Dean's Devos: Loving Like Jesus Loved, Part 2

by Dr. John Harvey

In John 13:34-35, Jesus give his disciples (and us) a new commandment:

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (NLT)

Jesus says this commandment is “new” commandment, and the Greek word (καινός) means “new of a different kind.” How is this commandment different from the “great” commandment to love God (Deut. 6:5) and the “royal” commandment to love our neighbor (Jas. 2:8)?

Jesus’ commandment is new, because it involves a new standard:

We are to love like Jesus loved (13:34b):

“. . . as I have loved you . . .”

Jesus sets the standard. 1 John 3:16-18 tells us that part of that standard is that Jesus loved sacrificially and actively. That is, we must be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. It’s not enough just to say that we love one another. We must practice what we proclaim.