Wednesday; April 13

As Jesus prepared for His death, He invited His closest friends to join Him for a meal. While this “Last Supper” would be filled with religious symbolism and plant deep theological seeds, one of the most important lessons to come out of that meeting was something so simple that is often overlooked – love. As the Apostle John reflected on that night, he wrote, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John 13:1). Yet, it wasn’t just the actions done by Jesus that demonstrated His love, His discussion that night would focus on their need to show love to each other. There are about dozen different observations about love found in John’s reflections from that night, yet one that really stands out to me is Jesus’ statement about the place love would have in His church when He stated, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35).

Centuries have passed since that night, but the truth remains. Jesus’ disciples are known for the love they have for the people around them. Too often, adherence to dogma or unyielding conviction are seen as the hallmarks of Christians, but in all reality, the willingness to love others still stands out as how Jesus wants His people known.

Let’s seek to be seen as Christians – not merely by our professions, but by our love as well. When we do this, we’ll be true to Jesus and viewed as trustworthy by those who journey with us along life’s byway.

Think About It!

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