“A New Command” -- John 13:34-35

There was movie that came out back in the 80’s, I think, called “City Slickers.” It’s a story about three friends from New York City who go to a working ranch to work a cattle drive. There are a few other people, but the one overseeing the drive is a crusty old cowboy, named Curly, who hasn’t got much use for the city slickers who are trying to live out some fantasy on the drive.

In one of the scenes, the main character is talking with Curly. They’re talking about these 30-somethings coming to the ranch to find themselves. Curly, with disdain, finally holds up one finger and says, “It’s just one thing.” “What’s ‘one thing’?” comes the reply.

Curly explains that life can be summed up in one thing. He said people are always running around, looking for answers and the meaning of life. All we need to do, though, is find that one thing, that one thing that truly defines us. Once we find that, then everything falls into place.

There is so much that Jesus taught in His three years of public ministry. There is so much to absorb, so much to consider, that it takes a life time to consider, and still we only scratch the surface. Fortunately, Jesus gives us key markers to show us the anchor to our relationship with Him. He gives us the Golden Rule and the Beatitudes. He calls us to be compassionate and patient and kind.

Then Jesus gives us one key thing—the one thing—that will bring the entire Gospel into focus. That one thing—the thing that lets everything else fall into place—is the command He gives in the Upper Room the night of His betrayal. He gives us a new command, and the new command guides us in all we do as His disciples.

Central Truth: The Beatitudes are summarized in Christ’s new command.

Jesus’ new command:

Demands our obedience.

From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the love of God has been evident. John tells us that it is God’s love that led Him to send His only Son as Savior for our sins. God expresses His love for Jesus at Jesus’ baptism, and again at the mount of transfiguration. Jesus’ ministry is one that demonstrates His love for the lost and the weary. When asked the greatest commandment, Jesus tells us to love God completely and love our neighbor as ourselves. As Jesus approaches His last night with His disciples, the Bible tells us that He wanted to show them the full extent of His love.

It is after Judas has left that Jesus begins to teach the men in the upper room the last things before He is crucified. And He begins with this command: Love one another.

The idea of loving one another would seem to be understood, but consider the men Jesus had gathered around Him. One was a zealot, committed to Israel first and foremost after his devotion to Jesus. Another was a publican, a tax gatherer who worked closely with the Romans. There were fishermen and other trades. There were probably very few things that the group had in common other than their devotion to Jesus. So the command to love one another needed to be said to hold the band together.

But the command to love was not just the other men in the room, or even the extended group of followers. No, the command is to love all people. This love is to be an extension of one’s devotion to God and to Christ.

The fact that it is a command is also critical in knowing that Jesus took the words “love one another” very, very seriously. This command was given because it is central to who and what we are. Later that night, Jesus says if we love Him we will obey His commands. This loving obedience will be accompanied by the presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-16) and the intimate relationship with the Father and the Son as they abide with us (John 14:23-24). At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says the person who hears and does His words is the one who is wise and rewarded. Luke adds the phrase, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus expects us to put His words into practice. It is not by accident that He tells the disciples, and us, that the words “love one another” is a command.

Jesus expects us to love one another.

Is exemplified by Jesus Himself.

There are few things more frustrating than to be told to do something, but not be trained to do it. It’s almost as frustrating to be told to do something, given cursory instructions and then expected to do it expertly. If Jesus had simply said, “A new command I give you: love one another,” His words could have been open to interpretation. What, exactly, did He mean? Did He simply mean to have a warm affection for each other, or did He mean something else?

Fortunately for us, Jesus gave us a very explicit instructions on how He expects us to love—we are to love as He loved.

Look at the ministry of Jesus Christ and it is obvious He was love in action. The way He spoke with people, the way He interacted with people, the way He genuinely cared for people—all demonstrate His love for us. When Jesus tells us to love as He loved, He is telling us that we must treat people the way He treated them, that we must interact with people the way He interacted with them.

And that love of His grew out of His love for the Father. Jesus tells us that everything He did and everything He said came from the Father. He readily submitted to the Father’s will, even when He was asking for an alternative ending for His atoning work. “If there is any way, let this cup pass from Me” was changed almost immediately to, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.” It is this love for the Father that defined and drove Jesus in His life of ministry and compassion. Without the love of the Father, it is difficult to love others as we love ourselves.

Let’s be honest. This command isn’t easy. People are not loveable. Sure, the people we personally know and love are loveable, but most people are not. They’re rude, inconsiderate, annoying, self-centered. With Jesus as the model of the love we are to have, we learn that love is not a warm fuzzy feeling but a way of seeing the world and a way of living in our world. This love changes the way we see those around us.

Jesus commands us to love one another, and He sets Himself as our example of His expectations.

Distinguishes us as God’s children.

There are things we can look to that distinguish one thing from another. There are people who can look at a tree and know what kind it is based upon the leaves or seeds or some other characteristic. We know which team to cheer for by the uniforms they wear. We know the person at the store who can help because of their nametag or store garments.

For Christians, the thing that separates us and sets us apart is this love that Jesus commands us to do. And this love is the key to doing everything else that Jesus tells us to do.

It is love that leads us to mourn, to show mercy, to minister. It is love that enables us to endure persecution. It is love that causes us to live by the Golden Rule. It is the love that Jesus demonstrated and that Paul defines in 1 Corinthians 13. It is the love that grows out of God’s love for us. When we devote ourselves to living out the command to love one another as Christ loves us, then we discover that the blessings promised in the Beatitudes come alive in us as we walk in obedience to the Father. We find the joy and the hope and the faith that enables us to carry on believing and following Christ.

And when we live out a life of Christ-like love, we are distinguished from others. The Christian walk of obedient love sets us apart as servants of the Living God. The life of love gives credence to our words of testimony, and resonates in the ministry we do.

When Jesus commands us to love each other as He loves us, He knows that doing so will set us apart as His.

Conclusion

Everyone has distinguishing characteristics. For some of us, it’s the way we look. For others, it’s the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we laugh. Each person in the world is distinguished from every other person. No two people look exactly alike, not even identical twins.

For Jesus, He wants us to be characterized by a love that comes only from the Father and is demonstrated by the Son. It is a love that is empowered by the Spirit that indwells us, and it is a love that fulfills all the promises of Jesus.

So, as we look at ourselves, do we see someone who loves?