A lot of people really do not like the concept of God’s commandments.  They believe and teach that Jesus Christ came to do away with those “old commandments.”  They say things like, “Jesus nailed the Ten Commandments to the cross – which of course He did not.  Two things were nailed to the cross:  Jesus was nailed to the cross, as was the accusation against Him and us (Matthew 27:37).  Jesus blotted out the indictment against us—the death penalty for our sins (Colossians 2:14).  Jesus always speaks of the Ten Commandments in a positive light. Do not think even for a moment that Jesus did away with the Ten Commandments (Matthew 5:17).

The first four commandments describe how to love God; the last six tell us how we are to love our neighbor.   In fact, Jesus expressed the Ten Commandments in just that way – as two great commandments.

“You shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”  (Mark 12:30-31)

But then, Jesus introduces yet another commandment – and He calls it “A new commandment.”

“Anew commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  (John 13:34)

Jesus says in effect, “Here is something new that you’ve never heard before.”  But when we go back to the Old Testament  and look at Leviticus 19:18 we see that Israel was given this command:  “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Loving your neighbor as yourself is an old commandment.  What is new about the way Jesus reiterates this command?

The clarification needs to be made.  Jesus tells us to go about loving one another in a new way.  What is the difference between love thy neighbor as thyself in Leviticus 19 and love one another in John 13?

There is a significant difference between the two.  It is not a small distinction, but a great difference in the two commandments.  Jesus added a new degree of sacrificial love beyond that spoken of in Leviticus.  Jesus gave the new commandment at the occasion of His last Passover during His public ministry – the night before He died.  First, we should know the Biblical definition of love.  There is a very direct link or connection between “love” and “commandment keeping.”  It is given to us by John:

“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”  (1 John 5:3)

We see in Leviticus 19:1-18 that we do not steal, lie, hurt, or abuse people – all according to the Ten Commandments.  These instructions dictate that we treat all people decently!  That conforms to the New Testament teaching:

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments.”  (1 John 5:2)

“Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He that saith, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoso keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him.”  (1 John 2:3-5)

The new part in the new commandment that Jesus gave us is this: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  (John 13:34)

The way Jesus loved us is what is different.  How did Jesus love us?  Jesus laid His life down for us, so we must lay our lives down for others - but how do we do that?  Are we willing to serve in the same way as Jesus – by laying down our lives for others – putting it “all on the line” to help them.

“We always carry in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”  (2 Corinthians 4:10-11)

This is how we know if we abide with Him.  Are we willing to die daily (Romans 12:1)?  Do we readily lay our lives down as Jesus Christ gave us example?  Jesus said:

“As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  (John 10:15)

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:12-13)

That is how Jesus loved us; He laid down His life for us, and that is His new commandment to us – we are to do the same thing.

“Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”  (Matthew 16:24-25)

Unless we learn what it means to lay our lives down as Jesus did in the love of God, we will not have a part in the Kingdom of God.

The Scriptures are clear; if we lack the compassion to do everything within our power to salvage a brother who is in danger – we do not possess the love of God.

“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him?”  (1 John 3:16-17)

The answer is; the love of God does not dwell in him!

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Sermon:

"A New Commandment"