King James Bible
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Jesus declares that love will be the unmistakable identifier of his followers to the outside world. This emphatic statement comes during the Last Supper discourse, where Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure and establishes the defining characteristic of Christian community. The term 'disciples' signifies those who learn from and follow Jesus' teaching and example. Here Jesus claims personal ownership ('my disciples'), distinguishing his followers from other religious groups of the time through their practice of love rather than ritual observance. The conditional 'if' makes mutual love the non-negotiable requirement for authentic discipleship. This love ('agape' in Greek) refers to self-giving, sacrificial care within the believing community, mirroring Christ's own love demonstrated in washing the disciples' feet moments before.