Most people have birthmarks that are specific to them, whether moles or other kinds of marks that are unique, but everybody has different fingerprints even identical twins you can look just alike but fingerprints tell you apart its it how we are identified. Designers are known by their trademarks. They have logos of various kinds that even if you don’t read the name, it becomes clear who made it. You don’t have to see the word nike but if you see the swoosh you know who its manufactured by, you don’t have to see the word gucci but if you see the two Gs facing each other you know who is designed by, You don’t have to see the word McDonalds but if you see the golden arches you know who made it. Birthmarks and trademarks are very important but God also has established a mark, a very clear mark, by which his children who have been birthed by the spirt ought to be known. Love is the birthmark of the Christian.

Christians are not of this world the bible is clear on this. John 15:19 says If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. We are different, God wants us to know that the mark of a true disciple is not how many consecutive times you’ve been to church, how much you have given, how many bible verses you have memorized. These are good things to do but they will not show the world we are Christians. All they do is show that we claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ. But there is one mark that every true disciple has, this mark can’t be hidden, it is obvious, it is distinct and it is evident. Every disciple must have love if you don’t have love for one another then you are not a disciple. Nobody should out love a Christian, we should be the most loving people on the earth. Love is the distinguishing mark of discipleship.

John 13:34-35 gives us clear and simple instructions on love it says 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.” Jesus is giving us a commandment to love one another but what we must understand about this is that Jesus is not asking or suggesting he is setting a mandate. We don’t have the option not to love one another. Also notice the text doesn’t say love one another when others are nice and kind to you we are to love one another no matter what. Love is doing things for the benefit of another person it is having an unselfish concern for others and a willingness to seek the best for one another. Love and selfishness don’t go together.

We see the commandment to love one another but who is Jesus referring to as one another? Here in this text Jesus is not referring to random people loving each other but this commandment is given to disciples. This love is to exist between believers. The bible is filled with verses and stories telling us to love our neighbors and even our enemies. But In this text Jesus is telling us how we are to love each other in church. The command to love has its first application within the body of Christ, in other words we should be the first to love. The first observation of a guest or none believer should be our love. There is a lot places to go if you like sports, if you like working out you go to the gym, if you like to read you go to the library. Those places are designed for those things. The church is designed for love. We are to be a community of love. Jesus commandment here is a challenge to us to examine how we live as Christ followers and how we demonstrate love. The mission of the church is to go and make disciples but the command of the church is to love one another. We are to love every member not just the rich ones but the poor ones not just the black or the white ones not just the straight ones but the gays ones, we are to love every member of our church and every member of the church of Jesus Christ. Favoritism and discrimination has no place in the church, everyone is equal in the church. There are two characteristics our love for each other should have.

  1. Our Love Should Be Sacrificial

Verse 34 of John 13 says that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. He tells us to love one another but he also gives us an example of how we are to love. We are to love like Jesus loves. We are to love people like Jesus loves us and how does Jesus love us? He treats us the same no matter. We treat him bad but he still there for us and loves us. We have lied to Jesus, we have humiliated Jesus, we have betrayed Jesus, and yet he still loves us but we cant love someone because they treated us wrong. When you love like Jesus loves you, you look pass people’s faults. Jesus is the only one in the world who has a right to hold a grudge and yet he doesn’t. Think about this before you hold grudge. Does Jesus hold a grudge against you for the stuff you have done? Does Jesus give you what you deserve? What makes this love different than the world definition of love? It is the measure of the love. What kind of love does Jesus command? Jesus love for us can be summed up in one word sacrificial. Jesus explained it in John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John Said it in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. and Paul commanded in Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The word love here is translated agape. Agape love isn’t just a regular love it is a sacrificial commitment. This love is self-abandoning and self-sacrificing. Jesus standard for love is the highest standard. Jesus example of love is unparalleled, to love others as much as Jesus is revolutionary. We are to be a living example of Jesus’s love, Jesus loves without reservation and without limit and he expect us to do the same to one another.

  1. Our Love Should Be Visible

Verse 35 of John 13 says By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” During this time the jews had watered down the mosaic teaching so they could love who they wanted to love and hate whom they wanted to hate. But Jesus here changes that, he commands us to love one another. This was a radical new commandment because the world at this time was divided. There was master and slave and jew and gentile and so on, you think the world is divided today it was worst then. Jesus wanted his disciples to know that the only thing that could fix a divided world was love. J. Vernon McGee Says “The most important commandment for believers is not to witness not to serve but to love.” When people look at the church, they shouldn’t see jealousy or division they should see love for one another. The text says “by this all people will know in other words not just the church members will know but all people because when you love one another you love everywhere and everyone. The church is no place for division because people will hear Gossip before they here the Gospel. Our christlike love will show we are his disciples. Being a disciple Of Jesus is not all about what you say but how you live. This love is more than emotions and feelings, it is an attitude that reveals itself in action. We are not recognized as a disciple by our singing or preaching but by our loving. The word “If” in the text is important it is telling us that if you don’t love one another you have no proof that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. If you don’t love one another people will not be able to tell you apart from none believers. Are you loving one another like Jesus loves you.