A New Command I Give You

Introduction

Need to write something here 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’

Point 1: The Conext

31 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 glorify him at once.

Addmittedly, these verses can be a little confusing and hard to understand. First, we don’t use the word glorify or really understand what it means to be glorified in practical sense. In fact, I went to Google and asked it to give me examples for the use of the word “glorify” in a non-religious context. Interestingly, almost all of the examples it provided me were negative - glorify is most commonly used to communicate that something is being made out to be more that what it really is:

"Many action films are criticized for glorifying violence by making it look exciting and consequence-free".

"That new 'boutique' apartment is just a glorified closet".

"He is not a manager; he is just a glorified receptionist".

"The restaurant was no more than a glorified fast-food cafe".

In addition to this Jesus uses the word glorify or glorified five times in two sentences! “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 glorify him at once.” What is going on!? It is enough to make you a bit dizzy!

But, that is not where we want to stay. Let’s take these verses apart and see what we can learn from them. Because I would suggest to you that what we learn here in these two verse about the perfect relationship between the Father and the Son will fram our understanding of how Jesus calls us to live and to love one another. You could say that example we have here of the love that God calls us to as followers of Christ. That we would actively love one another, deferring to the needs and benefit of the other for their good and for God’s glory! Or, for the simple reason that by loving one another as God has commanded us to God will be lifted and and worshipped as he should be.

Point 2: The Command

34 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.

As we look at this verse there are two questions we need to answer to fully understand what Jesus is saying. First, why is it a new commandment? Then, secondly, why is it a commandment?

The newness of the command is not found in the directive to love one another. That requirement had already been established in the Old Testament. In Leviticus 19:18, under the law of Moses the children of Israel had already been commanded - 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

God had already established for his people that they should love others at least as much as they loved themselves. For the 1500 years between Moses and Jesus this had been the highest standard of love the Israelites had known - love others as much as you love yourself! The benchmark or standard required by the law could be fulfilled by showing others the same degree of care that you would show yourself.

It was a standard that everyone could understand and grasp because the truth is we all love ourselves first and foremost before anyone or anything else. The Apostle Paul argued this when he wrote to the Ephesians, “29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it (5:29)”.

We love ourselves first. Consider this, Dale Carnegie, the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People said, “Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. This is why sales and marketing professionals are trained to use people’s names when interacting with prospects and customers. The use of a person’s name is a powerful, science-backed technique to build immediate rapport, trust, and engagement. Using a person's name transforms a generic transaction into a personal interaction, making the customer feel seen, valued, and respected rather than just another number.

Or, imagine that behind me this morning there was a giant mirror so you could see what I see. Who would be the first person you would look for in the reflection? Be honest. You would look for yourself! It is a natural behaviour to look for yourself first in a group photograph or in a reflection first. Our brains prioritise familiar information to check our safety, our social standing, and our self-presentation. - We are all hard-wired to think of ourselves first. To love ourselves first.

The command under the law of Moses was that God’s people were to give at least as much attention, as much focus and as much love - to the wellbeing of their neighbours as they would give to themselves.

Now, in John 13 Jesus is suggesting a radically different! He is introducing a new standard for how we are to love others. He said, 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. The reason Jesus calls this a new command is because he is introducing a new standard for how we are to love. Love as I have loved you!

In the context of the upper room and what would be immediate in the disciples minds - how has Jesus demonstrated his love for his disciples? In verse one of John chapter 13 we read, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Or, if you have an older edition of the NIV it says, “he showed them the full extent of his love”. Then immediately John describes how Jesus went about washing his disciples feet. In doing so Jesus defines in action what love is - the selfless, kind-hearted concern for the well-being of another. The love that Jesus is commanding us to emulate is:

Active - Jesus recognised the need and moved to action; the disciples had dirty feet that weren’t going to wash themselves.

Self-less - Jesus was the teacher and the performer of miracles. Only a couple days prior he had been welcomed into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna - the recognised Messiah and expected king of Israel. He should have had the place of honour at the table. But he stooped to the position of servant - it is notable that the task of foot washing was a task relegated to the lowest of slaves. In the culture of the day it was a task that not even a Hebrew slave would be given.

His love was kindhearted and unconditional - Jesus washed the feet of Judas, the would be traitor, along with the feet of the disciples who would be faithful. Putting into practice his own teaching on loving one’s enemies.

This is the new standard of love that Jesus calls us to. To love each other with the same kind of love he has demonstrated to us. In John 13:15 Jesus says, 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed if you do them.

Secondly, why is it a commandment?

First, because our obedience to Christ’s commands provide us with a means of demonstrating our love for Jesus. In John 14:15 Jesus says, 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And in John 15:14 he says, “14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Second, when Jesus commands us to do something it means that we have the capacity to obey him with his help. He would not ask something of us that we were not capable of doing. In John 14 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit as a ‘helper’ for the believer to remember all things that Jesus has taught. And, Philippians 2:13 Paul says that it is God who is in the believer to will and to work according to his good pleasure.

Third, because Jesus knows that his directive that we love one another in the same way he has loved us will not come easily or naturally to us. If he did not command us to show love in the same way he has loved us, we wouldn’t I John 4:7-11. Listen to this. He says, “7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Point 3: The Consequence

Conclusion / Challenge