Greater Love

John 15:13 NIV

13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

This morning, we gather together to celebrate not just a greater love… but the greatest love this world has ever received! That is the love demonstrated by Jesus on the first Easter weekend!

Love can take on a variety of different forms. It can be expressed in numerous ways. But the world had never seen or experienced ANYTHING like this… a greater love that compelled Jesus to lay down His life for sinners… for those who had walked away from God.

Jesus came to this earth for a very specific reason… and that reason was to become the answer to the universal sin problem every person faced. It was and is a problem we cannot overcome on our own. It required a payment we simply could not afford.

And this payment… is unlike any other payment we incur. Sin is not like an over extension similar to a financial need or a physical need.

Sin is not like a car we paid too much for that we can sell or give back to the bank. Sin is not something we can make payments on or take care of over time. Sin is not something that a strong person can outwork or a good person can out maneuver.

Sin is a spiritual need that brings about very real physical and spiritual consequences. Romans 6:23 makes it clear:

Romans 6:23 NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The “earned” wage of our sin is death. THAT is the payment. And whether or not a person believes in sin or its earned wage is irrelevant. Where there is sin… there is DEATH.

But Jesus came to change ALL of that. He came to change the reality of this world forever. And He did this BECAUSE of His greater love.

The gift of God… is eternal life in Christ Jesus. The gift of God is something we do not deserve. The gift of God is someone who did NO WRONG. The gift of God was doing a work you and I could not do on our own. The gift of God was Christ Jesus laying down His life in place of ours, paying the price for our sins we could not pay, and FORGIVING us of our sins.

When Jesus said His famous last three words while nailed to the cross, “It is finished,” it was a DECLARATION that the work was complete.

When the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple after Jesus’s death by the hand of God, it was a CONFIRMATION that the work was complete.

Jesus laid down His life. Jesus… DIED. His body was beaten and nailed to the cross. He was hung between two thieves at Calvary. He took on the FULL WEIGHT of our sins and wrongdoings.

He did this because of His love for you and me!

He did this so that we could be set free from the wages of our sin and receive the gift of God that IS eternal life!

And we know today… that although Christ DID give His life… although Jesus died on that cross… death could not hold Him! The grave would not be able to contain Him!

When Mary went to the tomb looking for Jesus, she could not find Him because He was no longer there!

Matthew 28:1–7 NIV

1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

He is RISEN! A truth and reality that we celebrate today!

In His greater love, Christ laid down His life as a ransom for many. He died for you… He died for me… and He was raised up out of the tomb now VICTORIOUS over sin and death.

Because He lives… we can live! Because He lives… we can receive that amazing gift from God that is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord! The sins of those who believe in Him are forgiven! The price has been paid in full!

This truly is the GREATEST demonstration of love the world has ever seen! It is more than a story… it is a reality you can experience and live in every single day! God’s love for you is REAL. His gift for you is REAL. His desire for you to place your faith in the One who gave His life for you is REAL.

God wants you to EXPERIENCE His love… and for you to become an extension of His love to this world!

Our main text, John 15:13 highlights the work and love of Jesus. But when we look at it in context, we see that Jesus was giving important instruction to His disciples that day… instructions that if followed, would change the world forever. Back up to verse 9...

John 15:9–12 NIV

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

The command given is simple: love each other as Jesus has loved us! Jesus was willing to go the distance for a world that had turned its back on Him - and He commands those who believe in Him… to do the same.

The visuals we see on Easter are the cross, the tomb, and the stone that was rolled away. At the center of ALL of this is God’s greater love in the form of our risen Savior- a love that is given that we might experience it, and express.

God Wants You to EXPERIENCE His Love in Jesus.

Jesus… walked out of that grave… so you could walk out of your sin.

Everything we have talked about so far… was God’s response to our sin problem.

Why did Jesus die on the cross? Why was Jesus placed in the tomb? Why was the stone rolled away? Why was Jesus raised back to life? Why did this amazing thing take place? YOU and ME… that’s why. Our sin reality was the cause.

Jesus’ love for us was the motivation to do what was needed. God did not create us to perish in our sins… He created us for fellowship. God loves you beyond comprehension! And there is nothing you can do to change that truth today.

The story of His resurrection and our redemption does not hinge on whether or not God loves us… but rather it hinges on whether or not we will receive His love. Receiving comes through believing.

As a person comes to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, their heart is then open to receive His love. His love has always been there, but the door to their heart has been closed.

God’s love has the power to raise us back up to new life. Where sin brought death, Jesus brings life more abundantly!

In fact, this life is promised to those who believe in John 3:16

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The first half of this verse highlights the PROVEN love of the Father. The second half of the verse highlights a PROMISE for those who choose God’s love for their lives!

To CHOOSE His love is to BELIEVE in the SON. To choose His love is to walk away from sin and run toward the Savior.

And what kind of experience awaits those who choose to receive God’s love today?

Forgiveness. Freedom. Redemption. Salvation. Justification. Purpose. Hope. Peace. Promise. Assurance. New life.

God wants to move you from a position of death… into the promise of eternal life. And we do not have to wait for eternity to start living in the new life that is found in Jesus!

Jesus walked out of that grave… so we can walk away from our sin. His blood has the power to break the chains that bind us, to loosen the grip of death on our lives… and to deliver us from a life that is lost… to a life that is found! This is what God wants ALL people to experience today!

And in that experience, we are to extend toward others what God has given us.

Jesus Wants You to EXPRESS His Love toward Others.

The most loving thing you can do for another person is tell them about Jesus.

