A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. John 13:34 WEB
When we think of commandments in scripture, we often think of the Ten Commandments Moses received from God to give to the people of Israel. In addition, when we think of Christ and his teaching, we think of the love he demonstrated and encouraged in others. But, many rarely think of a new commandment.
Asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied in Matthew 22:37-40, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. WEB”
Loving Service and Sacrifice
The command to love on another was not new, but the order to love like Christ in willingness to serve and sacrifice was a new commandment. Jesus teaches here to love as he loves. In order to do that, we transcend our human nature of selfishness and emulate the behavior of Christ.
The disciples who received this command were called to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Those of us who believe today are called to the same task. We are commanded to share the Good News of Christ with the world. This requires loving support from our fellow believers. But also, it sometimes means we will encounter difficulty with worldly influences.
Victory in Christ
As they shared the gospel message of Christ, the early disciples were persecuted and many were killed for their service to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus prepared them and each of us for the difficulty we will sometimes encounter when sharing the gospel. In John 16:33 the Lord said, “ I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world. WEB”
Beyond the trouble we may encounter, we have the hope and assurance of eternal life in heaven. No matter what happens here on earth, when we live in Christ and love as he commanded, we are assured to live eternally in the victory he won over sin and death on the cross. The newness of Jesus’ command is perhaps best illustrated by his words from John 15:13 which read, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. WEB”
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for loving me. Give me wisdom and strength to love as you love. Help me to be more like Christ, In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Deeds of the Flesh
