“A New Commandment”
(John 13:34-35)
I. Introduction.
A. When we read, and study, the Bible, we should do so with
its single, unified theme in mind: God’s redemption of
sinful humanity by His divine grace.
1. The law, given through Moses, created a covenant
people, a covenant community, through whom a
Savior and Redeemer would come into the world.
The Law pointed toward His glorious appearance.
2. That first covenant never claims to be the final word
of God. In fact, Moses himself wrote: “The Lord
your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me
from your midst, from your brethren. Him you
shall hear. . . And the Lord said to me: . . . ‘I will
raise up for them a Prophet like you from among
their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth,
and He shall speak to them all that I command
Him.’” (Deuteronomy 15:15; 17-19).
3. The New Testament identifies that Holy One, that
Prophet like Moses, and gives us His words and the
meaning of His work among people.
4. We, now, live under a second covenant, a better
covenant. We are the beneficiaries of the
fulfillment of all those promises.
B. The two covenants are not radically different from each
other. The second comes directly out of, and continues,
what was begun under the first. It brings to completion
what was started so much earlier.
1. Jesus made this very clear: “Do not think that I
came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy, but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17).
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2. Both covenants are expressions of divine love; both
state laws which teach the practical demands of
love. In our adherence to the second covenant (the
law of “. . .grace and truth,” John 1:17), it’s
necessary, it’s vital that we understand clearly the
relationship between law and love.
C. As Jesus prepares His closest disciples for His approaching
death, He gives a “final command” to them – and to us.
1. The time was very short now. If these men were
ever to hear and heed His voice, they must hear and
heed it now. He was taking a road He had to walk
alone (John 13:33: “. . . ‘Where I am going, you
cannot come,’ . . .)”.
2. Before He makes the journey to Calvary, Jesus
gives His disciples “A new commandment . . .” the
commandment that covers all attitudes, all
motivations, and all actions. They must love one
another, as He has loved them.
3. How did Jesus love them?
a. He loved them selflessly. Even in the
noblest of human love there remains an
element of self – of what we get in return for
our love. At times motivating our love is the
thought of our happiness. But, Jesus did not
think of Himself. He desired to give
Himself – give all He had – to those He
loved.
b. Second, He loved them sacrificially. There
was no limit to what His love could, or
would, give. There was no limit on where
His love would lead Him. No demand upon
it was too much.
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c. Third, He loved them understandingly. He
loved them in spite of all their weaknesses.
A true love knows us at our worst, yet still
loves us. Real love is not “blind,” but fully
open-eyed. We love not what we imagine
someone to be, but what they truly are. In
His understanding of us, Jesus loves us as
we are.
d. And, fourth, He loved them forgivingly.
Denied, forsaken, fleeing from Him in His
time of greatest need, He held nothing
against them. Because we often hurt most
of all those we love most of all, enduring
love must include forgiveness.
4. These are the elements of the “new commandment.”
Jesus says, these are the characteristics of disciples
(RE-READ verse 35).
II. Law And Love.
A. The teachers of the Law of Moses had codified a total of
613 commandments; 248 positive commands, and 365
prohibitions. Debates went on continually among the
Jewish scholars about “heavy” versus “light” commands,
obligatory versus optional commands, and the greatest
versus the least important.
1. This kind of thinking, obviously, promoted legalism
among the Jewish people.
2. The “great” commandments were those regarded as
necessary to salvation; the “least” were those that
were seen as practically irrelevant to righteousness.
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a. Salvation became a matter of discriminating
between the “important” and “unimportant”
commands, and performing the important
ones.
b. What resulted was each person setting his
own priorities, deciding on what were the
“important” commandments, and basing
their hope on being able to perform these
properly.
3. Jesus rejected such “checklist” righteousness, such
legalism, and called people back to the fundamental
principles from which God’s law had come. And,
those fundamental principles all point back to one
word: love.
B. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:39). “By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35).
1. The first four commandments of the Decalogue, and
every duty pertaining to God, grow out of love for
Him. Put God first; keep a clear vision of His
nature and works; don’t show disrespect to His holy
name; give Him priority in the use of our time.
These are the practical ways to demonstrate love for
God.
