It will be recalled that early in his ministry, Christ said to his disciples, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” This charge contained no suggestion of originality, for he added, “for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12.) That is to say, the responsibility to love our neighbor was given as part of the law on Sinai (see Leviticus 19:18), and the practice of so doing was the example of all prophets. It would be wholly inconsistent for a people to profess to be chosen of the Lord and at the same time to despise and hate their neighbors.
“Every Man Should Love His Neighbor As Himself”
While they partook of what we have come to call the Last Supper, Christ, instructing the Twelve, said: “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” He then added, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:34-35.) We do not suppose that this was the first time such a command had been given, for we know it was not. Rather, we understand that Christ desired those who would be his disciples to place a renewed emphasis on the importance of their loving one another, for that love was requisite to their having his Spirit and would stand as an evidence that they were true messengers of God.