JESUS SAID IN JOHN 15:12-14, “MY COMMAND IS THIS: LOVE EACH OTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS: TO LAY DOWN ONE’S LIFE FOR ONE’S FRIENDS. YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHAT I COMMAND.”
JESUS IS NOT ASKING US TO DIE FOR HIM! HE IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. HE ISN’T ASKING BUT DEMANDING! WHAT JESUS TRULY WANTS FROM US IS THE REQUIREMENT OF LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR HIM.
WE ARE TO DO THIS NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT JESUS DID, BUT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT JESUS REVEALED TO BE THE DEMAND OF AGAPE LOVE. LOVE IS DEINAL OF SELF FOR ANOTHER’S BENEFIT. LOVE IS ESSENTIAL IN SEEKING THE GOOD FOR OTHERS EVEN TO THE POINT OF SELF-SACRIFICE.
JESUS PROVED THAT LOVE IS SACRIFICIAL GIVING. THIS IS WHY JOHN REFERENCED CAIN BACK IN VERSE 12 TO SHOW THE STARK CONTRAST BETWEEN “HATE AND LOVE” AND “SELFLESSNESS AND SELFISHNESS.” AS CAIN HAS BEEN GIVEN AS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF HATE, CHRIST IS PRESENTED AS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF LOVE. JOHN IS TRYING TO EXPRESS THE FACT THAT A PERSON’S LIFE IS HIS MOST PRECIOUS POSSESSION.
SO, TO ROB SOMEONE OF THEIR LIFE IS THE GREATEST SIN WE CAN COMMIT AGAINST THEM, WHILE TO GIVE ONE’S OWN LIFE ON THEIR BEHALF IS THE GREATEST POSSIBLE EXPRESSION OF LOVE FOR THAT PERSON AS IT MIRRORS WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US.
CAIN AND CHRIST ARE THE ULTIMATE CONTRAST: CAIN’S HATRED RESULTED IN MURDER, CHRIST’S LOVE IN SELF-SACRIFICE. THE TRUE-LOVE OF AGAPE IS SELF-SACRIFICE. LOVE BECOMES THE GIVING IMPULSE OF OUR MOST INNER DESIRES.
THE SELF-SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT JUST AN EVENT IN HISTORY TO ADMIRE, BUT A REALITY TO BE UNDERSTOOD, COPIED, AND LIVED OUT WITH UTMOST PASSION. REAL LOVE INVOLVES SELF-SACRIFICE THAT RESULTS IN SELF-SACRIFICIAL ACTIONS.
ROMANS 5:6-8, “YOU SEE, AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME, WHEN WE WERE STILL POWERLESS, CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. VERY RARELY WILL ANYONE DIE FOR A RIGHTEOUS PERSON, THOUGH FOR A GOOD PERSON SOMEONE MIGHT POSSIBLY DARE TO DIE. BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.”
JESUS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US. HE GAVE US HIS ALL AND POURED OUT ALL HIS LOVE FOR US, WILLINGLY, OBEDIENTLY AND ALL FOR OUR REDEMPTION. JESUS LED BY EXAMPLE BY SHOWING THE FULL MEASURE OF LOVE BY LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE AND DYING A SACRIFICIAL DEATH UPON THE CROSS…FOR ALL OF HUMANITY.
WE MUST KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS WHO LEADS BY EXAMPLE. PHILIPPIANS 2:7-8, REMINDS US THAT JESUS “EMPTIED HIMSELF…TOOK ON THE VERY NATURE OF A SERVANT… HUMBLED HIMSELF BY BECOMING OBEDIENT TO DEATH - EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS!” WE, TOO, MUST LAY DOWN OUR LIVES!
MY MESSAGE IS ENTITLED “TITHEMI!” (TITH-AY-ME) THIS IS THE GREEK VERB JOHN USED FOR THE PHRASE “LAYS DOWN” AND “LAID DOWN” IN REFERENCE TO THE LIFE OF CHRIST AND OUR OWN.
