Before the coming of Christ to earth the 10 commandments (the Law) was the instrument or code of discipline. Mankind was not disciplined of free will or from the heart. They were afraid of the law implying that had the law not existed there will be more of chaos as every one would be more concern only of self.The law instilled in the people fear and the people were not adapted to act of free will...in love.
The coming of Christ was the greatest act of love of God, to show as an example how freely He loves mankind. He gave His best out of free will as an act of love and as a lesson to mankind to do likewise; indeed, how He expects us to be. How He expects us to behave to one another.
Jesus like His Father, inaddition to His teachings and behavior showed what greater love is, when He went as far as laying down His Life for His friends...mankind. He paid a debt which He did not owe on the cross for mankind. Agape love.
This to mankind was a very strange behavior especially to a people who lived under a bondage, the Law, through which they could not express themselves freely, the law of self. The way of Jesus as the way of His Father were very strange to the people at the time thus NEW.
Love can never flow in bondage. The coming of Christ ushered in an era of free grace where people can in freedom express themslves freely, showing to one another an affection that is of one's own free will and desire as would be pleasing in one's own heart.Loving another as loving yourself. Doing to others as you will want them do to you. That is a new commandment that summarises all the 10. Loving one another. Don't love because the law spells or orders it. Love and show love because it comes naturally from the heart to do it and freely too.
This is new as opposed to the former way of life in bondage. Jesus wants us to love and believe in Him naturaly and from the heart.
God says.."whosoever believes in Him." God is not compeling anyone. The conscious one, who from his or her heart does believe, the reward will become his or her portion... "no perishing and eternal life".
This method of God, appealing to mankind to respond voluntarily from his heart and not from threats of a law, is indeed and indeed new. Will man heed to it as he would have done under the law?
Glory be to God.