"Greater Love Has No One Than This: To Lay Down One's Life For One's Friends"

Today being Holy Saturday, I was thinking about what to reflect upon, and immediately I was thinking about Jesus' commandment to His disciples found in John 13:34-35 NIV:  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Jesus reiterates this command later and goes on to define it a bit more in John 15:12-13 NIV: 'My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Jesus then went on to fulfill exactly these words, laying own His life for those He loved, for those who were to come, and for those He loved since the creation of the world.  Today we celebrate this great love, the likes of which have never been seen before, nor will ever be seen again!  Today we remember Him as having given His life freely, offering Himself as the propitiation for our sin (1 John 2:2).  It was His body that was bruised and beaten, His blood that was shed for each of us. Today, we remember that this sacrifice, this love, this laying down His life ended in His death.

As I was thinking through this, I was also reminded that today we have thousands, maybe millions of health care workers, doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, and everyone else that are laying their lives down daily to care for those who are sick with this virus.  They, are loving those they are caring for, by willingly taking the risk, over and over again, of being exposed to the virus, and often it is for someone they barely know.  Paul writes Romans 5:7 NIV: "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die."  We have here before us a great example of love for one another that knows no bounds, a willingness to lay down one's life, and we should honor their sacrifice, their willingness to risk infection or death for those in their care.  It is a blessing to know that they are on the front lines, battling for each and every life!   We see in their heroic sacrifice, a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, and we honor them!

Today, I am encouraged to pray for those on the front lines of this battle, to pray for their families, for their co-workers, for those that are making this battle possible.  I am encouraged to do what I can to support and aid them in their struggle!

Finally, today, I am reminded of Jesus' great sacrifice in laying down His life for us all!  I am eternally grateful for His sacrifice that paid for my sins, that opened the way for relationship with the Father! 

Amen!

Thank you to all who risk their lives daily on our behalf!  Thank You to all that support them, and care for them, and make their service possible!


Sam