TITHEMI MEANS “TO CARRY NO LONGER, TO LAY ASIDE OR TO PUT DOWN.” THE UNIQUE USE OF THIS WORD IMPLIES “RISKING ONE’S LIFE” BUT WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ACTION MAKES THE RISK INTO AN ACTUAL SACRIFICE.
JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE OF LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE AS THE SUPREME SACRIFICE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD! MARK 10:45, “FOR EVEN THE SON OF MAN CAME NOT TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE OTHERS AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY.”
OUR MODEL IS JESUS CHRIST. HE IS OUR INSPIRATION AND OUR SOURCE FOR LOVE. JESUS IS GOD’S LOVE GIFT TO EACH OF US – THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE EXTENT OF GOD’S LOVE.
WE CAN RISK LOVING OTHERS BECAUSE WE CAN KNOW THAT WE ARE LOVED BY GOD. AT THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL IS THE AWESOME TRUTH THAT CHRIST LAID DOWN HIS LIFE, WILLINGLY, ON A CROSS FOR YOU, ME, AND THE WHOLE WORLD.
BOLDLY STATED: CHRISTIANS MUST BE LIKE JESUS CHRIST! OUR LOVE MUST IMPART ITSELF AND ITS TREASURES INTO THE CHURCH, THE GOSPEL AND OTHERS.
A CHRISTIAN ROOTED IN AN INTIMATE, LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR WILL NEVER NEGLECT THEIR NEIGHBOR BY ASKING “WHAT SHALL I RECEIVE?”
RATHER, A RADICALLY OBEDIENT, CHRIST-CENTERED CHRISTIAN LAYS DOWN THEIR LIVES IN ORDER TO TAKE UPON THEMSELVES THE BURDENS, NEEDS, AND CHALLENGES OF THEIR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE THEY DARE TO ASK, “WHAT SHALL I GIVE?”
ACTS 20:24, “HOWEVER, I CONSIDER MY LIFE WORTH NOTHING TO ME; MY ONLY AIM IS TO FINISH THE RACE AND COMPLETE THE TASK THE LORD JESUS HAS GIVEN ME--THE TASK OF TESTIFYING TO THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD'S GRACE.”
WE MUST LAY ASIDE OUR LIVES! JESUS DIED FOR US; THEREFORE, WE MUST DIE TO OUR SELF FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS. IT IS A MATTER OF PUTTING OUR OWN LIFE IN ITS PROPER ORDER.
NOTHING CAN BE GREATER THAN OR TAKE THE PLACE OF GOD WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, WE MUST NOT JUDGE OTHERS LESS THAN OURSELVES. AGAIN, THIS IS A CALL TO FORSAKE SELFISHNESS FOR SELF-LESS-NESS OF AGAPE LOVE.
WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE BELOVED STATEMENT MADE BY MISSIONARY JIM ELLIOT WHO SAID, “"HE IS NO FOOL WHO GIVES WHAT HE CANNOT KEEP TO GAIN THAT WHICH HE CANNOT LOSE."
JIM ELLIOT KEPT A JOURNAL AND HIS ENTRY FOR OCTOBER 28, 1949; HE EXPRESSED HIS BELIEF THAT WORK DEDICATED TO JESUS WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIS OWN LIFE. HE MADE REFERENCE TO LUKE 9:24 "FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO SAVE THEIR LIFE WILL LOSE IT, BUT WHOEVER LOSES THEIR LIFE FOR ME WILL SAVE IT."
JIM ELLIOT DID, INDEED, LAY DOWN HIS LIFE. HE AND FOUR OTHER MISSIONARIES WERE KILLED ON JANUARY 8, 1956, BY NATIVE WARRIORS IN A REMOTE AREA OF ECUADOR.
MANY STORIES, JUST LIKE JIM ELLIOT’S, HAVE BEEN SOUNDED THROUGHOUT THE AGES. THIS IS WHY TERTULLIAN, IN HIS WRITING “APOLOGETICUS” IN THE 15TH CENTURY, PENNED THOSE IMFAMOUS WORDS, “THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS IS THE SEED OF THE CHURCH."
