Walking With Christ

John 15:13-14  (13)There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  (14)You are my friends if you do what I command.(ESV)

I shared verse 13 yesterday, but felt I was doing a disservice by excluding an important tangent to that message.  Jesus made three distinct statements here.

1. The greatest possible display of love for a friend is to give your life for theirs.
2. They were His friends.  This foreshadowed His death on the cross.
3. Number 2 was contingent on them following His commands.

Jesus is talking about a love that goes beyond human ability—a love untainted by sin.  We lost that ability to be capable of completely selfless love, in the way that Jesus is capable, the moment sin entered into the world.  While we are called to love sacrificially, only Jesus could do it perfectly, laying down His life for the entire world.

Jesus told them that they were His friends.  Jesus told them that He was going to lay down His life for them.  But “for God so loved the world”, not just the disciples.  It was because of love that this world was created.  It was in love that man and woman were created.  It was in love that we were cast out of the garden of Eden—so that, in time, salvation could come through Christ.  It was love that caused Jesus to give up all divinity for a period to become fully human, live a sinless life, die an unjust and horrible death, be buried in a virgin tomb for three days before rising again to claim dominion over the grave and death.  God’s love was never absent, even in our fall.

Please don’t miss this part of the message.  “God so loved the world”.  You are part of this world.  That means that Jesus loved YOU enough to suffer and die to make a way for you to gain entry to heaven for all of eternity.  Jesus loves YOU enough to carry your sins and the scars of those sins until He sees you face to face in eternity.

Stop running.  You don’t have to run anymore.  You don’t have to carry this alone.  Stop listening to the lies of the enemy that tell you that you are not worthy, not good enough, not lovable.  You don’t have to live believing these lies any longer.  Jesus went to the cross to put an end to those lies and so many more.  His blood cries to you from the cross.  If you were the only person in the history of all of humanity to ever come to the cross and love Him as He has loved you, then He would endure the shame and torture of the cross just for you.

Don’t let the enemy take away one moment of your blessing and joy by listening to the lies any longer.  Turn your face towards Jesus and run.  Run to Him.  Run to the cross.  Come as you are.  He knows where you are and how you are.  He knows you better than you do.  Put it all at His feet.  Let go of the pain, emptiness, loneliness, anger, bitterness, resentment, guilt, and anything else that you are carrying.  He wants it all.  Love endures all, He is love, and He loves you!  He laid down His life for you.  Are you willing to live for Him?

Be sure to check the website tomorrow for the final part of this three part series.