John 13:35 kjv
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35 nkjv
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35 niv
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:35 esv
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35 nlt
Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
John 13 35 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 13:34 | A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another... | The new commandment preceding this verse. |
| Jn 15:12 | "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." | Echoes the "as I have loved you" basis for love. |
| Jn 17:21 | ...that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me... so that the world may believe. | Unity, enabled by love, is a testimony to the world. |
| 1 Jn 2:7 | Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment... | Love as an "old-new" commandment. |
| 1 Jn 3:10 | By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. | Love as a clear differentiator of spiritual children. |
| 1 Jn 3:14 | We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers... | Love as an assurance of salvation and new life. |
| 1 Jn 4:7 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God... | Love originating from God's nature. |
| 1 Jn 4:8 | The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. | Intimate link between knowing God and loving others. |
| 1 Jn 4:11 | Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | Divine love as the model for our reciprocal love. |
| 1 Jn 4:12 | No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. | Visible love reveals the unseen God in us. |
| Rom 13:8 | Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another... for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. | Love as fulfilling the entirety of the moral law. |
| Gal 5:13 | For you were called to freedom, brothers; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. | Love as the means to truly serve and use Christian liberty. |
| Gal 5:14 | For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." | Affirms love's fulfillment of the Law (echoing Lev 19:18). |
| Col 3:14 | Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. | Love as the ultimate garment and bond for believers. |
| Phil 2:2 | ...make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. | Love for one another produces Christian unity. |
| Eph 4:2 | With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love... | Love as the context for bearing with one another in fellowship. |
| Mt 5:16 | Let your light shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father... | Good works (including love) are visible witnesses to God's glory. |
| 1 Pet 2:12 | Live honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you... they may observe your good works and in due time glorify God. | Love lived out becomes an apologetic to the non-believing world. |
| 1 Cor 13:4-7 | Love is patient, love is kind... does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth... bears all things... | Describes the active, practical nature of agapē love. |
| Lev 19:18 | You shall not take vengeance... but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. | Old Testament root of the love commandment. |
| Mk 12:31 | "The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." | Jesus affirms love for neighbor as a central command. |
| Jas 2:8 | If you execute the royal law in accordance with the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. | Designates love as the "royal law." |
John 13 verses
John 13 35 Meaning
John 13:35 means that genuine, self-sacrificial love shared among followers of Jesus is the definitive mark by which all people, both inside and outside the faith, will recognize them as true disciples of Christ. This love serves as an undeniable external testimony and internal bond, demonstrating their allegiance and embodying the very character of Jesus to the world.
John 13 35 Context
This verse is situated during Jesus' last Passover meal with His disciples, often referred to as the Last Supper. The immediate preceding event is Jesus washing the disciples' feet (Jn 13:1-11), a profound act of humble service that embodies the very nature of the love He commands. After Judas departs (Jn 13:21-30), signalling the imminent betrayal, Jesus begins to speak intimately with the remaining eleven. He first issues the "new commandment" to love one another as He has loved them (Jn 13:34), immediately followed by this declaration in John 13:35. This section of John's Gospel (chapters 13-17) contains Jesus' farewell discourse, where He prepares His disciples for His departure, promises the Holy Spirit, and prays for their unity. The theme of love is paramount in these final instructions, serving as both an internal identifier and an external witness for the Christian community. Historically, in the Roman Empire, new religions or philosophies often drew converts based on intellectual appeal or spiritual experiences. Jesus here offers a radical alternative: love for one another will be the distinguishing mark of His followers, contrasting with the often hierarchical, self-serving, or exclusive nature of other groups.
John 13 35 Word analysis
- By this: This phrase points directly to the characteristic that follows: the love shared amongst believers. It signifies a clear, identifiable sign.
- all people (πάντες - pántes, meaning "all," "everyone"): Refers to both those within and outside the Christian community. The scope is universal; it is not just for fellow believers to observe, but for the watching world. This love serves as a public declaration.
- will know (γνώσουσιν - gnōsousin, from γινώσκω - ginōskō, "to know, recognize, perceive"): This is not merely intellectual assent or theoretical knowledge. It implies an experiential, lived understanding—people will recognize and discern the reality of Christ's presence through the demonstrated love.
- that you are: Emphasizes the authentic identity. Their status as disciples is confirmed by this quality.
- my disciples (μαθηταί - mathētai, meaning "learners," "pupils," "followers"): More than mere adherents. A disciple is someone who lives by the teachings and imitates the life of their master. Here, the "master" is Jesus, and His primary characteristic is self-giving love.
- if you have (ἔχητε - echēte, meaning "if you hold," "if you possess," "if you have a way of having"): This "if" sets up a condition. While it implies a possibility of absence, the context suggests an expected, active, and cultivated possession of this love, as commanded.
- love (ἀγάπη - agapē): This specific Greek word denotes a divine, selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love. It is not based on emotion (eros), affection (philia), or family ties (storge), but on deliberate choice, will, and action. It is the very nature of God (1 Jn 4:8, 16) and was supremely demonstrated by Christ's life and death.
- for one another (ἀλλήλων - allēlōn, meaning "of one another," "each other"): Specifies the direction and reciprocity of this love. It is love exercised within the community of believers, fostering unity and mutual care. This internal demonstration has an external impact.
- Word-group analysis:
- "By this all people will know": Highlights the evidentiary and testimonial power of love. The world's perception of Christ's followers is intrinsically linked to their demonstration of love.
- "you are my disciples": Establishes love as the unique identifier for authentic followers of Jesus. It is the badge of true Christian identity.
- "if you have love for one another": Connects the outward knowledge of discipleship to an inward, cultivated quality within the community. It's a relational command, emphasizing internal cohesion and mutual support rooted in Christ's love.
John 13 35 Bonus section
The love commanded in John 13:34-35 is distinct from other forms of "love" recognized in ancient cultures, like eros (romantic/passionate love), philia (friendship/brotherly love), or storge (familial affection). Agapē is sacrificial, other-centered, and often extended to those undeserving, precisely mirroring God's love for humanity. Thus, when observed, it is seen as supernatural and distinct, testifying to its divine source. This shared agapē among believers also serves as a potent apologetic, demonstrating the reality of God's presence and power to a skeptical world more powerfully than intellectual arguments alone. It counters criticisms of the early church by showcasing a radical unity and compassion across societal divides, a unity which defied conventional social structures (e.g., slave and free, Jew and Gentile). The quality of Christian love directly correlates to the clarity of the gospel message heard by "all people."
John 13 35 Commentary
John 13:35 serves as the capstone to Jesus' "new commandment," articulating its profound practical and evangelistic implications. It posits that love—specifically the unique, Christ-like agapē demonstrated in the foot-washing (Jn 13:1-11) and consummated on the cross—is not merely an admirable trait, but the indispensable identifying mark of genuine discipleship. This love is to be expressed reciprocally within the Christian community, becoming a visible testament to outsiders. It is an extraordinary claim: not theological precision, not miracle-working, but relational unity forged in selfless affection is what will draw and convince the world that these are indeed Christ's own. This means Christian unity and the practical outworking of mutual care are essential for gospel witness, illustrating the transforming power of God's love (1 Pet 2:12). Examples include practical acts of service, forgiveness, patience, and unity even amidst diversity.