YES, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY WHO HAVE PHYSICALLY GIVEN UP THEIR EARTHLY LIFE AND HAVE DIED FOR JESUS. ALTHOUGH, MANY OF US TODAY, MAY NOT LEAVE THIS WORLD IN THAT WAY, WE ARE STILL CALLED TO DIE TO OURSELVES AND LAY OUR LIVES DOWN FOR THE SAKE OF JESUS AND OTHERS.
WHEN WE SAY, “LAY DOWN ONES LIFE” WE AREN’T REFERRING TO PHYSICAL DEATH OR DYING, BUT WORKING TO GET OURSELVES GROUNDED IN AND COMFORTABLE WITH THE WORD “SACRIFICE.”
WE MUST GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN LOVE EACH OTHER SACRAFICIALLY AS JESUS LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF IN THE HIGHEST FORM OF SACRIFICE….FOR US AND FOR OUR SINS.
WE MAY NOT BE CALLED TO DIE FOR SOMEONE, BUT WE CAN STILL RENDER SACRIFICIAL LOVE IN MANY OTHER WAYS TO THOSE AROUND US! LOVE IS ACTION. LOVE COMMUNICATES. LOVE NEVER FAILS! 1 JOHN 3:18, “DEAR CHILDREN, LET’S NOT MERELY SAY THAT WE LOVE EACH OTHER; LET US SHOW THE TRUTH BY OUR ACTIONS. OUR ACTIONS WILL SHOW THAT WE BELONG TO THE TRUTH, SO WE WILL BE CONFIDENT WHEN WE STAND BEFORE GOD.” LOVE EXPRESSES ITSELF WHEN WE GIVE OF OURSELVES FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS!
REMEMBER! THIS APPLIES TO ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST THOSE IN OUR CHURCH OR CLOSE-KNIT CIRCLE OF FRIENDS. OUR LOVE HAS NO BOUNDARIES AND LOVES UNCONDITIONALLY.
LUKE 6:32-36, “IF YOU LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU, WHAT CREDIT IS THAT TO YOU? EVEN SINNERS LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE THEM. AND IF YOU DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO ARE GOOD TO YOU, WHAT CREDIT IS THAT TO YOU? EVEN SINNERS DO THAT.
AND IF YOU LEND TO THOSE FROM WHOM YOU EXPECT REPAYMENT, WHAT CREDIT IS THAT TO YOU? EVEN SINNERS LEND TO SINNERS, EXPECTING TO BE REPAID IN FULL.
BUT LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO THEM, AND LEND TO THEM WITHOUT EXPECTING TO GET ANYTHING BACK. THEN YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT, AND YOU WILL BE CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH, BECAUSE HE IS KIND TO THE UNGRATEFUL AND WICKED. BE MERCIFUL, JUST AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL.”
I REALIZE THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW LOVE TO THOSE DEEMED UNLOVEABLE OR HARD TO LOVE CAN COME WITH A LEVEL OF RISK AND MAYBE DANGER, BUT WE ARE COMMANDED TO LAY ASIDE OUR LIVES FOR ALL PEOPLE. WE MAY NOT FEEL LOVE FOR THEM AT THE TIME, BUT WE CAN STILL RESPOND IN LOVING WAYS.
SINCE JESUS LAYED DOWN HIS LIFE FOR OUR SAKE, LET US ALL TRULY LIVE OUT THE COMMAND TO LOVE OTHERS AS JESUS SACRIFICED AND LOVED US! LET US REMEMBER WHAT IT MEANS TO TRULY “LAY DOWN OUR LIVES” FOR OTHERS.
“TITHEMI” (TITH-AY-ME) LET US LAY ASIDE “SELFISHNESS” FOR “SELF-LESS-NESS. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH 1 JOHN 3:23, “AND THIS IS HIS COMMANDMENT: WE MUST BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER, JUST AS HE COMMANDED US.”
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