For the Love of Christ
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· 35 viewsJesus Christ’s total giving of himself, shown supremely in his obedient suffering and death on the cross, reveals God’s amazing love for sinners. It continues to motivate and inspire Christians today.
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Intro:
A very wealthy man lost his wife when his only child was very young. Then there came into his home a housekeeper to take care of that boy. The boy lived until he was of age, and then he died. The man had no other relatives; and he died heartbroken soon after the boy died. He had no one to leave his enormous wealth to, and there was a question about what would become of his possessions. They could find no will. It looked as if it would all pass over to the state. At last it was taken over by the state, and they held a sale to dispose of his personal effects, at the mansion where he had lived. The old housekeeper who had brought up that boy from infancy, not having any money of her own, being just as poor as when she began to work for this wealthy man and keep house for him, went to the sale. There was only one thing she wanted. She couldn't buy the furniture; she couldn't buy the expensive rugs, but there was a picture on a wall in that house, a picture of the boy. She loved that boy. He had been to her a son, although she held no relationship to him. When the picture came to be sold, nobody else wanted it, and she bought it just for a few cents, and took it home. It had been hanging on the wall for some time, and she thought she would clean it, take the back out, take the glass out, and polish it. But when she took it apart, some important looking papers fell out. They were given to a lawyer, who said to the woman, "I guess you have fallen on your feet this time. This man has left all his wealth to the one who loved his son enough to buy that picture." God will do anything for those who love His Son.
Transition:
Last week, we saw a glimpse of YHWH’s love as seen in and so this week I want to focus in on the love of the second Person of the Trinity: Jesus! We will jump into this vast subject with the continuing words of the Apostle John in his first epistle this morning
9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
I mentioned on several recent occasions how is known as the “love chapter” of the Bible. However, what I might not have mentioned in the recent past is that the Apostle John is known as “the Apostle of love” and for good reason—especially if you are familiar with his first epistle. Chapter 4 is the epicenter of John’s heart concerning love- therefore it is the impetus of our focus this morning: Jesus’ love.
I. The Depth of the Messiah’s Love
I. The Depth of the Messiah’s Love
Probably, one of the most fascinating things about quality love is that it goes beyond head knowledge. The love of a parent exceeds knowledge. Think about it, kids can be dirty, disgusting, smelly, and snotty; yet once they say something cute, the parent will scoop them up and kiss their sticky cheek—that’s beyond reason! in Ephesians chapter 3 Paul offers a prayer the church in Ephesus for strength and in this prayer, he prays for the early church to understand the depth and quality:
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Yet, Christ’s love is a lot more than a parent’s love. The breadth and length and height and depth fills us to overflowing which is evident when a sinner first trusts in Christ. The new believer bubbles over with zealous love. But Jesus’ love causes more than a new believer.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It caused him to leave his eternal glory
It caused him to leave his eternal glory
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Jesus stooped down to our level!
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
The Venerable became vulnerable!
It moved him to give his life for others
It moved him to give his life for others
Last week, it was now I’ll have you look at for a brief moment:
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Just as I had mentioned last week how the Father gave His own Son, the highest price He could have given, so too did the Son give His own life simultaneously for us. And the application that the Apostle John here gives us is all too clear: that we are to be giving of our own lives for the sake of others—even to the point of death. Now I’m not saying, and I don’t think John is saying that it is always going to require death, but the point is obvious: it does not matter the price one must pay to love another one with the love of Christ. I’ve heard some say it is easier to die for someone than it is to live for somebody else. I will not vindicate that statement, but what they usually mean by it is that it is easier to make one hard decision once for somebody then it is to devote your life daily to them whether it be to Christ or to a loved one.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Then, back to Ephesians, in concluding his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul exhorts the church to be imitators of the same love Christ showed to them—which was the sacrifical love.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Here, we have our first call to respond to this love: we are to respond by walking in love. but before we dive into application I do want to point out it is not just believers that received this love:
He loves sinners
He loves sinners
the Messiah/the anointed One/the Christ loves sinners!
