'Badge of Discipleship'

John chapter 13 is called 'holy ground' in scripture. John 13:34-35 is a text within a context.You should read and know the entire chapter in order to grasp this statement. All clubs, religions and organizations in our world look to have a "badge." 

They want something to identify them from others. In religion some build temples or wear distinctive clothing with the 'stained glass look and the holy whine' on their faces. Jesus condemns this sort of outward show. The only badge of Christianity is that of brotherly love.

We are called to be servants. This is the subject of John 13. In a nutshell, Christian leadership is a towel in hand. Only servants can practice John 13:34-35.

Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Lord's Supper without the towel. John emphasizes the towel without The Lord's Supper. John remembers Christ personally being a servant on His knees washing their feet. The One who called the universe into existence bowed low to serve those He loved.

Historically, it was the lowest servant who was called to wash filthy feet. The disciples, you recall, were moments ago arguing over which of them was the greatest. Consequently they washed no feet at all. They seemed to have proud minds in the presence of Him Who is Supreme. Yet their own feet were dirty and needed washed.

Only those who are secure in Christ can and will stoop to serve in this way. Peter could have washed The Lord's feet yet he refused to be washed. The Church of Christ must grasp the royalty of service. The church must humble itself like Christ if we are to become more Christ-like. The purpose of the true church is to serve. It is not to impress others with whom or what we have become.

In verse 34 Jesus gives them a command to love. However, love was not the new command. Love was already known from their knowledge of the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! (5) "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." (NKJV)

Read also Matthew 22:36-40; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 7:12.

Understand that the entire O.T. law was founded on love. Romans 13 tells us loves fulfills the law. There is really nothing new in love itself. But Jesus made it significant when He said in verse 34, "As I haved loved you." This is the new dimension to love (Isaiah 53; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8; 1 John 4:7-11). Christ "loved them to the utmost."

In John 13 we notice that Jesus washed the feet of those He knew would betray Him, deny Him and even forsake Him! This Jesus died for those who are unworthy. The love of God revealed at the cross is the very peek of this love. The "gospel" is what God did for man, not what man does for God. We misunderstand evangelism quite often as we leave the assembly of the saints.

Evangelism is not some new method or strategy of thinking to get others to 'finally see'. Evangelism and the making of disciples is the preaching and teaching and, yes, living out daily the gospel love as seen in the life of Christ. We are to humble ourselves and serve those who have 'dirty feet' even if they have personally trampled us.
Jesus continued to love those who failed Him and trampled Him. 

He loved them when you and I would think they need to be gossiped about, shunned, destroyed or ignored as they sit in that other pew across the way. If many reading this were honest we would admit that we often think this way in our worship assemblies as we sing praises to The God of love. We love God but can't stand that other person. God's Word tells us we are only fooling ourselves! (1 John 4:20)

Christ's love is the same kind of love we must have in the church for all who have a soul in need of salvation no matter what they may have done to us.

When we love this way, what are the results? Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (NKJV)

It is the love of God that floods our hearts by His Holy Spirit. It is not the love our flesh wants to deliver to the 'likes of those people' who hurt me. We get love wrong when we get in God's way of loving as Christ loved even 'the likes of me'.

There are two John 3:16's. We know the one by heart. But do we know the other? 1 John 3:16 says, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (NKJV)

Only Jesus can love like that. But He can love like that today as He lives in us Spiritually. May His love conquer us. May His love control us. May His love compel and constrain us every day we wake in service to Him as we serve others.

God Bless and serve Him as you serve others.