This is How We Know What Love Is

From the beginning of time, love was changing things. It reached beyond boundaries. It rejoiced in the truth. It never failed, never gave up. Love was unconditional and unchanging.

Although the common definition of love has shifted, the real one hasn’t. Because of this, I want to go straight into the Bible, in John 15:12. Jesus says, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

As I have loved you? What did He do?

Walked with Them

Jesus’ disciples knew Him well. He had provided and taught them for years. But the core of it was that Jesus knew them. For who they were. He did not live to climb some social ladder, which should have been easy considering He was claiming to be Messiah. Instead, He chose a despised tax collector and lowly fishermen as his closest disciples. He came “to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10).

Preached Truth

Right before the command to love, Jesus was going through a lengthy description of what would happen in the future. Even when the religious leaders hated Him or His disciples didn’t understand, He kept telling the truth. Jesus was not a softie when it came to His preaching.

Accepted Them

Jesus knew His disciples weren’t perfect, but they were willing to follow Him with their whole hearts. The people Jesus associated with were bankrupt in terms of culture. Nothings. But when Jesus told them to follow Him, He wasn’t focused on what was on the outside. He saw their hearts and gave them a new beginning—and He didn’t make them face life alone.

Gave Them His Attention

Even when the crowds fought for His attention, Jesus made time for His group of twelve. Wouldn’t that be hard? While the masses followed Him looking for miracles, He chose to heal the soul sickness of His disciples.

Lived Truth

Everything about Jesus was truth. No sin. No lies. Truth.

Humbled Himself

John 13:1–17 describes the account of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet. Back then, your choices were to go barefoot or wear sandals, so it was impossible not to get covered in dust. The lowest of the slaves got the job of cleaning the filth off the guests’ feet. No one would choose that kind of job! But Jesus did it anyway, to prove that He was humbling Himself for them and that if He, as their Lord and Teacher, could do just that, they should do it also.

Saved them

Every human has sinned. It’s a fact of life. We all have lied, stolen, dishonored our parents, or thought terrible things about someone else. And while it might seem like “no big deal,” these little blemishes make it impossible for us to be with God.

This poses a problem.

We can’t clean ourselves up. The only one that can wash us has to be perfect, without sin. He has to take our death penalty. He has to pay the price.

A foreshadowing of the climax of the Gospel hits in the sentence right after John 15:12. Jesus adds, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

God’s Love on Full Display

By now, I’m guessing you understand where this is headed. The Savior of the world, you say. Death still happens, you say. How is that love?

It’s love because He sent Immanuel. And when Jesus started His ministry, He called followers who would fail time and time again but would remain His. At the right time, Jewish leaders took Him to die as a criminal. 

My sin was nailed to that cross. So was yours. God completely obliterated it. It was over, killed, crushed underfoot.

Three days passed. Nothing happened. It seemed as though God wasn’t as powerful as the people thought.

But then!

Jesus appeared to the women, and then more and more witnesses. The Man rose to life! With His resurrection, He killed death itself.

So the truth of the Gospel is that we are dead in our sins—until we confess that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. When we do that, nothing stops us from being saved (Romans 10:9).

Now what?

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, we see more examples of God loving His people. Love, you say? They were tortured, shipwrecked, put on trial, imprisoned, and killed!

God never left. He is and was and forever will be by our side. If we abide in Him, His love will always hold us. Just like Adam and Eve, despite everything we’ve done wrong. Like Noah, through every tempest and stormy gale. And like Joseph awaiting his punishment for a crime he never committed, God saves us. Countless more stories of redemption, faith, and mercy can easily be found in the Bible. Over and over again we see Him showing up as a rescuer.

He saves us from our sin. Saves us from death. And holds us in eternal love.

That is the redemption story.

I am…

• Redeemed.
• Loved
• Accepted.
• Understood.
• New.
• Held.
• Cherished.

Dear Lord, I am YOURS and I believe.

What are you?