The night before His crucifixion, Jesus wastes no time in communicating what’s absolutely foremost on His heart and mind.

To show them the full extent of His love, Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, eats the Passover meal with them and—using the bread and cup—shares the first Christian communion with them. After dismissing Judas the betrayer, Jesus tells His disciples one more time that He must die for their sins.

Then Jesus says something startling, revolutionary, and in many ways world-changing. First, Jesus says: “now I am giving you a new commandment” [John 13:34]. Peter, James, John, and the other disciples must have sat up when Jesus made this proclamation. They’ve followed Jesus closely for three and a half years. They’ve seen virtually every miracle, heard almost every word of Jesus. Now, with the cross only hours away, the tension rises in the room. They’re holding their breath. You can almost feel the sense of anticipation. What is Jesus going to say next?

What Jesus says next is: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

”Just as I have loved you” animates our love as we reach our world together.

This is Luis Palau.