Friday, June 2, 2017

John 13:34 - Lay your life down for the church

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?”
Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.”
Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
John 13:34-37

Peter thought that he would outdo Christ. He thought that Christ had merely washed their feet, but Peter was determined to love Him back by laying down his life. By the end of that evening, and especially the next afternoon, Peter would realize just how backwards he had it.

But when Christ restored the apostle, He brought him back to this conversation, reminding him (and us with him) of the chief way in which we are to "love Him because He first loved us": love one another as He has loved us.

Do you love Him, dear Christian readers? Love one another! This, most of all, is how our Redeemer tells us to reciprocate His love to us.

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