("Jesus! How much thy name unfolds")These thoughts came to mind particularly last week when most of the world celebrated Valentine's Day, and it started me thinking about love and in particular in relation to the Lord Jesus. Of course as we review his life it should become abundantly apparent that it was characterised throughout by love and compassion. Let us encourage ourselves with a few devotional thoughts concerning the Saviour.
Think of his love for those who came to him looking for help and blessing, the countless miracles he would perform often on the poor and needy. Those who were among the lowest of Jewish society the Saviour would take the time to help them and transform their lives, because he loved them. On a number of occasions we see the love of the Saviour specifically mentioned towards an individual, a group or a multitude.
1. Think of his love for that man who came to him asking what he should do in order to inherit eternal life:
Mar 10:21 "Then Jesus beholding him loved him"
Here the Lord Jesus beheld that young man, so pious and eager to live a righteous life and because of this the Lord Jesus beheld him and loved him! But there was part of his heart that the Lord could see would never be his, as he loved his wealth and possessions.
2. Think of his love for the multitudes:
Mat 9:36 "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
So often the Saviour would look out onto the multitudes and have love for them, and it was this that would motivate him to provide for them, both physically and spiritually.
3. Think of his love for his friends:
John 11:5+36 "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus"
In the town of Bethany, there was a little home that was close to the heart of the Lord Jesus. He loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus, how lovely that the scriptures record this! His love for them would cause him to teach them, have fellowship with them but also to correct and rebuke them as in the case of Martha in Luke 10. The Saviour calls us his friends (John 15:14) an so he will have fellowship with us, teach us, bless us and correct us as he will! The Saviours love was visible and tangible though, as on this occasion visible evidence of his love was demonstrated as he wept by the graveside of his dear friend Lazarus. It caused the Jews to proclaim "behold how he loved him!" Surely his love touches our hearts, and also challenges us with regard to our fellow believers; do we love our fellow believers like the Lord loves us? Do we demonstrate it as the Lord did? Is it manifested and visible to all?
4. Think of his love for his disciples:
John 13:1 "...having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end."
The phrase 'unto the end' does not mean as you might think 'to the end of his time here on earth', but rather the meaning is 'to the limit or to the uttermost'. The idea is that he could not have loved them more! What a lovely thought to encourage us. Are we feeling low? Discouraged? Unloved even? For the believer in the Lord Jesus we can say that we are his disciples, and he could not love us more. This would point us towards his sacrificial death at the cross, and brings us nicely to our last consideration...
5. Think of his love for us individually:
Gal 2:20 "...the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me"
We remind ourselves of his love for us, matchless, boundless, unmerited, freely demonstrated for us in that perfect and complete death at the cross of Calvary. The scriptures put it best:
John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
Let us ever be mindful of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for us sinners saved by grace!
"It was for me, yes all for me, The love of God, so great so free! Of wondrous love, I'll shout and sing, He died for me, my Lord and King!"Yours in Christ,
Mark
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