Greater Love (John 15:13)

 


Tuesday, April 15, 2025


Psalm 27

Lamentations 3:1-30

John 15:1-16:4a


Tuesday in Holy Week


Greater Love (John 15:13)


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


The witness of Christian martyrdom is a curious conundrum. When presented with the choice to denounce Christ publicly in order to avoid pain and death, is not the pragmatic choice to do so, in order to live another day and obtain the chance to keep telling people about Jesus? Such was the decision made by the first European Christians in Asia. They would proclaim the Gospel secretly, and when brought before the authorities, would cross their fingers in front of a statue of Buddha, so that they could get away with their lives and keep telling people about Jesus.


Why do people willingly go to death on account of the name of Jesus?


Pragmatism, logic and rationality fly out the window when we consider Jesus’ reason for going to the cross. Because he did so on the sole basis of love. The Father loves us, and so when the only way we could enter into his love was through the blood of his only Son, he was sent. The Son loves his heavenly Father, and so when he was sent to the cross, he did so willingly. As the Father has loved the Son, so the Son loves us: abide in his love.


When, therefore, we consider the curious conundrum of the Christian martyr, we find it makes sense only when we see it through this love. It makes no sense otherwise. The Christian martyr loves the Lord so desperately deeply, they cannot imagine renouncing that love; it does not even come into the equation.


We may not have the prospect of a grisly martyrdom before us. We do, however, have the prospect of people who hate Jesus, and therefore hate us just as they hated him. But if we love Jesus, then we abide in the love of the Triune God: the love of the Father for the Son, the Son for the Father, and the Holy Spirit of that love personified, who is our Helper. If we come across people who hate the Son, that hate cannot do anything more than bounce back like a laser gun off a force field, because we abide in love.


Where do you find hate entering into your life? How do you abide in the love of God? How does that love protect your heart from any hate getting in?


Lord of love, of whom no one has greater love: guard our hearts in your love, that we may make our home there, be protected from all assaults of your enemies, and bear much fruit to your glory.

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