Passion Week - A New Commandment

Happy Passion Tuesday, Church Family!

Today we will be taking a look at the scriptures John 13:31-35. This teaching takes place after Jesus talks about being a servant, and He identifies the one who will betray Him. Once the betrayer leaves, Jesus begins to speak to His family. These next few verses will be the words that Jesus speaks as a commandment on living life under the New Testament. 

Jesus sets the scene with His glory. In my mind, as soon as Jesus begins to speak of the glory, the room is filled with it. Don’t you know that they all feel the presence of the glory that Jesus is talking about! Jesus is telling them that the glorification process has begun. “Things have been set in motion and I am going to be glorified, just as God is glorified!” Praise God! I would have liked to have been a fly on that wall! 

But, in the same breath that Jesus speaks about being glorified, He continues on with a new commandment. To me, this is not by coincidence. There is a fullness to the meaning of being glorified and walking in the new commandment. Jesus says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (VS. 34-35)

What is a disciple? Billy Graham said this, “A disciple is simply someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him in his or her daily life.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1816 says, “the disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it.” According to the Word of God and the presented interpretations, if you are saved, you are called to be a disciple - one who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him in his or her daily life by keeping and living by faith, confessing it, bearing witness of it, and spreading it. Spreading what? The Good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

It was Jesus’s greatest desire to bring glory to His Father and to be glorified in His Father. When Jesus said to His disciples, “by this all will know that you are My disciples” He meant that with your life you are bringing glory to Me (Jesus), and thus, bringing glory to the Father.

But, how do we bring glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? How are we His disciples? How are we known as ones who seek and follow Him daily? How are we ones who keep the faith, live in faith, profess faith, bearing witness of faith and spreading faith? Look at the words before, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” This is how we live a life of discipleship: loving one another as Christ has loved us! Love each other no matter how annoying that person may be that day. Love one another through all the hurts and the pains. Allow the love of God that has been placed in your heart to operate in you as you walk through your day-to-day life. 

So, friends, choose to be a disciple for Jesus and love each other today!

-Pastor Candace