A New Commandment

John 13:31–38 (ESV)

A New Commandment

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. 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.’ 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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you 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, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

Can you feel Peter’s heartbreak here?

We know that Peter sometimes gets a bad rap for being to impulsive and whatever,

But Peter LOVED Jesus almost to a fault if that’s possible. His love for Jesus was deep and steady!

When Jesus says I’m going away and you cannot come with me, imagine his heartbreak!

“Lord, where are you going!”

“Why can’t come with you? I’m your most loyal follower! I would do ANYTHING for you! I would die for you!”

I’m sure that the heart of Jesus is touched with Peter’s grief and expressions of love.

He doesn’t laugh at Peter, He doesn’t rebuke Him, or mock Him.

He doesn’t say, “Who are you trying to kid? You are going to wimp out on me!”

He says, “Will you lay down your life for me?” or “Would you really do that for me?”

Let me tell you Peter, before the sun comes up, you are going to deny me. Not just once, not twice, but 3 times!”

This whole exchange, starting with Jesus washing their feet, then announcing that one of His circle of close friends would betray Him and then announcing that He was leaving and they couldn’t follow Him,

This whole exchange has a profound impact on John, the one who was leaning up against Jesus at the table.

but what really has a deep and lasting impact on John, are these words:

English Standard Version Chapter 13

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.’ 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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Two very striking things in these verses

1. Jesus addresses them as “Little Children”

He has never done that before

And we don’t read this again until we get to 1 John. And then it appears 7 times!

2. Jesus talks about a new commandment

This new commandment is that we love each other as He has loved us.

This is new language. Jesus has never talked like this.

And we don’t read this again. Not until we come to 1 & 2 John. And there we read again this term “a new commandment”.

I believe that John is profoundly affected by what Jesus does and says here at the Passover.

and I believe that it’s quite possible that years later, John sat down with pen in hand intent on revealing to his readers the meaning and significance in Jesus’ words here

As we look at the Gospel of John, and the epistle of John, there are some very striking things

Nowhere in his letters does John refer to the love of Jesus for me (us)

He does, however, talk about the love of the Father and the love of God over and over again.

He never says love like Jesus loved. He says, love like God

Example: 1 John4:10 This is love. Not that we love God but that He loved us and gave His Son as a propitiation for our sins

John, I believe, understands as fully as anyone can understand, who Jesus is

Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

He is the exact representation of who God is.

John, in looking back, realizes that He ate supper with God

In talking about the love of the Father, rather than the love of Jesus, He is not minimizing Jesus. He is putting all of God’s love in Jesus and therefore maximizing Jesus.

the Love of Jesus IS the love of God

John 13 35. This is how people will know that you are my disciples: if you love each other.

How many of you have had the privilege of seeing the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier?

I have been fascinated with the process becoming a guard

Soldiers have to be in the Army 3rd regiment (the Old Guard)

They have to volunteer

They endure a total of at least 9 months of strenuous training and drilling. They have to memorize pages of material verbatim.

During that time, they are only allowed two “dings” or fails. More than that and they are kicked out.

If they succeed and pass all their inspections and tests, they earn their Tomb Guard Identification Badge.

when they pin it to their right breast pocket, everyone knows who they are. They are guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier

Jesus says, for you my followers, you have a badge to pin on.

it is your love for one another

The point is not “how are you aligned with Christianity”

or how will people know if you go to a Christian church

Or how will people know if you bear the name Christian

It’s how will they know if you have been given a new heart

1 John 4:7 whoever loves has been born of God

3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers

3:10 We know who are Children of God. Those who love

4:8 Anyone who does not love, does not know God

2:9 whoever says he is in the light but hates his brother is not in the light

1 John is an exposition of verse 35.

All people will know that you are my disciples if you love each other just as I have loved you

What is new about the new commandment? What is it about love that identifies us as his disciples

The command to love is not new: Leviti 19:18 “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

But here is what is new: “Love each other as I have loved you.

Not, love “as you love yourself” anymore. Love as I have loved you.

How is this new?

The Standard is new—As I have loved you

John 15:9: As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you!

The Source of love is new

Now when it comes to this new commandment, Is Jesus just saying, “Imitate me. I’ve shown you how to love. Now go imitate me.”?

I’ve washed your feet

I’ve served you

I’m about to lay down my life for you

Well, that’s certainly part of what love looks like. But is that ALL that He is saying?

1 John 2:8 1 John 2:8 (ESV) At the same time, it IS a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, (Why is it new?) because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

John 1 tells us about that Light.

In Jesus was LIGHT

This is the kind of Light that darkness cannot overcome!

That Light was coming into the world in Christ Jesus!

And in 1 John, John says, “That true light is already shining!”

Jesus, the True Light, came and ushered in a new Kingdom, a new way of life, a new community

A new community of people who are living in Him.

The are living in the light!

This is a new way of life!

1 John 2: 9 Now, whoever says, “I am in the light”—I am in the new Kingdom! I am part of the newness that Jesus has brought.

Whoever says that but hates his brother, that person is still in darkness. It is not possible to hold bitterness and grudges toward someone and claim to be in the light.

Verse 10. BUT whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

When you are in the dark, you bang into things, you stub your toe, you whack your shins on the chair

When you hate your brother, you are in the dark.

Your brother is constantly offending you, irritating you, hurting you. You find yourself stumbling constantly because of your brother

But if you love your brother, you are in the light

You see him clearly for who he is. You see yourself clearly for who you are

There are no false pretenses between you.

You understand that both of you are in desperate need of grace

This is what it means to be in the light. That Light is already shining.

If you love your brother, you are in that light

If you hate your brother, you are out there where Judas is. In darkness. Outside of that light

John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

John 15:12 This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.

Here is the newness of this commandment: The love that Jesus is talking about is not about imitating; it is about connecting.

It’s not about

oh Jesus washed feet. I’d better too.

Oh Jesus preached the Gospel. I’d better too

These are good things. But it’s not what Jesus is talking about

It’s about abiding in His love. It’s about connecting to the heart of the Father

It’s not about imitating.

It’s about striving to know the heart of the Father

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 15:9–10). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.