Love One Another

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:34–35

Sadly, society today often has a very watered-down idea of what real love is. We are surrounded by music, TV, and social media that speak about “love”, but so often this falls short of the love Jesus commands in John 13:34–35. We are often guilty of playing down “love” in the same way, rather than seeking to understand and live out biblical love. Unpacking these verses in John helps us grow in love for Jesus — and for one another.

1. What Are We Called to Do?

It is important to understand the context Jesus is speaking into. He has just predicted His death and knows His time on earth is short. These are among His final instructions to His followers, just days before the crucifixion: “Love one another.” This command appears many times in the New Testament — we must take notice.

The word Jesus uses here is agape — deep, sacrificial, unconditional love, like the love God has shown toward us. God sent Jesus as a sacrifice so that we could be restored to Him. His love is selfless, faithful, and committed for eternity. We are called to love like this. What a huge challenge!

2. Who Are We Called to Love?

Jesus is speaking to His disciples — His followers. These words apply to all His people between His ascension and His return — including us. The command is to love one another, meaning other believers, the Church. Though “love your neighbour” appears as early as Leviticus 19:18, here Jesus raises the standard: We are to love one another as He has loved us.

Many of us feel deep joy when we think about our church family — but sin affects our relationships too. We may find it hard to forgive, or feel frustrated with others, and wonder how we can love them with true agape love.

The Bible gives us helpful images that shape how we see our Christian family:

• 1 John 4:10–12: We are God’s beloved people. He loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us. If God loves us that much, we ought to love one another — even those who have hurt or frustrated us.
• Romans 12:4–6: We belong to each other. In Christ we are deeply connected. God has given us one another as a gift.
• 1 Corinthians 1:2: We are a holy people. Holiness is a community project — Christ is making us holy together.
• 1 Corinthians 12:18–20: We are one body. We are diverse, but united in Jesus. Every member has gifts, every member matters.
• 2 Corinthians 13:11: We are family — brothers and sisters. These are eternal relationships, not temporary ones.

As we meditate on these truths, our view of one another is shaped by God’s perspective — and our joy in belonging together grows.

3. How Are We to Love Like This?

Philippians 2:5–11 points us to the ultimate example of love: Jesus. From these verses, we see four defining features of His love:

Jesus loved selflessly (v6)

Though He was the Son of God, He did not use that status for His own benefit. He always looked to the interests of others. Selfless love might look like:

• Letting someone else pray or speak before you.
• Encouraging others to use and grow their gifts.
• Battling pride, accepting others rather than judging them, building others up.

Jesus loved by serving (v7)

Jesus took “the nature of a servant”. He performed even the most menial tasks — like washing His disciples’ feet — to show love. We can serve by:

• Helping practically at church (chairs, refreshments, setup).
• Serving informally (lifts, babysitting, meals).
• Meeting with another woman to read and pray together.

Jesus loved with humility (v8)

The world tells us to put ourselves first — but Jesus, who deserves all praise, humbled Himself for our sake. We can grow in humility by:

• Taking time to truly listen.
• Teaching or training someone so they can grow.
• Admitting when we are struggling — allowing others to love us.

Jesus loved sacrificially (v8)

Jesus became “obedient to death — even death on a cross.” That is ultimate sacrificial love. While we may not be called to die for one another, we are called to love sacrificially by:

• Sacrificing time to bless and deepen relationships.
• Sacrificing money to encourage others.
• Giving of ourselves — bearing burdens and facing challenges together.

Growing in Love

We are called to love selflessly, by serving, with humility, and through sacrifice. This can feel overwhelming — but we can be encouraged:

• Growing in love is lifelong. We keep working at it until Heaven.
• We are not called to do this alone — God has given us the Church family as a gift.
• God is at work in us. 1 John 4:7–16 tells us, “God lives in us… He has given us His Spirit.” We love because He first loved us, and His Spirit enables us to grow.

4. Why Are We to Love Like This?

John 13:35 says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Loving one another encourages believers — but also displays Christ’s love to the world. When we love with true agape love, people can see that we belong to Jesus and recognise the beauty of the gospel.

In summary:

• We are commanded to love one another — not with a shallow, worldly love, but with sacrificial, Christlike agape love.
• We are called to be selfless, to serve, to be humble, and to make sacrifices.
• We encourage one another as we grow, and the Holy Spirit empowers us. Loving one another well strengthens the Church and points the world to Jesus.