anger, hatred (Eph. 4:31), or self-righteousness (Luke 18:11). Christ’s love is the greatest gift that the world has ever known, and it should be our most urgent desire to share it with as many people as we possibly can.
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him(I John 3:18-19).
Thought for Today: God tells us to extend our hands in love to those who love the world so that when the world turns its back on them, they will know they have God to turn to.
Cross Reference: For John 13:18: See Ps. 41:9. John 15:25: See Ps. 35:19; 69:4.
Word Studies:13:10 but not all = but not every one; all were clean except Judas; 15:2 purgeth it = eliminates what is keeping it from bearing better fruit.
Pray for StaffJudy McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. John Carter (TX) • Country: Greenland (57,728) Northern North America • Major Languages: Greenlandic, Danish, English • Religious Freedom • Evangelical Lutheran; Traditional Inuit Spiritual Beliefs • Prayer Suggestion: Ask for understanding as you read the Word of God (Ps. 119:73).