RushwaveChapter 2: Jesus' Command to Love One Another
from Church Vision, book 3 in the series The Christian Faith
During Jesus earthly ministry, He said to those who followed Him:
This is a critical statement that warrants extended comment, for it has profound implications for the local church and reveals the central, underlying foundation upon which all other exhortations and commands to believers are made.
- Jesus’ words to “love one another” is directed towards His disciples, of which a local church is comprised. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus has in view every local church, and every member within it, and how they are to relate towards one another. It is not that a disciple represented a class or group of believers within the church community, while other genuine believers within the church community were simply believers but not disciples. All members of a local church who have believed in Jesus Christ are His disciples – a word that means being a “pupil” or “learner” of another. So all believers should recognize these words apply to them.
- Jesus words to “love one another” is a command. Jesus said “A new commandment” I give to you …”. It is not a suggestion, a wise piece of advice, or even an expression of what Jesus hoped would be the case. It is an explicit, direct command: “a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.” So for every church member the question is never whether or not to love, but rather how love should be manifested in a given context. A believer is always to love, and they are to do so in obedience to Jesus’ command.
- The identifying mark of the local church to the world is the love displayed between church members. Note Jesus’ words: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another …” The love displayed within the church community is what distinguishes the church from the world, and is to cause the world to “know” or become aware that this community is in fact comprised of people who accept, live out and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. The image presented here is one of those who are not Jesus disciples observing those who are. And those who are not disciples observe something significantly different about church members; something which causes them to “know” or be made aware that those people are indeed Jesus’ disciples. It is how loving and caring they are towards each other.
- This love between church members was to find its example in Jesus’ sacrificial love of laying down His life for others. Jesus said “… as I have loved you … you also love one another.” During His earthly life Jesus demonstrated love toward His disciples in many ways: through being patient with their shortcomings, through remaining faithful to them, and forgiving their many failings. But Jesus’ love found its ultimate expression in His willingness to lay down His life for the salvation of the world, and it is this sacrificial love that Jesus had in view when He said “… as I have loved you, love one another.” As one of Jesus’ disciples later wrote: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).
- Jesus command to “love one another” has application even towards those who are hostile towards the church. The command to “love one another” is primarily addressing the loving relationship which is to exist between believers in the church community. But Jesus taught that His disciples were even to love their enemies and be kind to those who took unjust advantage of them. “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:44-46
So in summary church members are to display love towards one another in response to Jesus’ love for them and in keeping with His explicit command. This love is to follow Jesus’ example of self-sacrifice and service to others. And this love will be a testimony to the unbelieving world, and is to even extend towards those who are hostile to the church.
What a church which loves one another looks like in practical terms and everyday life is clearly revealed in scripture, and we will elaborate on this in detail in another message. What is being established here is the church is commanded by God Himself through Jesus Christ to love one another.
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