Dear brothers and sisters in Christ –
Jesus, speaking to His disciples, said, “A new command I give to you, that you love one another…” (John 13:34).
“A new command.” Yet it is an old one. It was Moses, way back in the book of Leviticus, directed by God to speak His commands to His people, who said, “You shall not take vengeance.., but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18).
Jesus amplified His command, however, we are to love, He said, “as I have loved you.”
How did Christ love us?
At the time, the disciples did not know the depth of Christ’s love.
They hadn’t heard the angels announce the birth of their Savior in Bethlehem.
They hadn’t yet been to Calvary.
And they couldn’t comprehend Jesus’ references to His impending death.
They had no idea that the Resurrection, Ascension,
and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost were ahead.
We do have that knowledge!
We understand what Jesus is talking about for we know how He loved us.
He has loved us enough to leave the glories of Heaven.
He has loved us more than earthly power and status and honor.
He has loved us more than He loved His own life.
With the love of Christ in us…
We visit the lonely.
We provide food for the hungry.
We care for those who are hurting (Stephen’s Ministry).
We share our financial resources in order that the Word of God might be preached and bring many to salvation (Panama FORO).
Loving others as Christ has loved us means that we should be willing to lay down our lives for them. It means no less than laying down our lives. This is a tall order.
Sinful beings that we are, we are not prone to love others as Christ has loved us. The apostle John tells us how it is possible: “Beloved, “he wrote in 1 John 4:7, “let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
We are born of God, and, by His grace, we can carry out His command to love one another through all the opportunities He gives us with all the gifts He gives us. That is how we are part of the STORY OF EVERYTHING – from Genesis to the Last Day.
In the love of Christ, Pastor Hartwig