Christ loved his bride, the Church, “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Eph 5:25-27). It is a love for others that springs from the love at the heart of the Father, the sacrificial and perfect love that would absorb the offense of sin and the wrath of God for evil. The cross is the ultimate expression of the love of God. Additionally, his concern that the disciples love “one another” has a special motive in the next verse so that the world will know that they belong to Christ (Jn 13:35).Īnd how has he loved them? He has served them (Jn 13:1), he has kept them with him for his entire ministry, patiently teaching them, training them, empowering them, saving them by choosing them, and by what he knew he was ready to do for them on the cross. It was “a new command” because, while love had been the focus of some of Jesus’ earlier commands love God, love neighbor, and love enemies, here, he bases the love they are to have for one another on the way he has loved them. As he contemplated leaving the disciples all on their own, his main concern was that they love one another. Now in his mounting distress, he would give them his final parting words before going to suffer his greatest trial. Judas had just a moment prior left to go and betray Jesus, and Jesus knew it. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Explanation and Commentary of John 13:34 And such love for our kin in Christ cannot be accomplished in word alone, but must be in deed.“A new command I give you: Love one another. It is the same kind of self-denying, sacrificial love that Jesus shows to each of us. Christ explains: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (13:35, my italics).Īccording to Jesus, only this particular love - a love for fellow believers - will gain the attention of a lost generation. But to penetrate the “gross darkness,” we need to lay hold of this new commandment from Jesus. We are to do many good works through which we preach Christ boldly. You see, Scripture makes clear that we are to feed the poor, and the church will always do so faithfully.
And it is where every evangelistic effort must begin.
This is not an option it is Jesus’ commandment. Here is what Jesus told His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34, my italics). They may hate you, call you fanatics, and turn you out of their synagogues, but they will know you are Mine.” And they’ll know exactly where you stand. Jesus told them plainly: “If you obey this new commandment, all men will know who you are. Jesus had already told the disciples they were to go into all the world preaching the gospel, and it was clear that they would need the power of the Holy Ghost to do that. This direction had nothing to do with methods for evangelism.
Love one another bible verse john 13 34 how to#
Yet, at the same time, Jesus gave them a word of direction about how to reach their generation after He was gone. And all of you will be persecuted” (see John 16:2). During His time with the disciples just before His crucifixion, Jesus warned, “Some of you will be rejected, some will be imprisoned, some will be killed.
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