Jesus Showed His Friends How To Love

What Did Jesus Do?

“Greater love has no one than this,
that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15.13

It's one thing to issue commands, and quite another to go and execute them yourself. Jesus issued a command to his disciples that they love one another (John 15.12), then he went out and executed the order himself through his own execution/crucifixion. On the cross, Jesus showed his friends how to love.

The command to his followers was that they should love one another just as Jesus had loved them. Just how had Jesus loved his friends? He had fed them with true food and true drink (John 6.55); he had given them words of eternal life (John 6.68); he had saved them from drowning by calming the water and the wind (Mark 4.35-41); he had healed loved ones (Mark 1.30-31); he had even called a friend back from the dead (John 11.43-44). But all this would soon take a backseat to the demonstration of love the disciples were about to witness.

You see, there's love, and there's greater love, and then there is no greater love. The Lord was about to show his friends, and the world, love to the highest pitch of devotion. In all of history, there has never been, nor ever will be, a greater expression of love than the Cross whereon Jesus laid down his life. Jesus issued the command to his friends, already knowing that in a few hours he himself would execute the “order.” I believe this is how Jesus was able to append to the command a challenge, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15.14) Only a coward or despot would give a command he was unwilling to obey himself. Jesus issued the command to love, and then showed his friends how to love.

It's not that Jesus commanded all his friends to climb up on a cross themselves. But the Lord had made it quite clear that to follow him required bearing one's own cross (Matthew 16.24). It's not that Jesus commanded all his friends to die for one another. But the Lord made it quite clear that there is no greater love than that love willing to sacrifice itself for the sake of another.

What it comes down to is this, no one can go around claiming to love Jesus who is not willing to love like Jesus. This is the true cost of discipleship, to be willing to love regardless of the personal price to be paid. It is a way of life radically contrasted with a “me first,” “I'm #1” culture. And, in truth, it is rare to find, even, and, all too often, especially, in the Church.

The question facing each of the Lord's “friends” is, will we or won't we obey his command? If we would truly be his friends, then we have only one choice—to love one another, even to the point of making the supreme sacrifice, should it come to that, for a friend, or an enemy. For, you see, that's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4