Jesus said to his followers, “A new command I give you.” New? A new command? Do we need a new command? Jewish religious leaders had identified 613 distinct laws. Who could keep up? Do we really need another command? The current list of laws had been keeping them busy. Earlier in the Gospels, Jesus had reduced the list of laws to two commands: love God and love your neighbor. But now, Jesus gives his followers a new command. It’s found in John 13:34 - “A new command I give you: Love one another.”
Main Points:
1. According to Jesus, our love for others is the distinctive mark of Christianity. We are to be known for our love. Oh, how I wish this were true of today’s church. What a difference we could make!
2. The identifying mark of Christ followers is not in how we vote, what church we attend, what we wear, or the causes we embrace. Scripture may inform God’s desires in all of those things, but the according to Jesus, the identifying mark of His followers is to love them with the same love we have received from God.
3. How can we do this? It begins with experiencing the love of God and letting it transform your heart. I believe this is a life-long, on-going process. For the rest of our lives we will experience the love of God and learn from it.
Today’s Scripture Verses:
John 13:34-35 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:35 - “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
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