People do some crazy things to express their love for one another. Most of the time, it is someone trying to become Instagram famous by their marriage proposal. The internet is littered with videos of these attempts and failures. Most have some entertainment value, but almost all reflect a sad state of what people think is love. Jesus says, “No greater love than this, that one lays down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
A Subtle Shift
In John 15, Jesus changes the second greatest commandment from “Love your neighbor as yourself” to “Love one another.” It may seem like a subtle shift but going from neighbor to one another meant that love had to be more personal and applied to everyone. Then Jesus says that the greatest form of love is to lay down your life for your friends. He will model this shortly after by dying on the cross. While you won’t be asked to die on a cross for your loved ones, the principle remains.
Lay Down Your Life
When you lay down your life, it doesn’t mean you are willing to take a bullet for someone you love. I know that chivalrous and romantic but improbable and unlikely. Laying down your life means sacrificing your will and plans for the sake of others. It means giving of your resources when someone is in need. Life, in this verse, encapsulates all of your being. You show your love by setting aside your life for others. Often it is temporary, but it could be a change in direction as well.
No Greater Love
There is no greater love on this earth than what Jesus showed when He died on the cross. His love transform lives. He can cover a multitude of sins by the love that He demonstrated on Calvary. That love is in you if you have given your life over to Him. The Spirit pours that lo e into your heart, and the process of transformation begins. Don’t reject it. Receive it freely.