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
then a few verses later:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
He loves each believer
He loves each believer
But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
II. The Examples of the Messiah’s Love
II. The Examples of the Messiah’s Love
The Gospels are replete with storys of Jesus’ love and compassion, for instance:
His compassion for the needy
His compassion for the needy
if we were just to take the Gospel of Matthew alone, we couldn’t even get halfway through it before seeing Jesus’ desire to love on us.
; ; ;
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
It is too easy to point out how Jesus loved all these people but I want you to notice it didn’t stop with just one group or a type of people, nor was age a factor!
His love for children
His love for children
Matthew also tells us Jesus loves children too:
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.
I think what is fascinating about this point is the fact that we have such a tendency to push kids aside assuming that since they’re immature and cannot understand what we grownups can, that they are not important enough to worship with adults. now certainly I am thankful for children’s church and I think it is necessary to have them worship and learn in an environment that best suits their developing brains. However, it becomes a problem with our Lord when we get the idea that they cannot worship with us, and certainly in Deuteronomy we learn that it is the father’s resposibility to teach the kids the spiritual things. This brings us to the point that Jesus modeled a deep love for his immediate family:
His love for his mother
His love for his mother
Jesus’s love for his mother extended way beyond what would typically be expected, and we see this at a time in Jesus’ life when He was suffering and all eyes were on Him, yet instead of making this intense moment just about him he takes this opportunity to ensure his mother is well cared for. what was this intense moment of suffering? Jesus dying on the cross:
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
Now meditate on this for a moment, if you were dying with such suffering that even taking a breath caused unimaginable pain because in order to take a breath you would have to push up on the wounds in your hands and on the one nail keeping your weight up from your feet for your last minutes on this Earth. You would hardly want to talk at all, let alone make future arrangements for your family members.
and for a final example, let’s see
His love for his followers
His love for his followers
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
Jesus cared deeply for those who were following him. Scriptures has much to say about the relationship between the 12 and Jesus. More than that, Jesus deeply cared for those outside of His inner circle of the 12. For instance:
Lazarus
Lazarus
Now this is the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany. Turn to John 11
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1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
Here we have the Apostle John asserting that Jesus loved Lazarus, so as a result of both His love for Lazarus as well as hearing this news that Lazarus is deathly sick, Jesus decides to stay away little longer. Was it because Jesus didn't want to catch this same bug? perhaps he was waiting for Lazarus not to be contagious anymore! but now look down at verse 32:
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”
32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
the truth is Jesus loves Lazarus very much Jesus loves Martha and Mary very much in Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to bring Lazarus back from Heaven in order that we might see His love for us to believe in the one who loved us first.
And for the final example of Jesus’s love for followers of him we have one from His inner circle:
The “disciple whom Jesus loved”
The “disciple whom Jesus loved”
This disciple is mentioned throughout the whole book of John:
23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side,
2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”
Who is this so loved disciple? It is widely accepted to have been John, the author of the Gospel that mentions this phrase. but the sheer mention of this phrase over and over goes to show the love Jesus had for John
III. The Source of the Messiah’s Love
III. The Source of the Messiah’s Love
It should come as no surprise that the source is from the Father
stems from the Father
stems from the Father
He receives the Father’s love
He receives the Father’s love
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
how does John know this? because at Jesus’s baptism:
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.
