After the departure of Judas now only the eleven and Jesus remain in the upper room. In this place Jesus calls his beloved disciples ‘little children’[1] for the first time. His deep love towards the disciples is embedded in this word. In a little while Jesus must leave his loving disciples behind in the hostile world. He alone will depart. In this word lurks the heart of Jesus.
Now Jesus gives out the word as if it is the last farewell, the last will to the remaining disciples.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (v. 34)
To those that seek him and want to follow him where he is going, Jesus gives a “new commandment.” Thus, he answers their request to follow him and to be with him by turning their attention away from themselves and to “one another.”[2]
However, the commandment to love one another is not a new commandment at all. It was the word of God given to Israelites in the Old Testament era: “Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18).
Why does Jesus call the same commandment ‘a new commandment’? Not because of any other reason but because he urges us to love just as he loved, it ought to be a new commandment. It is an old commandment but at the same time, a fresh new commandmentas we ought to love in the resemblance of the love of Jesus. Because of his love he was not confined in his own situation but even in the shadow of death he unchangingly and unconditionally loved unto the end.
Disciples were the example of sinful humans that they dispute over who is greater among them even at the last moment of their teacher.Nonetheless Jesus loved them so deeply that he was about to carry the cross for them.
The love that Jesus requests from us is this kind of love. Just as he loved us, he wishes us to love in the same way. It is natural for us to love those we find attractive. Even the world does it all the time. But Jesus is not looking for a worldly attitude from his followers. He is looking for them to be transformed by his love so that they would be loving people. They would love because of what they are through Christ, not because of what the people they love are.[3]
We ought to love deeply as Jesus loved; Then the world will recognize us as his disciples; Then the aroma of Christ will spread though us.“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15).
[1]According to Vine, the phrase has four different meanings: affection, parental care, compassion, and family intimacy. W. E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Commentary on John (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997), 164.
[2] Marrow, The Gospel of John, 243.
[3] Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, 484-485.
