Wednesday, February 19, 2025
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. John 13:34-35
So All People Will Know That We Are His Disciples
Jesus demonstrated loving others with his whole life and ultimately the greatest love of all in sacrificing his life. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely, not because they deserve it, but because it is His nature to love. He is love.
This love does not come naturally to us. True unconditional love can only come from its Source—our Heavenly Father. Because of His love for us, we are able to show that love to others – and how others will know that we are his disciples.
This particular passage of scripture was during the last supper the disciples had with Jesus before he was crucified. We get a very good look at the true nature of Jesus and His love in these verses. He wanted to show the disciples how to love others. This is a perfect example of Christ’s love for us to model our lives after.
In the verses leading up to these two verses above, Jesus had washed all the disciple’s feet as an act of humility and service, showing his love for them. Jesus loved them in an unexpected way. Normally a master does not serve his disciples, and they were probably not completely comfortable with him washing their feet. No one at the table "expected" Jesus to wash their feet, but that is what love does. Love does what no one expects to be done for them. He didn't have to get down on His knees and wash the disciples' feet. But He did it because he loved them, and he wanted to express and show His love for them. He did it to show them how they were to love. This simple and yet profound act would touch them for the rest of their lives.
Showing love to all people is how the world knows we are his disciples. It is easy to show love to those who are kind and sweet and that love us. Luke 6:32 says But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. But as his disciples we are to show love to the “prickly” people in the world as well. You know who I am talking about – some of you live with them or see them at work or school or at the grocery store. They may never see the love of Christ except from you and that is an important thing for us to remember.
Jesus exampled true love by loving his enemies. Luke 6:27 says But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…He is not asking anything of us that He wouldn’t do Himself. Even though He is the Son of God, it had to be hard to serve and show the full extent of His love to Judas when He knew Judas would betray him soon, but He did it anyway. He washed his feet along with all the other disciples’ feet.
Of course this command to love one another was also about the body of Christ loving the body of Christ. Churches are filled with human beings with fleshly desires and emotions. We get selfish and we get hurt and sometimes we fight. Satan loves nothing more than for the body of Christ to be divided. The world sees this and thinks we are no different than them – maybe even worse. We have a responsibility to love one another, even when we disagree, because the world is watching. They are watching how we treat them and how we treat each other.
It is not easy to show this love all the time. We do get hurt. We are wronged greatly sometimes. We make mistakes and thank God for grace. The world doesn’t know God’s grace, so they won’t be as understanding. But if we are walking with Jesus, stepping where the Spirit steps, we have a greater chance of showing the world we are his disciples. As his followers everything we say and do should be a reflection of his glory and love so in his power only can we love one another so all people will know that we are his disciples.
