Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
6 sermons cite this verse
… because someone had come to this world. And greater love has no one than this, than a man would lay down his life for his friends. And friends, that is what Jesus did for you. And so God, we look to you to navigate what can feel so confused and complicated, and that is our relationships. At the outset, I just want to know, is there anybody today who would say, from the jump, I want to say, God, I'm in on your plans for me. I want what you have for me, God. If that's you I'm describing, everywhere who can hear me, Just put your hand up. Just, God, I want your best for my life. I want your best for my love life, my marriage. God, thank you. Thank you. I don't know all that's going to entail, but could you speak a word over my crater today, over my pain today, over my life today? Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Thank you for giving us courage, God, even for some of us today to act on who we're kind of toying around with dating today. …
… And this is what he tells his disciples. It's as simple as his invitation to go and fish for people. He says, this is my commandment for you, that you love one another as I have loved you. Jesus shares this commandment when they're seated together. he shares this commandment with them knowing that just moments earlier a couple of those disciples were arguing contending over which one of them was the greatest he shares this commandment of love with with these disciples knowing that one of them you know a few hours earlier had betrayed him for a fee to his death he shares this with this group of disciples this passage of love, knowing that one of them was going to deny him publicly in just a few hours, and that all of them would eventually abandon him at his actual darkest hour. And rather than writing them off, rather than separating himself from them, he draws closer to them. He humbles himself before them. He washes their feet. He gives them bread. He offers them wine. He says, this is my body. This is my blood. I am sacrificing everything for you. And then he calls them. …
John 15 says, Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. What a picture of sacrificial love. that someone would be willing to serve to the extent of giving up their time and their energy and their life and their being for friendships and for covenant relationships. Our call and our example is to put others' needs as a priority in our lives. The second thing is security. Yes, feeling safe and secure builds trust and strengthens the bond between relationships and the bond between two individuals. But having security within yourself is such an important part of being in a healthy relationship. having security in you, knowing who you are, knowing whose you are. Have that security in yourself is vital for any relationship to flourish. I love how Paul says this in 1 Corinthians. He says, Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation, there's a word, The Lord has assigned to them just as God has called them. …
… This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends. If you do what I command you, no longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing. I've called you friends for all that I've heard from my father. I've made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. Okay. I love this passage. I love it more than I've ever loved it. Just the words that he uses. It feels nothing like do and don't. It's like the natural response. That's why he says, if you love me, you'll obey what I command. So it's just like when I think about if my daughters are taken away, my natural response is to go after them. Why? Because there's love there. …
… Those same two elements can be there. In fact, by the way, you see them in John 15. You notice this? when Jesus Christ, and I put this in after Ephesians 5, though we're not actually studying it, when Jesus Christ says, I'm your friends, he gives the same two elements. What makes him our friend? One is, you're not a servant, you're a friend, because I tell you my business. I tell you what's going on inside. I let you in. And secondly, I give my life for you. I don't let you down. Same two elements. Have you ever encountered somebody who gave you befriending grace in that didn't just brush you off and didn't just sort of do their duty, but were really kind. What is befriending grace? Well, I've experienced this, what it means. First of all, it's the same two things that you've got to have to be a truly spiritually kind person. There's a humility, and yet there's a confidence. On the one hand, befriending grace happens when this person I'm talking to, that there's a humility and therefore there's a transparency. …
… This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I've called you friends. For all things that I have heard from my Father, I've made known to you. And so I want us to see how he's expressing his friendship and how he expresses his friendship to us. And one of the ways he has expressed his friendship is in his sacrificial love for us. before the world ever began, Jesus Christ planned to lay down His life sacrificially for you and me. What He did is that when we were enemies to Him, He laid down His life in love for us in order to make us His friends. So that Jesus Christ is the possible friend of every single person. …