It is Not a Request

John 13:34-35....It is not a Request...

Psalm 16:8 NKJV

I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Before we dive in the deep water I want to make sure we have a understanding of the difference between the words, request and commandment. Request is defined as......an act of asking politely or formally for something: and commandment....an authoritative direction or instruction to do something. One way someone is asking for you to do something and the other they are telling you to do something. Asking means you can also decline to do it and by authoritative direction means you probably should do it. Let see if I give you a good example right quick. I don’t ever remember mama and daddy asking me to do anything. They told me....TALK, PREACH....they told me to take out that trash, told me to get good grades, they told me how to act when I went to someone’s house.....

So now that we have that cleared, we shall look at what Christ has given the disciples then and what he is telling us today thru his word. As we get ready to look at this new commandment, we will see 3 things in the text today. Prayfully you will see, that Christ tells us what the commandment is, he then gives us an example to go by and finally he lets us know the consequences of obeying the commandment. repeat....

Let’s take a walk in God’s Holy word.....As we look at chapter 13 in the book of John.

Here is Jesus and the disciples at the passover feast in the upper room. Jesus is steadly being an example to the fellows. WORK TEXT, JESUS WASHING FEET....v 4-11…Jesus even lets them know in v 15, read John 13:15 “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” .....it amazes me that after all Jesus has done for us we still need to be reminded .....TALK PREACH

Jesus next speaks of his upcoming betrayal. v18-30....Jesus being a servant and knowing what was coming was still about his Fathers business....we let some rain and wind keep us from doing the will of the Lord....TALK, PREACH.....

And now we roll up on our text for the day. I tell you brothers and sisters there was a lot going on in the upper room that Thursday night. But Jesus, according to John’s gospel says these words, John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” Jesus even repeats this commandment again over in John 15:12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus starts out by calling this a NEW COMMANDMENT, Theologian David Guzak states, The specific ancient Greek word used here for new here implies freshness, or the opposite of outworn, rather than recent or different. It isn’t that this commandment was just invented, but it will be presented in a new, fresh way.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 13

A new commandment? Doesn’t it say way back in Leviticus that we are to love God and that we are to love our neighbor? Isn’t that the message, really, of the Scriptures in their entirety? Hadn’t Jesus Himself said that upon these two commandments—to love God and to love people—hang all the aw and the prophets? What does He mean a new commandment?

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 13

The newness, the unfolding, the fullness of this new commandment is that we are to love in a way that costs us your life—not just loving generally, but loving sacrificially to the place of death.

Jesus’ death demanded a new commandment. This was the new feature of it. Christ’s love to His people in giving His life a ransom for them was altogether new, and consequently as a Model and Standard for theirs to one another. It is not, however, something transcending the great moral law, which is “the old commandment” (1 Jn 2:7, and see on Mk 12:28–33), but that law in a new and peculiar form. Hence it is said to be both new and old (1 Jn 2:7, 8).

This commandment has been around but now Christ was adding his flavor to it. And he shows us what the commandment is and gives us an example on how to execute the commandment and then he let’s us know the consquences of obeying the commandment.

What is the commandment? John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” .....Biblical love is the decision to compassionately, responsibly, and righteously pursue the well-being of another person. Love is a decision to seek another’s best, regardless of your feelings. We are to love one another fervently in that sense. 1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,” it should be an eager, earnest love. An unconditional love. No matter what love ye one another.....TALK, PREACH....i know it easier said than done, how can I love the one that talked about my mama....talk....

I am glad you asked those question, Jesus gives us the example on how to love each other. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Jesus here makes everything new when He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The command to love wasn’t new; but the extent of love just displayed by Jesus was new, as would be the display of the cross. Love was newly defined from His example. We can not die for them, Jesus did that but how can you love them....Matthew 18:15 ““Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.” , helping a brother be better, that’s love.....Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” , if my brother hurt , i should hurt, that’s love.....taking time out to talk to someone, to pray....TALK, PREACH....I remember when I got laid off when i was working at the plant, my wife’s uncle brought us food by, we were hurting, but his love.....Jesus gave us the example on how to love and if you stay with me for a few more minutes, i will let you know how.....

The consequences of obeying the commandment. John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”” …this new commandment is the mark of a true disciple. Jesus said that love would be the identifying mark of His disciples. It wasn’t that love for the outside world was not important or relevant, but it wasn’t first. There are other measures of discipleship, but they come after this mark.

a century after this Gospel was published Tertullian reports to the pagans of his day as saying of Christians, ‘See how they love one another.

People will know who you are and who belong to just by you showing true love.

I would not be doing you justice if i didn’t tell you both sides. There are good consequences and also bad ones as well. If you can not love one another, then are you a true disciple? People are looking for anything and everything to talk about and the church is not exempt....TALK, PREACH....look at them, they talk about love but .....

Well family as I get ready to take my seat, please remember that this is not a request. Christ our Saviour has commanded us to love one another and by doing this the world will know who you are. I am so grateful that he gave us example, John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Family he showed us true love that friday.....PREACH, CLOSE.....

Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 551.

Spurgeon, The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1448.

Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible, 2019), 1252.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 155.