Wednesday, December 28 – John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.

Our society holds many different ideas of what true love is. When we hear the phrase, “true love,” we may think of romantic love because we use that term to identify when people find the ones they want to spend the rest of their lives with. From books to movies to even our own stories, we hear many examples of extravagant expressions of romantic love. But when we look at Scripture, the word love is not primarily associated with romance; it is something much deeper. God has expressed His true love through Jesus. This is a love of sacrifice, service, and humility.

Jesus came to the world in humility as a baby. He lived a life of service and showed us the true act of love in laying His life down for us. When we know Him, we know true love, and that changes how we love others. When we love out of our own power, we often look for what we receive in return. Our selfish nature pervades even our attempts to express love to others. In Christ, the tables are turned because we are loved by Him and changed by Him. In Him, we not only know true love, but we are also called to express it those around us. When we are filled up with love in Him, we don’t have to look after our own interests anymore because we know the One who truly cares for our every need. Philippians 2:3-5 says “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” As we prepare for the new year, consider how Jesus’s love changes your life and how you can express that love to others.

• Who do you know who exemplifies the love of Jesus well? What are some examples of how they do this?
• Who does it come most naturally for you to love? Who do you find more difficult to love? What does Christ call you to in both instances?
• Thank God for His sacrificial love in Jesus that shows us what true love is and equips us to love others.