2. The last six of the Ten Commandments, and every
element of moral responsibility, grow out of love
for one’s fellow men. Honor your parents; respect
human life; treat sex as a sacred part of human
experience; never steal; never lie; don’t covet what
belongs to another. These are the practical ways to
demonstrate love for your “neighbor.”
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3. Righteousness is not a checklist of “do’s and
“don’ts” – it’s the living out of our love –
unselfish, sacrificial, understanding, and
forgiving.
C. Eternal life is God’s gift to undeserving sinners. We don’t
merit it because we’ve kept more commandments than
we’ve broken. We don’t receive it because we judged
correctly which commandments were most important. But,
the conflict between legalism and love has gone on under
both covenants.
1. We (people) tend to gravitate toward one of two
extremes: either hairsplitting legalism, or a
rejection of the idea of law, and God’s acceptance –
because of love – of everything and anything.
2. What is the correct position? What lies between the
extremes? Love is the right reason for keeping
divine law, and divine law is the only proper
motivation for expressing love.
D. One command covers, and includes, all others: “Live in
love!” If you love God, you will obey Him, and if you love
your neighbor you’ll not do him harm, but seek to do him
good in every way possible. The commandments (rules) of
God guide us in properly demonstrating our love.
1. No disciple of Jesus can use “love” as a reason for
violating the commandments of God, because He
said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
(John 14:15).
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2. In John 14:23-24: “. . . If anyone loves Me, he will
keep My word; and My Father will love him, and
We will come to him and make Our home with him.
He who does not love Me does not keep My words;
and the word which you hear is not Mine but the
Father’s who sent Me.”
3. The way we show love for God is by keeping His
commandments (I John 5:3).
E. Why, really, did God give His divine law? Resentment,
and resistance, to the laws of God comes from a lack of
understanding of His purposes for giving it.
1. God gives us laws to make conscience meaningful.
a. That each of us has an obligation beyond
ourselves is part of what makes us human.
It’s conscience that directs us to God –
makes us morally sensitive and
understanding of the fact that some things
are right while others are wrong.
b. But, conscience alone will not lead us to
righteousness. God gives us specific and
practical, instruction to sharpen our
conscience. We must learn what is right and
wrong before our conscience can guide us.
2. Second, God gives us law to show us the type of life
that reflects glory to Him.
a. The goal of every life should be to honor
God. But, how do we do this? How do we
know what pleases, and honors, God?
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b. God’s law lights the path that is right to
travel to His glory. (Psalm 119:105: “Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my
path.”).
c. God’s laws are never arbitrary. His holiness
determines what is right and wrong.
3. Third, God gives us law to show us the need for
Jesus.
a. This is the ultimate purpose for every
commandment – in the old and new
covenants.
b. God’s law is spiritual, and holy. We are
carnal (physical), and sinful. To try to keep
all of God’s law is to reveal our own in
inadequacy, we must turn to Jesus for
pardon and power.
c. The pardon comes from His blood; the
power comes from His presence in our
lives. We can never be good enough. Our
only hope for eternal life is a Savior who
accepts us as sinners, forgives us through
grace, and dwells with us in love.
d. Romans 7:21 – 8:2 (READ).
III. Conclusion.
A. Love is the one command that obligates us to all other
aspects of righteousness.
(READ I John 4:7-8).
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B. Love and law are not enemies, but allies. Never let anyone
deceive you into thinking that you must choose between
them.
1. Law needs love as its motive force.
2. Love needs law as its guide, especially to pleasing
God.
C. Because God loves us, He’s given us the guidance which
allows us to live a decent, contented life. Because we love
God, we commit ourselves to respecting and obeying His
will.
D. (Illust.)
“Dr. Albert Schweitzer had a genuine love and
concern for his fellowman that was proven by his selfless
service. His philosophy? ‘Just do what you can. It’s not
enough merely to exist. It’s not enough to say, “I’m
earning enough to live and support my family. I do my
work well. I’m a good father. I’m a good husband.”
That’s all very well. But you must do something more.
Seek always to do some good, somewhere. Every man has
to seek in his own way to make his own self more noble
and to realize his own true worth. You must give some
time to your fellowman. Even if it’s a little thing, do
something for those who have need of help, something for
which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it. For
remember, you don’t live in a world all your own. Your
brothers are here, too.’”