Read John 13:34-35
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Discover
1. What type of commandment did Jesus say He was giving?
2. How did He say we should love each other?
3. What will this prove?
Respond
When Jesus spoke these words, His command to love others wasn’t new. What made it new was the sacrificial element patterned after His own life. It indicated sacrifice in the face of hostility, all for the sake of others. Verse 35 is one of 59 in the New Testament that include “one another” statements. They tell us how to live in community, and the distinguishing factor is devotion to love. Not just any type of love. Sacrificial love that’s willing to die to self for the sake of another.
When we love others this way, the world takes notice. Our unity in a divided world and our self-sacrifice in a self-centered culture shine light on who Jesus is. This is the opportunity we have as a church. And it starts with each of us.
How You Can Pray
Thank Jesus for the incredible sacrifice He made by coming to earth and dying on a cross for you. Acknowledge where it’s hard for you to show this kind of selfless love to others. Ask Him to fill you with a desire to love in this way and to give you opportunities to do so.
What You Can Do
Do something today that puts you out of your comfort zone in showing love. It might be as simple as saying, “I love you,” to a family member who hasn’t heard those words from you in a long time. It might be going out of your way to help an elderly person at the grocery store. It might be bridging a divide with someone you’ve been in conflict with. Let both your actions and words reflect Christ as you take this step.