Love

DEVOTION

 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

LOVE

John 13:1

13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.  

NIV

Two truths for us today, one of encouragement the other of exhortation is within these words. First we can be encouraged beyond all else because we are told that it was time for Jesus to leave this world and go to the Father. If when Jesus leaves this world and goes to the Father so will we. Although death seems to have some finality to the life we now know and we have no proof other than our faith because of these words accumulated into what we call the Bible, we can be encouraged knowing that it is true that when we leave this world we will go to the Father. Although some people declare they have been there and were sent back for whatever reason, we cannot be sure they are being truthful or are simply looking for fame and fortune by preying on the faith of others. We might think if God wanted us to have that kind of proof he would send Jesus back every so often to confirm all the words recorded in the Bible. He has sent the Holy Spirit to confirm everything to us, and we can sense his confirmation in our heart. He has performed many miracles in our life to confirm his authority and power over all things, including our infirmities. So we can be sure, without doubt that when we leave this world we will go to the Father. The second truth comes also as an encouragement but also holds this exhortation. Jesus loved his own who were in the world, but we also know that we are in this world and we are his own, therefore we can be comforted and encouraged knowing that Jesus loves, in the present tense, us and as he loved them to the last, or showed them the full extent of his love by going to the cross, he has also shown us his full extent of love. Because Jesus loves us, he died for us, so we do not have to suffer the second death, but that we will inherit eternal life in the presence of the Father, and there is no other way for us to do that but to trust in Jesus. The exhortation is in his act of laying down his life for us. When we say we want to be more like Jesus, then we must also be willing to lay down our life. Perhaps not in the sense he did, on a cross, but we should be willing to sacrifice our own desires for those we love. This could translate into putting aside some things we would like to do, in order to do something another person would like to do. But what if a problem exists and the other person takes advantage of this love we demonstrate? What if they, also wanting to be like Jesus, do not put aside their desires for us? What if Jesus asked his disciples to reciprocate in kind to his love for them? He did not look for that, nor should we. We merely should act out our love in a manner which is needed. He gave himself fully, and should we do any less? Faith, hope and love, but the most important of these is love.