THE LOVE OF CHRIST
- May 7
- 3 min read
In John 13, Jesus says something that reaches far beyond emotion or kindness. He gives His disciples a commandment. Not a suggestion. Not a passing thought. A commandment:
“Love one another; as I have loved you.”
The setting makes those words even more powerful. Jesus had just finished washing the disciples’ feet. The One they called Lord and Master humbled Himself and served them. Then, in the middle of that intimate moment, after speaking of betrayal and what was about to come, Jesus turns to His disciples and tells them what should define them moving forward.
That statement was radical for the people hearing it. They had grown up under the law, where life was often viewed through justice and repayment. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. But Jesus introduces something deeper. He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Not merely because He loved them, but in the same way He loved them.
That kind of love is difficult because Jesus does not love people based only on what they do right. He loves through weakness, failure, fear, insecurity, and mistakes. He forgives. He restores. He continues reaching for people even when they fall short. The same Lord who told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” also refused to condemn her. The same Jesus who healed the man at Bethesda told him to leave his sin behind, but still showed mercy first.
Then Jesus says something that should stop every believer and make them think:
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
He did not say people would know His disciples by how much Scripture they could quote. He did not say they would know them by eloquent speech, outward appearance, or religious knowledge. He said the evidence would be love.
That is what makes Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 so searching. Paul says a person can understand mysteries, speak with tongues, possess knowledge, and even have faith to move mountains, but without love it profits nothing. The point of truth is transformation. Knowledge alone is not the goal. The goal is becoming more like Christ.
The Bible’s picture of love goes beyond personality or preference. The study explored how Scripture uses different expressions for love, but the love Jesus commands is deeper than affection or friendship. It is a deliberate love rooted in concern for another soul. A divine love. A love willing to put someone else before self.
That is why Jesus later says:
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Often that verse is only connected to death, but there is another layer to it. Laying down one’s life is also about surrendering pride, comfort, preference, and self-interest for the sake of someone else. It is choosing patience when irritation would be easier. Choosing gentleness when frustration rises. Choosing understanding instead of retaliation.
The message pointed to Romans 14, where Paul explains that believers should be careful not to cause one another to stumble. Even if someone feels liberty in an area, love may require laying down that liberty for the sake of another person’s conscience. That is practical Christianity. Love that thinks about how actions affect others. Love that values another person’s walk with God more than personal preference.
Jesus also taught this kind of love in Matthew 5 when He said:
“Love your enemies… pray for them which despitefully use you.”
That standard feels impossible until we look at Christ Himself. Even while hanging on the cross, beaten and rejected, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.” The love He commands is the same love He demonstrated.
The study also reflected on Job. After all Job suffered, the Lord turned his captivity when he prayed for the very friends who had wounded him with their words. Deliverance came alongside compassion.
This message ultimately brings everything back to one central truth: the love of Christ is meant to be visible through His people. Jesus said the world would recognize His disciples by their love. That means love is not secondary to the Christian walk. It is foundational.
The challenge is deeply personal. It asks whether the love of Christ is truly shaping the way believers respond to others. Not only to those who are easy to love, but to difficult people, frustrating people, and even hurting people. It asks whether believers are willing to lay down pride, preferences, and comfort so Christ can be seen more clearly through them.
That kind of love does not happen overnight. It is a lifelong process. But it is also one of the clearest evidences that someone has truly been with Jesus.
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