The greatest opportunity you can give someone is the opportunity to call on the name of the Lord for salvation. Someone told you about the love of the Father… now it is our turn to tell others about the love of the Father.

Jesus’ command was simple: love others as He has loved us. Go the distance for those who do not know Him. Share with the world how remarkable and incredible His love truly is!

Imagine what this world might look like if… those who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus… would lovingly tell the world of His death and resurrection! I can only imagine that things might look and sound a bit different!

The action of love and example of love that Jesus gave in John 15 was what? Laying down one’s life for others. We need to get back to living out that example.

The problem that needs to be addressed is this: When the demands of life become more important than the commands of Christ, we risk losing sight of His love.

The enemy has launched a subtle attack against the people of God… it’s cunning and effective. It’s not an attack to make people “bad,” it is an attack to make people… busy. In that busyness, we lay ourselves down for what life demands and the commands of Jesus become secondary.

Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you could be busy… He died to SET YOU FREE.

Consider this: Aren’t you glad that… Jesus wasn’t too busy to go the cross? Aren’t you glad that as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He didn’t tell God, “I’m sorry but spending three days in the tomb is just not doable right now. How about I take a rain check on that plan and we revisit this at a less busy time?”

Sounds crazy, right? Yet, this kind of pattern is too often displayed by what is supposed to be His resurrected church! To busy to love others… to busy to be about the will of the Father! Jesus didn’t lead us this way which means... when we make excuses for not loving others, we are NOT following Jesus!

Whew… C’mon preacher… that’s a bit heavy for an Easter Sunday message isn’t it?

Maybe so… or maybe it is what we need to hear today. Our world is in desperate need of God’s love! And God has commissioned His church to be messengers of His love!

First, we need to understand that God has placed people in your life that He wants you to show His love to. Do not miss out on the opportunity to share His love with others.

One of the most beautiful stories in the Bible comes at one of the most inconvenient times. Jesus has been crucified. He is hanging on the cross. He is barely holding on. The crowd and the soldiers are mocking Him. Another crucified man is throwing insults at Him. And in this moment… Jesus does not fail to continue to love others.

A thief… a criminal… someone who deserved to be where he was cries out to Jesus. Jesus doesn’t dismiss his cry for help in this “inconvenient moment.” Jesus stays on mission… and He forgives the condemned man.

Luke 23:43 NIV

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus didn’t ignore the man in this dark hour… nor did He ignore any of us in our darkest moments.

Church, our world is walking in darkness and we have been called to be extensions of the Father’s love. The world depends on the church to deliver the good news that will bring forgiveness and freedom!

Secondly, when we live as expressions of God’s love toward others, we are obeying the command of Jesus and His joy in us will be made complete.

John 15:11 NIV

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

The joy of Jesus resides within those who KEEP the commands of Jesus. As we keep His commands, our joy is made… COMPLETE.

There is no greater joy than leading someone to know the Lord. There is no greater joy than knowing you are fulfilling the will of the Father for your life. There is no worldly substitute for this kind of joy today!

So let’s do a quick recap… why is it that the enemy would try to keep you too busy to share God’s love with others?

Because He doesn’t want others coming into contact with the love of the Lord AND He doesn’t want you experiencing the fullness of the Joy of Christ in your life!

The enemy doesn’t want you focusing on the message of the cross… he wants you focused on the message of the world, your check book, your home repairs, your hobbies, your sports schedule, your entertainment, etc. The devil wants you focused on YOU… not on those around you.

When Jesus died on the cross, His focus was on us… not on Himself. He was not there for the love of Himself, He was there for His love for a dying and broken world.

So I implore you… I encourage you with all my heart… This Easter, see the empty tomb… but see also the people that Jesus died for and walked out of the grave for.

Be the extension of His love He has commanded His followers to be.

Believe and Receive

It’s time to bring this message to a point of personal application. It’s time for the message of Easter to become more than a story… it must become an experience in our lives.

How does a person “experience” the story of Easter in their life? Simple. By placing their belief in the One who is at the center of the Easter story.

He took our sins and nailed them to the cross. He paid the price in full when He breathed His last breath. He buried our shame as He was placed in the tomb. And He brought us new life when He walked out of that grave!

He did ALL of this because of His love for us. It’s more than a story, it is a rescue. It is the greatest act of love the world has ever seen.

It becomes a part of our story, when we choose to believe. It becomes a radical point of transformation as we choose to receive what Christ has done for us.

He died for your sins… do you believe it?

He was placed in the tomb… do you believe it?

He was resurrected from the grave… do you believe it?

He offers forgiveness and new life… do you believe it?

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to take away the sins of this world? Let’s personalize that… Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to take away YOUR sins and wrong doings?

If you believe that, but you have not given your heart to Jesus… we want to give you that opportunity right now. God wants you to experience the fullness of His love in your life through Jesus.

PRAYER - Salvation

Secondly, are you willing to follow the command of Jesus - specifically the command to love one another as He has loved us?

Now… this can be a tall order as some people are easier to love than others! This will test our patience and it will test our resolve, but we are commanded to express the love of Christ to others… even when others do not deserve this love.

Here’s what I want us to do with this. I think it is safe to say that all of us could grow in this area. So we close this out in a different way.

We are going to sing a song that does two things:

One, it asks God for forgiveness for falling short in the area of love.

Two, it gives God praise for the amazing love we have in Him.

I want us to make this song our prayer, and our declaration. As we worship, let’s allow the love of God to flood our hearts and let’s carry that love into a hurting and broken world!