The New Commandment
John 13: 34 – 35
Jeff Hughes
I. Introduction
a. It’s always a privilege to teach from God’s Word, and when Pastor Ron asked me to teach tonight I was excited to get the chance to come and share with y’all.
b. So, first, to start, let me set the stage for our passage tonight. It’s in the Upper Room, and the Apostles are reclining at a Passover meal with THE Lamb, the one who would take away our sins. The night before though, unbeknownst to the other Apostles, Judas met with and plotted the betrayal of Jesus for the price of a slave. Earlier that day, Jesus sent Peter and John into the city to prepare the Upper Room, already furnished and ready, for that night’s meal. Jesus has washed the disciples’ feet. Judas has just left to betray the Son of God into the hands of sinful men, already having been paid by them. After Judas leaves though, the Lord passes some bread, and then a cup. He has just instituted the Lord’s Supper, which we celebrate here tonight. In this solemn moment, the Lord uses it to instruct to His followers gathered there. The Lord knows He is about to depart this world, and just like the wedding at Cana of Galilee, He saves the best for last. He gives them a new commandment.
c. Tonight, we are going to look at three points surrounding these events that shaped the church that emerged from that room because of that new commandment. The first point is the Commandment Jesus gave to them itself, the last He would give on the earth. The second is the extent of that commandment, a definition if you will, of it. And last, how living that commandment out in our lives is a sign to others that we are His followers.
d. Turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 13. Follow along with me starting in verse 34.
e. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
f. Tonight, we will look at the Lord’s new commandment as we explore the text tonight.
II. PRAYER -
a. Father God, We thank you for this day and the blessings of it. We ask Father God that you would bless the study of Your Word tonight. We ask that you would open our hearts to hear your Word, and to apply it to our lives. We praise you and glorify you tonight. In Jesus’s name,
III. Illustration
a. The 19th century evangelist, D.L. Moody tells a story I’d like to share with you: He says -
b. Show me a church where there is love, and I will show you a church that is a power in the community. In Chicago a few years ago, a little boy attended a Sunday school I know of. When his parents moved to another part of the city the little fellow still attended the same Sunday school, although it meant a long, tiresome walk each way. A friend asked him why he went so far, and told him that there were plenty of others just as good nearer his home.
c. "They may be as good for others, but not for me," was his reply.
d. "Why not?" she asked.
e. "Because they love a fellow over there," the boy replied.
f. This was a church where a person could find the love of Christ. Why else would the little boy walk miles to get there?
IV. Study
a. The New Commandment – John 13:34a
i. With that in mind, let’s get into our study. First, let’s look at the new commandment Jesus gave His disciples. We find this in verse 34, Where Jesus says -
ii. 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
iii. What is meant in the original language is not that the commandment is new in respect to form – not like “hey, I just bought a new car”. The newness here is more in respect to substance or freshness. It is more like a new paradigm. The commandment Jesus gave His disciples here was not unheard of - it was unprecedented.
iv. Now, it wasn’t a new thing for Jewish people to be instructed in loving others. In the Law of Moses, Leviticus 19:18, the people of Israel were commanded to love their neighbor as themselves.
v. So, the command to love is not new. How could this be a new commandment then? It’s new, it not new… IT get’s alittle confusing… let me see if I can explain. My 5-year-old daughter, Esther is an interesting little girl. Those of you that know her know what I am talking about. Well, Esther likes watching the Food Channel on TV of all things. Her favorite show is this chef guy, making all these exotic dishes… I think his name is Emeril or something. He’s always coming up with new stuff, and when he’s adding spices, he goes “BAM! BAM!” He says he’s “taking the dish up a notch”, by adding this new ingredient, or the finest this, or the best that, and when he’s done, he comes up with something that may look like meatloaf, or whatever, but tastes much different, much better. Well, that’s sort of what the Lord was doing here. The command to love might have looked similar to the old one at first glance, but it was new, it was different in substance.
vi. What was new about it was the extent to which that love was to be displayed to other disciples, other believers, other followers of Christ.
vii. To start to give us an idea about the love we are to show one another, I think it is worthwhile to look at the word used for love here in the original language.
viii. The word used for love there is the Greek word agapao, or agape. It is a compound word. It is the combination of the word agan, meaning much, and the word phileo, meaning affectionate or brotherly love.
ix. Agan – phileo, Aganphileo – They got Agapao. I don’t know how they got that. I don’t know about you, but, uh…. It’s Greek to me, man…
x. What is interesting about that word though, is that it did not exist in Greek literature before the second century. This word was actually coined to describe the Christian Church of the first century. It was a new word used to describe a new thing.
xi. What was new, unheard of, and unprecedented, was the extent of the love shown by the early church, in response to this command. So, let’s now spend some time looking at the extent of that love. Keep following me in John 13:34, we’re going to look at the second half of this verse - where
b. The Extent of the Commandment – John 13:34b
i. Jesus says - as I have loved you, that you also love one another
ii. So, as we read it, we see that we are commanded to love one another as Jesus loved us. That’s pretty plain here. However, the question that comes is, how do we love as Jesus loved us? What does that look like?
1. Well, to give us an idea, we know that Jesus loved us enough to give His life for us. Romans 5:8 tells us that :
2. 8 God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
3. Now, that’s pretty heavy. So, God - Jesus Christ loved us so very much, that while we were still sinners, He died for us. I don’t know about you, but I remember what I was like when I was in the world. I was pretty messed up! All the while, I was caught up in the trappings of this world, a hopeless sinner; He loved me so much that HE died for me! Isn’t that amazing? It is to me! It still is to me.
