Jesus was getting emotional near the end. You read He was troubled in spirit, preparing for His death, already grieving the separation from His disciples. They’d just shared communion—bread broken, cup raised—and then Jesus, with all authority given to Him, tied a towel around Himself and washed their feet. Picture that: the One who holds everything, kneeling before them.
He knew what lay ahead—betrayal, the cross, the garden of Gethsemane just hours away. Yet, in that moment, He gave them this:
John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
A new command? Loving your neighbor wasn’t new—God said that years before. But Jesus makes it different: love like He loved them. Patient when they stumbled, forgiving when they fled, restoring them to bring the Father to others.
He knew they’d face persecution after His death and resurrection, that the world would hate them. But their love for each other—this self-sacrificing, stand-out love—would mark them as His. People would see it and know: these must be Jesus’ disciples. They’re acting like Him.
This command isn’t just for them—it’s for us. Too often, folks call themselves Christians (“little Christs”) but don’t love their brothers and sisters in Jesus. How will people know who you belong to if you don’t love like He did?
In a raw, vulnerable plea, Jesus tells us: love one another as I have loved you. Friend, how are you doing with this? Are you patient with your brother or sister in Christ? Do you forgive and reconcile, or do you make excuses to dodge this love?
People won’t know you’re His disciple unless you live this “new” command. Hear the tender heart of Jesus in that sacred moment, showing us how to live as His own: loving each other as He loves us.
