Love Compelled Him
Jesus said a lot of powerful, enlightening, and important things. But there’s one command that sums it all up…
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12 NIV
It sounds simple, right? But when we look at Jesus’ life, how did He love? And how can we strive to love like He did?
Love compelled Jesus to give up His privileges. As Creator and Lord, Jesus can do whatever He pleases. But instead, the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)—temporarily relinquishing His rights so that we could be right with God.
Love compelled Jesus to prioritize people...
The woman at the well. The man with leprosy. A Roman officer. A blind beggar. Peter’s mother-in-law. A widow’s son. A despised tax collector. Even the thief hanging next to Him on the cross. Jesus didn’t see problems—He saw and loved people.
Love compelled Jesus to serve others. He washed His disciples' feet, pursued the marginalized, had compassion on the sick, weary, and broken. In the end, He gave His own life for us.
Love compelled Jesus to value truth and grace. In a world where many elevate grace while others only magnify truth, Jesus valued both. He was passionate about God’s ways and God’s Word while also showing great compassion to those who needed it most.
If we’re ever unsure about how to love others, let’s look to Jesus as the ultimate example. He lived selflessly, prioritized other people, served to the point of death, and valued both truth and grace.
And as we love like Jesus, we will become more like Him.
Luke 10
“After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into ...
God Is With You
The prophet Isaiah wrote the words of Isaiah 7:14 nearly 600 years before Jesus was born. At the time of this writing, the Israelites were doing all the right religious things, but weren’t practicing justice as God commands. Like many prophets during Isaiah’s time, this was a warning against that injustice. But among that warning was a glimmer of hope that God would set things right.
Here, the prophet Isaiah is giving the people of Israel a reason to hope because of God’s good promise—the promise that He will provide a sign and He will show up for us. Because that’s what Immanuel means: God with us.
But what does “God with us” mean for us today?
It means we can share in that hope by fixing our eyes on Jesus and trusting in Him. We can trust that from Christ’s birth to His current reign in Heaven—Jesus is God with us.
He’s with us in our pain when we lose a loved one.
He’s with us in our anger when we see injustice and don’t know where to turn.
He’s with us ...