Of all the things John learned from Jesus love was paramount.

When John recalled the Saviour's final words to His disciples in the upper room, he remembered how often Jesus both spoke of love and demonstrated it. The power of Jesus' love transformed John's life.

We should not be surprised, then, that when the apostle came to the end of his life and wrote a letter to the church, his major theme was loving one another. He underscored it repeatedly. As we examine this section, we return to the same subject for the third time in this letter. (See also 1 John 2:7–10 and 3:11–18.)