By Pamela Rose Williams
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35)
These are the words of Jesus in our passage today. Words that He said to the disciples just shortly before He told Peter that He would deny Him three times before the cock crows.
How interesting is it that Jesus would talk about how people would know that they were His disciples by how they acted; the love they had for one another. Matthew records Peter’s denial: he denied Jesus three times, just as prophesied. Look at what was happening outside of the palace as Jesus was before the high priest being accused of things that were not true. Peter was outside sitting with the servants (Matthew 26:58-75). The people that Peter was with were saying that he knew Jesus. Peter denied and denied and denied Jesus. The thing that really gave him away was his speech. People knew that he had been with Jesus because he had a certain way of speaking, a gentle and loving way of speaking. Take a look at the last denial:
And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. (Matthew 26:73)
They knew that He was one of “them” because of how he talked. Peter was ashamed to be associated with Jesus. So ashamed that he began to curse and swear when he was “discovered” by his conversation (Matthew 26:74). How did they know? Because his “speech bewrayeth him”. Bewray is an old English word for “expose”. The way he talked “exposed” the truth–his manner of conversation gave him away.
You can read my personal testimony of how I came to know Jesus here: Meet My Savior. I know Jesus and He is a friend like no other. He took the nails for me, the least I could do is tell everyone about the best news of my life. The Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to encourage you to tell people about the love of God, that He gave His only begotten Son to die upon the cross to pay the sin debt that we owe but cannot pay.
Things to Think on and Do
- What are you doing to show that you love Jesus? Are you His ambassador, or are you ashamed of the gospel? Where in Scripture does it talk about our ambassadorship?
- Find at least one more Scripture that talks about how we, as Christ-followers, should behave and speak.
- Are you speaking boldly about how much you love Jesus? Do people know that you have been with Jesus? Choose one person today or within the next couple of days and ask them if they know Jesus, if they do not, share the clear gospel with them. I will pray for your boldness because even Paul asked for prayer for that (Ephesians 6:18-19)!
