24 Series Devotionals - Day 5

A New Model of Love - What Jesus Knew

Loving one another in the new way Jesus revealed requires risk and vulnerability - things  we frequently find very hard to do in our daily lives.  Jesus tells us how to do that.  The Bible says Jesus knew four specific things and acted on that knowledge.

[1] He knew His hour had come.  
[2] He knew the Father had given all things into His hand.  
[3] He knew the heart of men:  He knew who would betray Him.
[4] He knew the ones he had chosen. 

John 13:1 - “Jesus, knowing that His hour had come, that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”

The word end translated from the Greek means “to the uttermost; to the limit.”  Jesus loved us absolutely.  Can we love that absolutely?

This new love could not be overcome by evil.  Jesus risked it all for His disciples - and for every one of us; he laid down his life.  John 15:13 quotes Jesus as saying, “Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

Jesus knew Judas planned to betray Him; He knew Peter would deny Him; He knew they all would abandon Him.  He loved them anyway.

If you really love someone, will you make yourself vulnerable for that love to have its full expression?  You risk being hurt, rejected, taken advantage of.  Loving one another involves risk.

Every now and then you hear someone say, “I had a bad experience at church!”  Who hasn’t?  Jesus certainly had a bad experience with church leaders.  This new commandment requires risk.  Will you obey God and take that risk?