Greatest Love: Jesus’ Sacrifice
By Terry Cheek
McDowell County
February brings us the holiday of love, Valentine’s Day. I’m not going to write about the intimacy between husband and wife. I am going to remind us of the greatest love ever encountered by mankind. The love of God is displayed through His son Jesus Christ. Let’s open by visiting a few verses.
John 15:11-13 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Christ opens with a simple reminder. A desire that his joy would remain in you. But who is Christ specifically speaking to? As I read all of chapter 15 and back into chapter 14, I find Jesus talking to his disciples. As Christ prepares his disciples for his death, burial, and resurrection he commands his disciples to cling to love as displayed to them through his life. Specifically, we love one another as Christ has loved us. That is a bar set so high, apart from grace and the Holy Spirit, we cannot achieve it. Sure, we can love fellow Christians to a point. Likewise, we can only be loved by fellow Christians up to a point. Beyond that, we fail on both accounts. However, Christ does say it is a commandment, and it is given that our joy would be full. Let’s think about this. Joy, how often do you find yourself struggling to find joy? How often do you meet others with the same struggle? Could it be that we are struggling to love as Christ has directed us? Remember we are not discussing love as defined in our heart or mind. We are discussing love as defined by God and displayed by his Son while recording it in his word. A Christian relationship with God through Jesus Christ is one of personal witness and testimony. It is how we live and what we say. We cannot live a Christian life apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We cannot have that relationship apart from saving grace.
Loving one another as Christ has loved us is not a mountain to climb. It is a submission to embrace. That’s right if we submit to Christ through the Holy Spirit and seek his guidance, forgiveness, grace, and mercy we will love as defined by God. This is something every Christian should strive with conviction to achieve. Do I speak as if one has arrived? Not. I write to myself first and share my revelations with this audience. Prayerfully seeking the Lord’s hand upon his universal church.
Christ directs our thoughts to the greatest love a man can have. The love of self-sacrifice. We know Christ displayed this on the cross. Not because he had to, but because he loved us this much. He left us an example of how we should love each other. When we’re loveable and when we are not. Until we meet again, in person or print, may God bless you is my prayer.
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Terry is the Executive Director and broadcaster of The Inspiring Word media ministry
You can contact Terry by email at theinspiringword@gmail.com
Or by visiting www.theinspiringword.org
Read more from Terry Cheek here.
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