A New Commandment

Jul 19 2022 - Eric Buresh

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. John 13:34

Have you ever read this amazing passage as Jesus tenderly instructs His disciples following the last supper and wondered, “Wait a minute, what’s new about this command?” Certainly, the command to love each other is not new. Leviticus 19:18 said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” So, what was new? What did Jesus mean?

Some commentators suggest the new aspect of this old commandment was that we now have Jesus as an example of how to love one another. I agree with this explanation as far as it goes. Certainly, we could not imitate Jesus before Jesus manifested Himself in ways we could imitate. But I don’t think that explanation fully captures Jesus’ meaning. The newness was far more expansive than simply a new example to follow.

This old commandment was new because it had both a new purpose and a new power in and through Jesus. In the very next verse, Jesus explains, “By this [new commandment] all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. The new purpose in loving one another is that people will now identify you as a disciple of Jesus. That new purpose could not be fulfilled in our lives unless Jesus gave us the power to fulfill it.

He goes on to proclaim, “I am the true vine.” John 15:1. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5. And then Jesus unites the new purpose with the new power: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:8.

Apart from a life that abides steadfastly in the love and power of Jesus, it is totally impossible to love one another. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But when we truly love one another in dependence on Jesus, we prove we are Jesus-powered disciples, and we bring glory to the Father through Jesus. The old commandment (Lev. 19:18) was a moralistic law practiced failingly through human effort. The new commandment is fulfilled only as a fruit of our abiding in Jesus Christ and as an outflow of His love flowing through our spiritual veins. In short, the new commandment requires a miracle. We cannot do it in our own power. It’s not possible.

John heard Jesus’ teaching directly and was deeply impacted by this concept of Jesus’ new commandment. He wrote again in his first letter, “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” 1 John 2:7-9. John’s message was that the old commandment was new – newly powered by Him and newly possible in you -- because Jesus, the True Light, was shining. Jesus came to earth, shed His blood, died on the cross, and took His life back up in resurrection precisely to show that His power made it possible for His disciples to love one another. Abide in that power. Abide in His Light. If His beauty and majesty is not radiating in your heart and producing the fruit of Jesus-fueled love for other people, you are still in darkness.

Why did Jesus make this passing mention of a new commandment? Why should we care about it? The Bible talks a lot about light and darkness, i.e., men loved darkness rather than the Light. John 3:19. Another way of saying this is that men prefer to love and worship themselves rather than Jesus. Jesus knew this well. He knew we would look at the old commandment, and WE would want to do it. WE would help the poor and elderly, and WE would want recognition for it. WE would boast about our loving acts, and WE would want our own lights to shine. Oh, and it would make us feel warm inside, and fulfilled, and a little bit better than our lazy neighbors who just serve themselves. WE would casually tell people our stories of weekends at the rescue mission or our charitable donations. It was so taxing . . . WE loved the sacrifice as long as WE would get some recognition for ourselves. Jesus knew our pursuit of the old commandment would be dead works of self-worship. They would be sin. Romans 14:23. And, deep down, in the recesses of the quiet places of our heart that we try to ignore, we know it. We know selfishness is our real motivation. We know it ends in emptiness. We know, but we lie to ourselves.

So, Jesus offered something totally new. Himself. The new power. Abide in Me. Abide in My love. Let My love power your love. Let My Living Water become a fountain in you that overflows unto eternal life for others. Then you will find what you are actually seeking. The door to fulness of pleasure and joy forevermore in His presence will be opened. Then, you will lie down in the green pastures of Jesus Christ. And, then, you will point people to your Treasure instead of yourself. You will truly love them. And thus you will fulfill the new commandment.