“A new command I give you: Love one another.” Jesus at the Last Supper – Gospel of John.
Jesus of Nazareth challenged his culture’s status quo throughout his three-year ministry. Not only did he show God’s mighty works and power through unprecedented miracles, but his teachings also proposed a radically different spirituality from those under Jewish and Roman law.
I call it Heart Religion. He challenged his followers to “circumcise their hearts” — a powerful visual representing Jesus’ focus on the inner man rather than outward expressions of religion.
Scholars set apart the Gospel of John from the other three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) for its most varied content. Among other details not found in the other Gospels, chapters 14 through 16 contain “The Upper Room Discourse,” which features words that Jesus told his disciples the night before the crucifixion. The discourse brims with sobriety, hope and instructions to help the disciples who would propel the spiritual revolution that would change history as nothing before or after.
In these passages, Jesus speaks of crucial principles that would eventually shape the church’s doctrines: He promises the Holy Spirit, prepares the disciples for the persecution to come, and models the selfless servitude that his followers should emulate.
And then, in chapter 15, he proceeded to give his followers what he called “a new command”:
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
Radical love. It doesn’t take a Bible scholar to know that the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ is unconditional, inviting, boundless love.
Love propelled Jesus. God’s unconditional love for sinners made his teachings radical to Israel’s leaders and irresistible to a people hungry for deliverance and tired of empty religiosity.
In his last words to the disciples, he added love as a command — not a suggestion but an indispensable trait of his church.
This radical love set the fire that ignited the early church and propelled believers to share everything with each other, help the needy, and spread the good news of salvation to the world. Unconditional and selfless love was a unifying force that bound them together in a shared purpose and identity.
If Christianity was a brand, “Love” should be its identity and promise.
But unfortunately, according to the most recent polls, that is far from how Christianity is viewed by non-Christians nowadays, especially millennials and Gen Z individuals. This trend began way before the COVID-19 pandemic; however, opposing views on the vaccine, masks, and the racial tensions that polarized this nation during that time amplified the issue to unprecedented heights.
In September 2023, I interviewed pastor Jeff Jones, who co-authored a new book with marketing experts Mike Hogan and Dwight Jewson: “Rebranding Christianity – When the World’s Most Important Brand Loses Its Way.”
The book offers famous brand studies, their success and decline, and an analogy of Christianity as a brand to illustrate how Christians may have departed from the essence of Christianity’s original promise and identity (unconditional love), causing people to lose interest and faith.
The authors emphasize the need to authentically represent Jesus’ teachings in behavior and interactions, steering the focus back to the core mission of presenting God’s truth through the lenses of love and kindness.
After reviewing the book, I agree with the authors on many points but believe the issue is more complex. It is my opinion that we cannot omit the perversive growth of relativism and immorality in our society (also quantified by extensive research and polls) as one of the most significant reasons people reject biblical Christianity today.
But I certainly agree that the division within the church and the hostility that many Christians portray when communicating their viewpoint concerning politics and moral issues are a dishonor to the name of Christ.
Jesus died for all sinners. It is indeed appropriate and expected that Christians live and stand by biblical teachings on morality. But it is a shame to become so focused on these issues that our words and behavior repel those who need a Savior whose love led him to die for their sins.
To listen to Patricia’s interview with the authors, search God-Sized Stories with Patricia Holbrook on all podcast platforms or YouTube. You can find “Rebranding Christianity” anywhere books are sold.
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, podcaster and international speaker. Visit her new website: www.PatriciaHolbrook.com. For speaking engagements and comments, email patricia@PatriciaHolbrook.com
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