but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
It is the Father telling the Son “I love you.” How important do you think it is now to be telling others the words, “I love you” in light of this
His love reveals the Father’s love
His love reveals the Father’s love
here’s the connection between last week and this week. explains the Father’s Love through Christ but I do want to say that the Messiah’s love for us Is the Father’s love: Back to our opening passage:
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Not that we loved God, but that he loved us. The love relationship was initiated by YHWH; people had nothing to do with it. He loved us even though we were totally unworthy of his love. He loved us so much that he sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. By removing sin, YHWH removed the barrier between him and his people so that he could live within his people and they could live within him.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
IV. The Motivation from the Messiah’s Love
IV. The Motivation from the Messiah’s Love
We, as the church—as temples of the Holy Spirit, are reflectors of this same love which drives us to love the world. You might be saying at this point, “well that sounds great but I don’t have the same love Jesus had for people” if that is you my response to you would be, “You do indeed have that same love you just have not had practice exercising it” how can I say that? well:
His love indwells believers
His love indwells believers
I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
In our main passage this morning, John say something very interesting about this Love in us
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
If no one has ever seen God, then how can people ever really know him? Because of Christ’s sacrifice, the Holy Spirit could enter believers’ lives. Through the Holy Spirit, God lives in Christians. God can be “seen” through believers as they love each other. With the Holy Spirit within each believer’s life, Christians can love one another (see 4:16). Their love reveals that God himself is present and that they are partaking of the divine nature (see ). Believers’ love for God grows stronger when they see its results in their loving actions toward each other. As their love develops toward maturity and completeness, his love is brought to full expression through his people. When believers love one another, this invisible God reveals himself to others through them, and his love is made complete.
So if you truly don’t have this kind of love Jesus had, you might want to ask yourself "Am I really saved?”
But for the Believers:
His love disciplines believers
His love disciplines believers
Jesus tells these luke-warm believers in Laodicea:
Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.
also
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
His love inspires authentic Christian attitudes
His love inspires authentic Christian attitudes
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
His love inspires authentic marriages
His love inspires authentic marriages
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
do you show love?
See also
His love inspires a desire for spiritual gifts
His love inspires a desire for spiritual gifts
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
His love motivates Christians to live for God
His love motivates Christians to live for God
It is easy to get somebody to do something out of fear--whether that fear be a fear of punishment or fear of consequences. When a pilot tells passengers to buckle and put on oxygen masks as they rapidly decend upon the open ocean, it doesn’t take much effort to garner obedience since the fear of the consequences of ignoring such instruction might have a lasting…impact! And Kim Jung Un has almost no problems when he barks orders to his commanders, why? The fear of severe punishment reigns over them. But neither is the case for the Christian who obeys Chirst
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
You see the controlling factor as a Believer is love which is a lot stronger than obedience by fear. Another example of this might be when your mom is in the hospital and she asks you to do something taxing and costly for her, you ‘d do it immediately without hesitation; why? your motivation from Love is a lot stronger. As the modern proverb goes “you could catch more bees with honey than you can with vinegar”
So What?
So What?
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Life Application New Testament Commentary Loving One Another / 4:7–21
Believers must not only say that they love, love must be shown by their actions. This also follows God’s example, for he showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son to die for us. Those who believe can have eternal life through him. Jesus is God’s only Son. All believers are sons and daughters of God, but only Jesus has this special unique relationship (see John 1:18; 3:16). The great proof of God’s love, as well as the motive for our love, is that he sent his only Son, who is life, so that we could live through him.
After Jesus’ resurrection, believers could live in him, that is, in God, because God has given us his Spirit. The disciples would then know that the Son is in the Father, they are in the Son, and the Son is in them. When people become Christians, they receive the Holy Spirit. God’s presence in their lives is proof that they really belong to him. Jesus says to us here today:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Believers must not only say that they love, love must be shown by their actions. This also follows God’s example, for he showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son to die for us in obedience. Those who believe can have eternal life through him. The great proof of God’s love, as well as the motive for our love, is that he sent his only Son, who is life, so that we could live through him.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
"Jesus is dead, my dear, long, long ago. He was crucified, and that was the end of Him."
"But Jesus rose again, and did what no other man could do. And if Jesus was not living now, we could not be living either, as He gives us life and everything else, Papa."
"But how can I love whom I have never seen, Emily? Tell me that, my dear."
Emily at first did not know what to reply, and her father looked pleased to know that he had puzzled her. At length she said, "Papa, how old was I when Mama died?"
"Only six months, my child."
"Then I can't say that I ever saw her for I don't remember her at all. But you have always tried to make me love her by telling me how good and kind she was; and I do love her, although I have never seen her that I can remember."
By this time the tears were running down the father's cheeks and kissing Emily, he said, "God has spoken to me by you, my dear, and now you must pray for me, and ask God to give me a new heart, with which I shall love Jesus." And the prayer was soon answered