What are the Commands of Jesus? (John 13:34)

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15), but what are his commandments?

Someone confused about grace might think his commandments are the Ten Commandments. However, the Ten Commandments are part of the Law of Moses, and the Law of Moses is NOT the Law of Christ.

Ten Commandments ≠ Commands of Jesus

Here is one of the commands of Jesus:

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. (John 13:34)

There are two things to know about the commands of Jesus: First, the command of Jesus is a new commandment. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you.” The command of Jesus is not the old command of Moses. Nor is it a revamped version of that old law.

Second, it is a new kind of commandment or a new kind of law. It’s like the law of gravity – it works whether you try to keep it or not.

Consider these differences:

The old vs the new

You may say, “But the command to love one another is not new. It’s straight out of the old covenant. It’s the royal law which says ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Lev. 19:18). Jesus himself quoted this law.”

Indeed, Jesus sometimes quoted the old laws when speaking to people who lived under the Law of Moses. But to his disciples, he gave a new commandment. See if you can spot the difference:

Under the old law, you had to provide the love. You had to love God and your neighbor, and if you failed, you were cursed. Bad news.

But the new command of Jesus is a new kind of commandment. Now we love others with the love we have received from God (1 John 4:11). Love is not something to manufacture; it is Someone to receive. When we receive from the abundance of the Father’s love, we are empowered to love others.

A word from John

Now let’s skip ahead about 40 years. Here’s the apostle John writing a letter:

Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him. (1 John 2:7–8a)

What is the old commandment that John said was new? It’s the command that he and the other apostles received from Jesus many years earlier. It was the old “love one another” command with a new twist as – “I have loved you.” It was new for them and it remains new for many people today.

Many Christians are trying to live under the old law of Moses, and they are miserable as a result. They’re doing their best to love God and others but they fail often. The problem is they are trying to keep the commands of Moses when they could be resting in the commands of Jesus. They don’t know that what the law requires, grace provides.

A business parable

Imagine you work in a toxic workplace where workers are regularly abused by management. No matter how hard they work, they receive harsh reviews and are underpaid. To get ahead, you have to engage in office politics and do whatever it takes to make your numbers look good.

It’s a miserable place to work.

Then a new owner takes over and everything changes. The new boss treats her employees like family. She invests in them and helps them succeed. Workers struggling with health issues receive first-class care, and those suffering burnout are sent on long sabbaticals.

Before long, the workers are happy and productive, and the business is thriving.

Now imagine there is one holdout employee who insists on doing things the old way. He over-promises and under-delivers. He criticizes his co-workers and talks himself up. At meetings, he pushes failed policies that never worked and no longer apply. Such is the churchgoer who prefers law to grace. He lays down the law, condemns those who fail, and generally makes life miserable for everyone.

The new creation is not about trying harder to do what no one ever managed to do. The new creation is a new humanity imbued with new life.

It is the indwelling Spirit of Christ that keeps his own commands. It is the relentless love of God that empowers us to love others as Christ loved us.

The commands of Jesus are not fulfilled by self-effort but by Christ living his life through us.

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If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy these:

• The Old vs the New Covenant
• Keeping God’s commands
• How to Read the Commands of the New Testament
• Is “Love your Neighbor” Part of the New Covenant?

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