Love One Another: The Commandment of Christ’s Discipleship

Today’s passage, John 13:31-35, brings us into the final moments Jesus shared with His disciples before the cross. In these precious hours, Jesus gives a new commandment: “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This is not a suggestion or a vague encouragement, but a divine command, spoken with the full authority of God Himself. Jesus doesn’t leave the definition of love up to us—He sets the standard by His own example. The disciples, having walked with Him for years, knew exactly what that love looked like: service, correction, presence, sacrifice, forgiveness, and relentless choosing to love even in the face of betrayal and failure.

This command is not conditional. There are no asterisks, no exceptions for church hurt, trauma, or betrayal. Jesus loved through abandonment, denial, and even crucifixion, and still chose to forgive. We are called to love with that same tenacity and grace, not because it’s easy, but because it’s the mark of true discipleship. Our love for one another is the primary way the world will recognize that we belong to Jesus. It’s not our arguments, our giving, or our religious activity, but the visible, sacrificial love we show to each other that testifies to the reality of Christ.

This love is first and foremost for the body of Christ. While we are called to love all people, there is a special primacy given to loving fellow believers. If we cannot love those who share our faith, who are held accountable to the same Lord, then our witness to the world is hollow. The world is watching, and our unity and love are meant to be a living demonstration of the gospel’s power.

But this is not a call to be doormats or to ignore healthy boundaries. Christ-like love includes forgiveness, reconciliation, and sometimes the hard work of healing and therapy. It means examining our hearts, opening locked rooms of pain, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us so we can love as Jesus loved. Without love, all our religious activity is empty. Love is the essential fruit that proves we belong to Him. If we find ourselves withholding love, it’s time to ask the Spirit to search us and lead us into obedience, for our own freedom and for the sake of Christ’s name in the world.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus Defines the Standard of Love Jesus does not leave love up to our preferences or comfort zones. He commands us to love as He has loved—sacrificially, persistently, and without condition. This means recalling the many ways Christ has loved us personally and letting that shape how we love others, even when it stretches us beyond what feels natural. [44:35]
• 2. No Excuses for Withholding Love There are no exceptions or caveats to this command. Past hurts, betrayals, or disappointments do not exempt us from loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. To withhold love is to disobey Christ, and we must confront the places in our hearts where we justify our lack of love. [52:07]
• 3. Love for the Church Is Our Witness The world recognizes we belong to Jesus not by our knowledge, service, or religious activity, but by our love for one another. If our community is marked by division or coldness, our witness is compromised. True love among believers is the most compelling evidence of the gospel’s power. [61:22]
• 4. Love Is Essential, Not Optional Without love, all our spiritual gifts, sacrifices, and good works are empty. Love is the fruit that proves we are truly Christ’s disciples. If we are not growing in love, we must examine our hearts and seek the Spirit’s help, for this is the foundation of our faith and our assurance. [70:17]
• 5. Obedience Begins with Heart Examination Loving like Christ requires honest self-examination and sometimes deep healing. We must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where we fall short, pursue reconciliation, and do the hard work necessary to obey. This is not bondage, but the path to true freedom and spiritual maturity. [72:59]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [40:07] - Gratitude for Elders and Church
• [40:41] - Reading John 13:31-35
• [42:33] - Context: Jesus’ Final Moments
• [43:10] - Jesus’ Example of Love
• [44:35] - The Qualitative Standard of Love
• [45:33] - How Jesus Loved the Disciples
• [47:47] - Reflecting on How Jesus Loves Us
• [48:41] - No Excuses for Not Loving
• [49:33] - The Weight of Christ’s Command
• [51:39] - Love Is Not Optional
• [54:45] - Loving the Body of Christ
• [57:43] - The Tragedy of Division
• [59:23] - The Church as Christ’s Presence
• [61:22] - Love as Our Witness to the World
• [66:03] - Love Verifies Our Salvation
• [69:48] - The Emptiness of Loveless Religion
• [72:59] - Examining Our Hearts and Obeying
• [76:26] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

John 13:31-35 (NASB) — 31 Therefore when he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him;
32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

Observation Questions

1. What is the “new commandment” that Jesus gives to His disciples in John 13:34?
2. According to Jesus, how will people know that someone is His disciple? (v. 35)
3. In the sermon, what are some specific ways Jesus showed love to His disciples during His ministry? ([45:33])
4. What does the sermon say about the kind of people Jesus loved and the situations in which He continued to love them? ([50:06])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus set Himself as the standard for how we are to love one another, instead of leaving it up to our own ideas of love? ([44:35])
2. The sermon says there are “no asterisks, no exceptions” to Jesus’ command to love. What does this mean for people who have experienced hurt or betrayal in the church? ([48:41])
3. The pastor said that love for fellow believers is the “lowest hanging fruit” of Christian obedience. Why do you think loving other Christians is so important to Jesus? ([54:45])
4. According to the sermon, what does it mean for our witness to the world if we fail to love each other in the church? ([01:01:22])

Application Questions

1. The sermon listed many ways Jesus loved His disciples—serving, correcting, forgiving, being present, and more. Which of these is hardest for you to show to others in the church, and why? ([45:33])
2. Is there someone in your church family you find it difficult to love or forgive? What is one step you could take this week to move toward reconciliation or forgiveness, even if it’s just praying for them? ([01:14:11])
3. The pastor said, “There is no condition in which we are not allowed to love one another.” Are there any excuses you’ve been making for withholding love from someone? What would it look like to surrender those excuses to God? ([48:41])
4. The sermon emphasized that love is not being a doormat, but it does require forgiveness and sometimes hard work like therapy or heart examination. What boundaries or steps might you need to set in order to love someone well and wisely? ([01:14:11])
5. Jesus said the world will know we are His disciples by our love for one another. If someone outside the church watched how you interact with other believers, what would they see? Is there anything you want to change about how you relate to others? ([01:01:22])
6. The pastor challenged us to “examine your heart to figure out where you fall short in loving like Christ did.” What is one area where you sense God is asking you to grow in love? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you this week? ([01:12:59])
7. Think about a time when you obeyed God by loving someone even when you didn’t feel like it. What happened? How did it affect you or the other person? ([01:00:16])