4. You know, everyone who has been a Christian for even a short while knows John 3:16 - 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
5. You know, that verse changed my life. I would not be up here tonight if not for someone caring enough about me to share the truth found in that verse with me. However, after I walked with the Lord for a while, I wanted to serve Him. I wanted to share that message with others. Well, here is the model we get in scripture for service – it is none other than Jesus Christ himself.
6. Like I said, everyone knows John 3:16, but what about 1st John 3:16? It tells us - By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
7. That is service in the Lord’s economy, to lay down our lives for the others in the body. God may not call you to be a missionary for a far off country, to lose your life for your faith, but as I read this, we are commanded to be willing to, at the very least. So the next time someone asks you if you would like to serve, just think about that verse.
8. Real growth happened in my walk with the Lord when I began to serve Him wholeheartedly, with the right motives, and without all the grumbling and complaining that comes with wrong motives. When I started serving God wholeheartedly, I began to care for God’s people, for the things that happen to all of us, because you know what? Life happens for all of us. Jesus showed compassion and cared for people. He met people where they were, in the depths of life.
9. The Apostle Paul prays this for us in Ephesians 3:17-19 : 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
10. It is a healthy thing for us to contemplate just how much the Lord loves us. Some one told me when my children were born that I would see just how much God loves us, sending His Son to die. I think that’s when I started to get maybe an idea about how much He loves each and every one of us. I love my children so much, I have no idea how I would be able to give them up, or see them in pain, but I think I’m just scratching the surface of His love for us even then.
11. You know, someone once said, Christ didn’t love humanity. He never said that He loved humanity. He loved men. It’s that personal level to which His love goes. He died for my sins, He died for your sins.
iii. That is where the rubber meets the road, though - Are you loving your brethren as Jesus loves you?
iv. I think if each one of us searches our heart, we would find that we fall short in this area. I know I do. Oftentimes, the people that hurt us the most are the ones that we share fellowship with. Sometimes there’s a little bit of sheep rubbing each other the wrong way. We all know a story of someone that has been hurt by the church and has left the fellowship. Maybe that story is you. You know, it’s one thing to smile, and shake somebody’s hand, and even give ‘em a little hug, but do we love them as Christ loved us? Ouch!
v. That is a pretty tall order; I mean, you know, He’s God and all. It’s against our human nature as well. Our flesh doesn’t like to act like God, you know – One of my favorite sayings to describe the unwillingness of our flesh is our ways are not Yahweh’s…
vi. But, as we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit, we begin to slowly become more like Him, and those around us notice, which brings us to our final point found in verse 35. Follow along with me if you will -
c. The Birthmark of the Church – John 13:35
i. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
ii. Notice the phrase there -all will know – This is not just talking about those in the circle of disciples gathered, but those outside the circle as well. Likewise, people inside and outside the family of God will notice your love for others, provided it is there.
iii. But what they will notice is equally important. They will notice that you are a follower, a disciple of Christ.
iv. 1st John 2:5-6 tells this about love in the body - 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
v. This love commanded of us, the love of God in our lives is a mark, visible to all that we have passed from death to life in Christ.
vi. God reveals Himself through the lives of His children. Men can no longer see Jesus, but they can see us. If we abide in Him, we will love one another. That love we have for one another will reveal God’s love to the dying world. That is how it is perfected, which means matured or completed - in us. The converse is true as well. If we are not showing that love His love can’t be matured or completed in us.
vii. You know, the Lord’s wisdom really shows through here to me. The Lord wants people to believe in him, and be saved. 1st Timothy 2:4 says that Jesus desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He could have started a big ad campaign right there in the first century. He could have put up a bunch of billboards, or written it in the stars – “Trust Jesus and Live”. Instead, He chose to get His message out using love.
viii. Why? Why did he choose to use love? - Because people have an innate desire for love and acceptance. It is how we are made. Jesus knew it because he made us. We can and will be a witness for unbelievers through our love. This has been God’s plan from the beginning of the church. Why should we then go and mess up a good plan?
ix. I see a lot of churches advertising and doing a lot of things in the media, and it is not necessarily a bad thing. You’ll get people in the door like that, but what keeps them, what brings them to Christ, what plugs them in, is love. Plain and simple. Just like the little boy that walked miles to go to church, people will drive miles if we have love in our church.
V. Conclusion
a. I‘d like to leave you with a story - “In 1883, a youthful clergyman, the Rev. Joe Roberts, arrived by stagecoach in a blizzard to minister to the Indians of Wyoming. President us Grant had assigned this great, wild area to the Protestant Episcopal Church. Soon after Joe Roberts arrived, the son of the chief was shot by a soldier in a brawl, and Chief Washakie vowed to kill the first white man he met. Since this might mean the start of a long, bloody feud, young Roberts decided to take action. Seeking out the tepee, fifteen miles away in the mountains, he stood outside and called the chief’s name.
b. When Washakie appeared, Roberts opened his shirt. "I have heard of your vow," he said, "I know that the other white men have families, but I am alone. Kill me instead." The chief was amazed and motioned him into his tent. "How do you have so much courage?" he asked. Roberts told him about Christ, His death, His teachings. They talked for hours. When Joe left, the chief of the Shoshones had renounced his vow to kill and resolved to become a Christian. Washakie had seen love in action. Every group, which calls itself Christian, would do well to decide what it should do to make love visible in their homes, their churches, their community, and their world. For this simple reason - unless love becomes visible it is not love at all.
c. I pray that people would see the love of Christ at Calvary Chapel, and that they would not have to look very hard to find it.
