The new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples is recorded in John 13:34-35 (ESV): “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This commandment to love one another was given by Jesus on the night before his crucifixion. It came after he washed his disciples’ feet, demonstrating his love and service towards them. Though loving others was not a completely new concept, Jesus’ commandment had a fresh meaning and emphasis.
The key aspects of Jesus’ new commandment to love one another are:
- The standard of love is Jesus’ own love for his disciples. They were to love one another just as Jesus loved them.
- The object of love is fellow believers – “one another.” While we should love all people, this commandment stresses loving fellow Christians.
- The motive and result of love is to identify as Jesus’ disciples. This love demonstrates to the world that we follow Jesus.
So what does it mean to love one another as Jesus loved us? Here are some key ways Jesus demonstrated love that we are also called to emulate:
Sacrificial Love
Jesus gave the greatest demonstration of love by sacrificing his life for us on the cross (John 15:13). His death paid the penalty for our sins so we could be forgiven. The new commandment calls us to be willing to sacrificially serve and even lay down our lives for one another, as Christ did for us.
Humble Love
Washing his disciples’ feet displayed Jesus’ humility and servant-heartedness (John 13:1-15). The new commandment means humbly serving our fellow believers and meeting their needs, not looking down on them.
Forgiving Love
On the cross, Jesus exemplified radical forgiveness by asking God to forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). We demonstrate Christ-like love when we forgive each other, even as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).
Selfless Love
Jesus always put others first and lived to serve, not be served (Mark 10:45). The new commandment calls us to be others-focused and meet their needs unselfishly, not seeking our own good.
Welcoming Love
Jesus drew near to those considered outcasts or sinners, welcoming them into God’s kingdom (Luke 15:1-2). We show his love by warmly welcoming and embracing fellow believers from all walks of life.
Joyful Love
Jesus’ life and love showed his joy in obeying the Father and bringing glory to Him (John 15:11). The new commandment means loving others with Christ-centered joy, not legalistic duty.
Patient Love
Jesus was extraordinarily patient with his disciples’ weaknesses, doubts and mistakes as he discipled them. We fulfill the new commandment by bearing with one another patiently through struggles (Ephesians 4:2).
Kind Love
Jesus treated people with tenderness, compassion and thoughtfulness (Matthew 11:28-30). The new commandment means loving through simple acts of Christ-like kindness.
Honest Love
Jesus combined love with truth-telling, correcting sin and unbelief in others for their growth (John 8:31-32). We must love others enough to gently confront sin and point them towards Christ.
Persevering Love
Despite opposition and rejection, Jesus relentlessly pursued people with God’s love and truth (Luke 13:34). We demonstrate his love by persevering through the messiness of relationships, not giving up on each other.
One Another Actions
Throughout the New Testament, additional “one another” statements expand on what it means to live out the new commandment in the Christian community:
- “Be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50)
- “Wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14)
- “Greet one another” (Romans 16:16)
- “Serve one another” (Galatians 5:13)
- “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2)
- “Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32)
- “Submit to one another” (Ephesians 5:21)
- “Forgive one another” (Colossians 3:13)
- “Encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Putting Jesus’ new commandment into practice will deeply impact our relationships in the body of Christ. As we grow in loving one another as Christ loved us, we give credible witness to the world of whose disciples we are. The quality of our love is a powerful apologetic for the transformative power of the gospel. This “new commandment” thus becomes one of the defining marks of Jesus’ followers.
Loving fellow believers as Christ loved us is not easy because of our own remaining selfishness and sin. We need the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and grace to increasingly grow in Christ-like love (Galatians 5:22-23). Our love will always be imperfect in this life. But the new commandment sets the trajectory for every Christian community on a path towards deeper, truer, self-sacrificial Christ-centered love.
As the apostle John wrote in 1 John 3:11, 23 (ESV): “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another… And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”