A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.

John 13:31-14:14 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; ³² if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. ³³ Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” ³⁷ Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” ³⁸ Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

⁷ If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

⁸ Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

In today’s text Jesus says:  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  If the church today wants the world to know that we are Jesus disciples, we must begin by loving one another. We need to stop focusing on the doctrines that divide us and begin to focus on Christ, who abides in us.  Jesus said:  “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.”  Jesus glory did not come through the honor and accolades of men. It came through His suffering and sacrifice on the cross. God Himself was glorified in that Jesus was willing to die on the cross that we might be saved, redeemed, reconciled and restored. When we see others, who believe in Christ, we need to focus on the glory of their redemption, rather than on their theology. We are all created uniquely, with differing personalities and temperaments. We are all products of how we were created and of our own life experiences. We are different in many physical, psychological and emotional ways.  Yet we still are all created in the image and likeness of God. If we cannot get this new commandment of Christ right: “… that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another,” how can we think that we could get the greatest, the first and second commandment right?  “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The world will not know that we are Christ’s disciples, they will not receive His love from us, if we don’t love those who are also His disciples, who are different than us.

In Matthew 18:6-7 Jesus says:  “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!” Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  If we, by our actions and our lack of love, hinder others from knowing the way, we are stumbling blocks.  Jesus says:  “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”   Jesus was glorified in the cross. We too are to glorify God in Him, doing the works that He did. We may do it in different ways, but if we point others to the glory of God demonstrated in the cross, Jesus will do what we ask and the Father will be glorified.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, may I glorify You as I do the works that You did. May I love others, even as You have loved me. May I never fail to recognize that You also suffered and died for them. Amen.