Sacrificial Love

Sacrificial Love

John 15:13

Introduction: The Greatest Act of Love

A firefighter rushes into a burning building. A soldier shields his comrades from enemy fire. A mother works two or three jobs to put food on the table for her children. What do these people have in common? They embody sacrificial love… love that costs something, love that lays itself down for the sake of others. And yet, as powerful as these examples are, there is no greater act of sacrificial love than what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Jesus, knowing the hour of His crucifixion was near, spoke these words to His disciples in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." This was more than just a statement … it was a declaration of what He was about to do and also a model for how we are called to love others.

1. The Definition of Sacrificial Love

Sacrificial love is much more than a feeling … it’s an action, it’s something we do, and sacrificial love costs us something. It means we put others ahead of ourselves, even if it is inconvenient, even if it is uncomfortable, or even when it’s painful.

Like when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet in John 13:12-17. In that moment, the King of Kings knelt before those who would betray Him, those that would deny Him, and those who would abandon Him. He took on the role of a servant, setting an example for us. Sacrificial love is not about position or power … it’s about humility and service.

There’s a story about a young boy named Johnny whose sister needed a blood transfusion to save her life. The doctor asked Johnny if he would be willing to give his blood. Johnny hesitated for a moment but then bravely agreed. As the transfusion was taking place, Johnny looked up at the doctor and asked, "When do I die?" The doctor realized Johnny had thought that giving his blood meant giving his life. Yet, even in that moment, Johnny was willing… Friends That’s sacrificial love.

So how can we love sacrificially? It may not always be life or death, most times it means choosing to serve when no one sees, it means giving when it costs us something and forgiving even when it hurts.

2. The Ultimate Sacrifice of Jesus

Acts of sacrifice are powerful, but nothing can compare to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. You see, He didn’t just talk about sacrificial love…He lived it. He laid down His life for His friends, not only for those who loved Him, but also for the ones who didn’t. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

During the Holocaust, a man named Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest, volunteered to take the place of another prisoner who was condemned to die. He stepped forward and said, "I am a Catholic priest; I will take his place." He willingly laid down his life so that another could live. This is what Christ did for us, only it was on a much larger scale… Jesus bore the weight of our sin so that we might have life.

3. Living Out Sacrificial Love Today

Jesus doesn’t call us to just admire His sacrifice … He calls us to imitate it. In 1 John 3:16, we read, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters." Living sacrificially means:

Laying down our pride to reconcile broken relationships.

Laying down our time to serve someone in need.

Laying down our comfort to stand for righteousness.

A pastor once shared the story of a man in his church who gave away his entire bonus check to pay for a single mother’s rent. No one asked him to, and no one would have known if he hadn’t done it. But he did it because he wanted to love like Jesus … by giving sacrificially.

Is there someone in your life who needs to see the love of Christ through your actions? Is there someone that you need to forgive? Are you willing to serve in a way that will cost you something?

Conclusion: A Call to Sacrificial Love

A firefighter, a soldier, a mother … are powerful examples of sacrificial love. But the greatest example ever is still Jesus, the One who laid down His life for you and for me. The question is: How will we respond? Will we love like He loves? Will we lay down our pride, will we lay down our comfort and our desires, to serve others the way He did? What would happen if we truly lived out sacrificial love every single day. Our families, our church, our community … our world, would never be the same.

Let’s pray