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GREATER LOVE
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now
remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may
be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends" (John 15:9-13).
Jesus said,
"they hated me without reason." He was neither the first nor
the last person to be subjected to senseless rejection and persecution,
but because he was the one perfect, sinless one, the hatred played out
against him was the vilest the world would ever see. His haters called
light darkness, they saw righteousness and called it wickedness. They
even called the work of God the deeds of the devil.
We've heard of stories of brave sacrifices-a soldier
throwing his body on a hand grenade, a firefighter charging into an
inferno only to lose his own life. These are stirring, and they show
humanity at its best. But Jesus' sacrifice was not the impulse of a
desperate moment. He moved with resolve toward his own end. There is no
greater love. We can look through every page of history and every
corner of the universe and we won't find anything that comes even
close. Jesus looked at his friends, told them he would be laying down
his life, and then required one simple thing: love each other.
Ponder This:
What do you have to say to Jesus who laid his life down for you?
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