This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. John 15:12 NABRE
Jesus is speaking at the Passover meal that has been commonly called the Last Supper. In the gospel of John Jesus uses this meal to speak on many topics, trainIng His disciples and sharing information He feels is important for them to know. At the heart of his teaching is the commandment to love one another as Jesus loves each of us. Jesus’ love is a total self-giving love. It is the love of God Himself. God who gives and makes all things for us His people. Of course the divine love appears most radically in Jesus’ execution on the cross. We can question did Jesus truly have to die on the cross to lead us to salvation and it is a fair question. We could think God could have just forgiven transgression and left Jesus to live without suffering. But God wants us to know His love is for real. Jesus carries His cross, and dies to prove we are worth everything to God and God is willing to do even the most difficult thing to demonstrate we are worth everything. The next verse Jesus tells His disciples, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) This is the example Jesus sets, giving His all for us all. This is also the kind of love Jesus wants us to give to others. It is not some fluffy language Jesus is using to tell us to love, Jesus wants us to love just as he loves us. We are to love family, friends, strangers and enemies as Jesus loves us. It is the entire message of Jesus encapsulated.
We must love in a way that we are performing radical self-giving. We will be looked upon as insane to love as Jesus loves, but that is precisely the reaction Jesus received and we should seek, it lets us know we are on the right track.
Do you love everyone? Who don’t you love and why?
We must love in a way that we are performing radical self-giving. Share on X#bible’#godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #love #self-giving #John #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray #prayer #goodnews #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways