John 13:33-35 “Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
These were tough and sometimes very coarse men, but the Lord addressed them as “Little children” because He was giving them heartbreaking news that caused a childlike response. He tells them plainly, “yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come”! It appears that they still had a materialistic view of our Lord’s Kingdom of God and they thought that He had come to set up a mighty empire-like kingdom on this earth with Him setting at the very top and them holding subordinate offices. They continued to hold this position, even after His Resurrection. Just before He ascended, they even asked Him, “wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6). At that time, they still did not understand the nature of the Lord’s Church-Kingdom, but they soon found out. Ten days later, on “the day of Pentecost” “suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were filled with the Holy ghost” (Acts 2:1-4). At that time, they understood and powerfully declared it. But, on this evening, the Lord spoke to them as He would to “Little children” for they were greatly troubled. Knowing that they were, and we are but men, He gives them and us a “new commandment”: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”. This is not just a suggestion, encouragement, or exhortation; but a “commandment” from the “Lord of lords and King of kings” (Revelation 17:14). He had just demonstrated to them how to “love one another” when He, the absolute Ultimate in Authority and Power, had knelt down and washed their feet; they and we are commanded to practice it, not only ceremonially, but to also act upon it in every walk of life. This sincere Brotherly Love is the best possible form of evangelism; the Lord explains, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”! Whether they love it or hate it, “By this” let us show “all men … that” we “are” our Lord’s loving “disciples”!