A New Commandment

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34)(1 John 2:7-8)(2 John 1:5)

If scholars are correct, John wrote his gospel near the end of the first century (~95 A.D.).  Writing 30-40 years after the other gospel accounts gave John a unique historical perspective.  When John wrote of Peter’s death (John 21:25), he recorded the event as a historical fact (Peter was executed around 67 A.D.) not a prophetic utterance.  By the end of the first century, the temple had been destroyed (70 A.D.), and the ruling Sadducees killed or dispersed from the land.  John makes no reference to the Sadducees, while they are mentioned 15 times in the other gospel accounts.  Absent the Sadducees, only “the Jews” and “Pharisees” remained to blame for the hatred that led to the crucifixion, the Jewish revolt, and the destruction of the temple. 

John refers to “the Jews” 62 times, while the phrase only occurs 15 times in the other three gospel accounts combined.  In the context of John’s gospel, the term “the Jews” primarily refers to the ruling class of individuals living in Jerusalem and Judea, i.e., the chief priests, Caiaphas, and Annas, who belonged to the party of the Sadducees.  Too often believers have read John’s words as a general condemnation of the entire race, forgetting that Jesus, the apostles and the original believers were all Jews.  Although the Pharisees also receive criticism, John records the acts of those faithful Pharisees who both approached Jesus with an open heart (John 3:1), and who became disciples that buried Jesus in accordance with the customs based on the commandments, (John 19:38-39).

Only in the gospel account of John (and his epistles) do we read of Jesus’ “new commandment” to “love one another” as “I have loved you”.  The “new commandment” is similar to the original commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18), but built on a better foundation.  The original commandment was limited to the degree an individual loved himself and often we do not love ourselves.  We are prone to the physical abuse of our bodies and treat with contempt the relationships God has given to support and encourage us.  The coming of Jesus brought an unalterable higher standard; a standard not compromised by the evil inclination and the general failings of the flesh.  Just as the Law was given as the ultimate standard because a man’s conscience could be corrupted, so also, Jesus established a standard of loving one another not limited by individual weakness.  Under the original commandment, a person would rarely be motivated to love in a sacrificial manner because such action is seemingly contrary to loving oneself.  Not so with the “new commandment” of Jesus.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

So why did God not originally give this commandment at Mount Sinai?  It had to wait until One could come and live the pattern and say the words, “just as I have loved you.”

 

Scott