Love One Another

John 13:31-35

Often many people like to mark their things as belonging to them. Sometimes a label isn’t necessary as we know from association that certain items belong to one or another person.  A parent knows that the sports equipment belongs to this child and the scientific material belongs to the other because of their interests and association.  We know by their specific style the writings of a certain author. We can tell by the style, even without a label, the works of Rembrandt from that of Van Gogh, or that of Bach from Beethoven.  In our reading today from John’s Gospel, Jesus stated that people should be able to tell that we are His disciples. Let’s see how we are to be identified as belonging to Jesus.

As our passage opens, the Last Supper has finished, and Jesus with His disciples are still lingering in the Upper Room, as He had some final words to convey to His followers.  Judas Iscariot had left to go to Jesus’ enemies to betray Him. Jesus knows that He has only hours left before the crucifixion and His death. Rather than looking at the agony of the cross, Jesus looked past the cross, anticipating the glory that He would have with the Father when it was over (vs. 31-33).  Naturally Jesus’ human nature would have dreaded the immense torture to come, but His eyes were focused on the glory that awaited Him following His obedience.

As Jesus continued to talk and teach His disciples, He spoke of a new commandment that He was giving them (vs. 34).  What was this? The command He gave the eleven who sat around the table with Him was that they were to love one another, just as He has loved them. Though the command to love others is not entirely new, as it was contained in the Law Moses gave the people (Leviticus 19:18), Jesus gave a new standard.  The love that Jesus is now telling His believers to have for each other is to mirror the love that He has for us. This love is to be a sacrificial love.

How does Jesus love us?  He loved us so much that He gave His life to pay the price for our sins by dying upon the cross of Calvary. Jesus loved us enough to forgive us all of our sins that we have committed when we come to Him, accepting Him as our Savior.  We are to love others based on Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. Such love should draw unbelievers to seek to come to Christ. In the days of the very early church the love that believers had for one another was very evident to the lost world of the Roman Empire.  In a day when life was hostile and cruel, people saw this amazing love, a love that was sacrificial, a love that sometimes risked life for others, that often gave all that one had. This was something that was very strange and alien, and it did indeed draw many to find out more about Jesus. This love should keep us strong and united in a world that is hostile to God. We are to be living examples of Jesus’ love, just as He was the examples of God’s love.

Love is to be the distinguishing characteristic of Jesus’ disciples (vs. 35). People wonder how they can love this or that person when they did such terrible things to them.  We can’t do it on our own. It is something that is produced by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit which believers receive when they accept Jesus as their Savior. Our love for others should show itself in more than just a word and a pat on the back or hug at church. Love is an attitude that reveals itself in action - helping, giving, looking to other’s welfare rather than one’s own, taking hurts rather than fighting back.

The unsaved world will not know that we are Jesus’ disciples through the correct doctrine we follow.  Nor will they know we follow Him through the big, magnificent churches we build. Jesus, Himself, said that the world will know that we believe and follow Him by our love for one another.