20 Apr Jesus’ Amazing Love for Us
As children in Sunday School, we learned to sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Jesus loves us deeply, and his love changes everything in our lives! And where did Jesus learn how to love us the way he does? From his Father!
“But the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” (John 14:31)
“As the father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John 15:9)
Jesus was deeply loving towards others during his time on earth because he was so loved by God. Being loved by God teaches us to love others.
In his days on earth, Jesus modeled love in his interactions with others. He was a servant, always devoting his time and energy to teaching, preaching, and healing. He healed many illnesses and even brought some people back to life after their death.
Jesus showed great love and patience to his own disciples even when they made mistakes or were slow to learn. His disciples sometimes didn’t understand the lessons Jesus was trying to teach them, but Jesus didn’t give up on them. When Jesus was arrested, his disciples ran away in fear. But Jesus loved and forgave them, just as he loves and forgives us today.
The greatest example of Jesus’ love is demonstrated in his crucifixion. We often forget that Jesus did not want to suffer, but he chose to suffer out of love for us. He chose to surrender his will to God’s so that you and I might be saved. The night of his arrest, Jesus was “overwhelmed with sorrow,” and he went out to pray, pleading to God for help:
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will”….
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
(Matthew 26:37-39, 42)
Even though it was extraordinarily difficult, Jesus surrendered to God’s plan for our forgiveness. As Jesus told his disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Jesus showed us the greatest possible love by laying down his life for us, to bring us to God. Because he did that, we can be forgiven when we are baptized into Christ.
And Jesus doesn’t just save us at the moment of our baptism—he helps us throughout our lives. Jesus stands before God’s throne as a sympathetic high priest who speaks on our behalf:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)
We are often tempted, and sometimes we fall into sin, but Jesus understands our struggles and speaks up for us. Because of his grace and love, we can approach God’s throne with confidence, knowing we will find the mercy and grace we need. Truly, there is no greater love than the love Jesus and God have for us!
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