How Will You Be Known
Pastor Jason On the night the cross drew near, Jesus gave his disciples the defining mark of life with him: love. In John 13, betrayal and denial are already hanging in the air, yet Jesus turns his attention to those who will carry on after his departure. He gives them a new commandment, not because love had never been commanded before, but because this love would now be measured by his own life: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” From that point on, love is no longer shaped by preference, convenience, or passing emotion. It is shaped by Christ.
This is agape love: self-giving, sacrificial concern for the good of another, even at personal cost. Jesus does not present this love as a single generous act, but as a continuing way of life. It is meant to shape our words, our attitudes, our priorities, and our service. And because it is the love of Christ, grace and truth belong together. Sometimes love encourages. Sometimes love corrects. But it always seeks the good of the other.
Jesus shows this love before he commands it. He stoops with a towel and basin in hand, washing the feet of his disciples, including Judas, who will betray him, and Peter, who will deny him. In that moment, Jesus teaches that true love is humble enough to serve, even when the one being served does not deserve it. Then, on the cross, he reveals the full depth of that love: forgiveness, reconciliation, and grace given before it is earned. Christ loves first, and his love overcomes sin.
That kind of love is desperately needed in a culture shaped by outrage, suspicion, and resentment. Jesus does not call his people to be harsh without compassion or sentimental without truth. He calls the church to hold conviction and compassion together. Like a lighthouse in the storm, the church is meant to stand steady, not striking out at others, but shining with the love of Christ and guiding people home.
John carries this same message into his letters. In 1 John 2, love becomes the sign that we are walking in the light of God. To abide in God is to remain in communion with the One whose presence is light, and that communion changes the way we live with one another. A person may profess faith, but if hatred and resentment rule the heart, John says that person is still walking in darkness. Love, then, becomes the visible evidence that God’s Spirit is truly at work within us.
In the end, spiritual maturity is measured not by titles, achievements, or possessions, but by lives transformed into kindness, mercy, and Christlike love. So the question remains for us: when people remember our lives, will they remember arguments and grievances, or will they remember the love of Christ shining through us?
On the night the cross drew near, Jesus gave his disciples the defining mark of life with him: love. In John 13, we find ourselves in the upper room, with betrayal and denial already hanging in the air. Yet Jesus turns his attention toward those who will carry on after his departure. He gives a new commandment, not new because love had never been seen before, but new in its measure: “as I have loved you.” From that point on, love is no longer shaped by preference, convenience, or passing emotion, but by the life of Christ himself.
This is agape love: self-giving, sacrificial concern for another’s good, even at personal cost. Jesus’ command presses us toward a continuing way of life, not an occasional act. Love is meant to shape our words, our attitudes, our priorities, and our service. And in Christ, grace and truth belong together. Sometimes love encourages, sometimes it corrects, but it always seeks what is best for the other person.
And look at the way Jesus models agape love: he stoops with a towel and basin in hand. Even before he tells us to love, he teaches us love through humility as he washes every set of feet, including Judas’ and Peter’s. True love serves even our adversaries. And the cross shows us the depth of that love: forgiveness and reconciliation. Yes, they are costly, but they are also victorious. Christ loves first and His love overcomes sin. So, grace is given before it is deserved, and reconciliation begins not with what others have earned, but with what Christ has already done.
In a culture shaped by outrage, Jesus calls us to hold conviction and compassion together. We are not meant to be harsh without love, or sentimental without truth. The church is called to be like a lighthouse: steady in the storm, not striking out at others, but guiding people home.
John carries that same message into his letters. In 1 John 2, love becomes the test of light. Light names God’s holy presence, and to abide is to remain in communion with him. A profession that hates is still walking in darkness, but love is the light that shows the power is truly at work. Maturity is seen in transformed relationships. In the end, people are remembered not for titles or possessions, but for kindness and mercy. The Holy Spirit enables this kind of love in us now. So the question remains: will our lives be known for arguments and grievances, or for the love of Christ that points people to him?
Key Scriptures
John 13:34-35 — “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.”
1 John 2:7-11 — “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
Key Takeaways
Love is measured by Christ’s standard
Jesus’ words, “as I have loved you,” give us the measure for all Christian love. This newness reshapes our ethics around his life, his cross, and his patience with the undeserving. The real question is whether our choices reflect the way he loves, not whether they simply match our opinions, feelings or the mood around us.
The towel and basin define greatness
Jesus serves before he commands, and that changes how we understand influence and authority. He washes the feet of the one who would betray him and the one who would deny him. Agape love does not wait for return or reward; it moves toward the difficult person with practical care. In the kingdom of God, greatness kneels.
The cross makes love costly and victorious
Calvary reminds us that forgiveness hurts before it heals, and reconciliation often costs before it binds together. Yet the cross also declares that love has triumphed over sin and estrangement. Because Christ loved first, grace moves first, even when the other person has not yet changed.
God’s light is revealed in Christlike love
In 1 John, light names the holy and truthful presence of God. To walk in that light is to live in communion with God in a way that reshapes our relationships. Where hatred rules, faith rings hollow; where mercy, kindness, and self-giving love grow, God’s truth is at work.
A distinct witness in polarization
Grace and truth belong together, so our conviction must never be separated from compassion. The lighthouse image helps us here: we stand firm without striking out, and we shine to guide rather than to win arguments. A life that holds its ground while keeping its hands open makes the gospel believable in a storm-tossed world.
Questions for Reflection
Jesus washed the feet of Judas and Peter. Is there someone in your life who has hurt or disappointed you, and what would it look like to serve them in a practical way this week?
The sermon says love is a daily discipline, not just a feeling. What is one ordinary habit you could practice this week to reflect Christ’s love more clearly?
Are there any relationships where you have been more focused on being right than on being loving? What might repentance or reconciliation look like there?
How can you engage a difficult cultural or relational conflict this week with both conviction and grace?
What is one way you could tangibly love your community this month, even if it is inconvenient or costly?
