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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus calls this a "new" commandment not because the idea of loving others is new (the Old Testament commanded it!), but because of its source and model: the radical, self-sacrificing love that Christ Himself embodied and was about to demonstrate through His death. This isn't just a general call to be nice; it's a specific, transformative love powered by having experienced Christ's love.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished washing His disciples' feet, a profound act of humble service, and has revealed that Judas will betray Him, which leads to Judas leaving into the night. Now, as Jesus prepares to depart from His disciples, He gives them a final, central teaching that will define their identity and mission in the world.
Jesus is about to leave his disciples, and he gives them one final, profound instruction. It’s not a suggestion, but a defining characteristic.
Jesus calls this a 'new commandment,' but the Old Testament already commanded, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18). So, what makes it new?
Why call it 'new' when love was already commanded? Jesus redefines its depth, its motive, and its expression.
The commandment to love isn't truly new in its principle – the Old Testament contained it. But Jesus introduces a radical newness through:
The Example of Christ
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The New Motive Power
Understand the original words
entolē · Greek Noun
A divine directive or mandate that carries the authority of God. In this context, it is 'new' because it is defined by the unique, sacrificial pattern of Christ’s love rather than the old standards of self-preservation.
agapaō · Greek Verb
A sacrificial, self-giving love (agape) that seeks the highest good of the other, patterned specifically after the way Christ loved the Church—sacrificially, unconditionally, and redemptively.
Jesus' command to love one another is 'new' not because the principle itself was unknown, but because it is now grounded in His own self-sacrificial love, demonstrated by His impending death and resurrection, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
c. 30 AD— this verse
The Last Supper
Jesus shares his final Passover meal with his disciples, a pivotal moment where he washes their feet and institutes the Lord's Supper.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Arrest and Crucifixion
Jesus is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified, fulfilling his mission of atonement.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Resurrection
Jesus is raised from the dead, demonstrating his victory over sin and death.
c. 30 AD
The Ascension of Jesus
Jesus ascends into heaven, leaving his disciples to carry on his mission.
c. 50 AD
First Epistle to the Corinthians
Paul writes to the Corinthian church, addressing divisions and emphasizing love as the 'most excellent way' (1 Corinthians 12-14).
c. 90-95 AD
First Epistle of John
John writes to encourage believers in their faith, emphasizing that love for one another is evidence of genuine faith and relationship with God (e.g., 1 John 4:7-8, 11).
This passage echoes the same theme, directly linking love to God and our ability to love one another, highlighting it as evidence of a genuine relationship with Him.
Galatians 5:14Paul states that the entire Law is fulfilled in one command: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' This reinforces John 13:34's emphasis on love as the supreme principle of Christian living.
1 Peter 4:8This verse reiterates the profound importance of love among believers, stating that love covers a multitude of sins, underscoring the practical, life-altering nature of this 'new commandment.'
Leviticus 19:18This Old Testament passage contains the foundational command to 'love your neighbor as yourself,' showing that while Christ's command is 'new,' it builds upon and fulfills existing divine instruction.
John 15:12Jesus immediately follows this commandment with another: 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.' This shows the inseparable connection between Christ's love for us and our call to love each other.
vincentJohn 13:34: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
New (καινὴν)See on Matthew 26:29.Commandment (ἐντολὴν)The word for a single commandment or injunction, but used also for the whole body of the moral precepts of Christianity. See 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Peter 2:21; 2 Peter 3:2. See also on James 2:8. This new commandment embodies the essential principle of the whole law. Compare also 1 John 3:23. Some interpreters instead…
calvinJohn 13:30-35: "He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night."
- When, therefore, he had received the sop, he went immediately out; and it was night. 31. When, therefore, he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will immediately glorify him. 33. Little children, but a little while am I yet with you. You shall seek me, and as I said to the Jews,…
Jesus calls this a "new" commandment not because the idea of loving others is new (the Old Testament commanded it!), but because of its source and model: the radical, self-sacrificing love that Christ Himself embodied and was about to demonstrate through His death. This isn't just a general call to be nice; it's a specific, transformative love powered by having experienced Christ's love.
Jesus has just finished washing His disciples' feet, a profound act of humble service, and has revealed that Judas will betray Him, which leads to Judas leaving into the night. Now, as Jesus prepares to depart from His disciples, He gives them a final, central teaching that will define their identity and mission in the world.
Jesus has just finished washing His disciples' feet, a profound act of humble service, and has revealed that Judas will betray Him, which leads to Judas leaving into the night. Now, as Jesus prepares to depart from His disciples, He gives them a final, central teaching that will define their identity and mission in the world.
"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." — Jesus calls this a "new" commandment not because the idea of loving others is new (the Old Testament commanded it!), but because of its source and model: the radical, self-sacrificing love that C…
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Last reviewed October 2026