“A new command I give you: Love one another.”

— John 13:34

Jesus’ followers in the first century were the first people to be called “Christians.” In addition to the apostles named in the New Testament, Jesus had many other disciples—men and women who witnessed his miraculous works, listened to the authority of his teaching, and were entrusted to carry on the mission he started. Christ’s entire mission could be summed up in the simple command he gave to his disciples on the night before he was crucified.

Christ’s disciples are still carrying on his mission today. The method may look different, but the message remains the same. The call to follow Jesus is the same today as it was that night: Christians are to love one another, just as Christ loved them. Christians are to set aside selfish desires and notions of religious entitlement and take on the role of a servant, just as Jesus did for us. In the most profound way, Christians are to follow Jesus, past palisades of power and symbols of strength, to the cross, where our sin and shame are put to death and buried. The cross is where we hear the essential command to the Christian: “Love one another, just as I have loved you.”

Lord of love, Savior of sinners, help us to love others the way you have loved us—selflessly and unconditionally. Amen.