Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 13:38 Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Again, Jesus told what was going to happen before it happened so that Peter would ultimately come to believe in, trust in, rely upon, and follow Him unto death. Jesus responded to Peter’s boast that he would lay down his life for Him. Indeed, Peter would have to die to his own self-appraised grandeur before he could follow Jesus anywhere. Upon the rooster’s crow, Peter’s pride in his own self-significance and importance would lie dead in the Judean dust. He would be perhaps the greatest alright—the greatest failure of the disciples. However, as we know. God used Peter’s failure and subsequent restoration as testimony of His love and an incredible source of encouragement. Will we lay down our lives for Jesus’ namesake? I hope so. Let’s be on the alert for any lurking pride, self-significance, and self-importance that would hinder the flow of the love of Jesus Christ into the world we live in.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:36-37 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later. Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."
In Luke’s gospel account of the last supper, he recorded something John left out. Luke 22:22-24 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going
as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” It is plausible that the spirit of that discussion has influenced Simon Peter. Deep within the recesses of his soul is the pride of life that thinks he is better than everyone else. With his “I’m great” filter on, he hears Jesus say he’s going someplace others can’t go, and he’s thinking from an earthly perspective. “I’ll follow Him anywhere at any cost.” The disciples had had this discussion only days earlier when they were trying to decide whether they were going to go with Jesus to Jerusalem upon hearing of Lazarus’ death. In John 11:16 we read, “Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” So I conclude Peter and the rest of the disciples had already considered what they might have to go through if they followed Jesus to Bethany and then on to Jerusalem. Maybe Peter decided in his heart earlier that he was able to endure whatever befell them. Perhaps at this moment, Peter wanted to show how he was indeed the greatest of the disciples, so he began to see if this was the opportunity to prove himself.
However, I think Jesus’ response was puzzling to Peter. Basically Jesus told him, “You’re not ready now to follow me where I’m going.” Whether Jesus was thinking of going to the cross or thinking of going to heaven; in both cases, Peter wasn’t ready, but Peter thought he was. Why wasn’t Peter ready for either place? I think it is because Peter thinks he is great without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, apart from the life of Jesus, Peter could do nothing. Nor can we. Is there any pride of life in us that thinks we can live our lives today without being filled with the Holy Spirit? Can we really lay down our lives for the glory of God if it is not the Spirit of the Son working in us? Without Jesus, we are nothing. With Him, we are ready to go anywhere He goes.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Disciples of Jesus are known by their love for one another. Of all the qualities that a man or woman can have, love—the sustained direction of the will toward the highest good of another no matter what the cost—is the beacon light of the presence of the life of Christ. This kind of supernatural love is the evidence that a person knows God and is a follower of Jesus. It seems highly probable that based on this statement, John wrote this to the “little children” who received his first epistle. 1 John 3:14. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 1 John 4:7-8. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” If we know God, we know that Jesus is God in the flesh. If we know God is love, then we know Jesus’ life defined God’s love. He made it tangible, relevant, and real so He could continue loving His own to the very end through us. Today, He lives to love in us, His disciples. That love is the proof that we have His life dwelling in us and that we truly know Him—to the praise of His glorious grace and presence.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
Little children, this is the direction that Jesus gave His disciples as He prepared them for His departure. It’s not a suggestion, it’s a commandment. He was sending them just like He was sent by the Father, and thus honoring and glorifying them as the Father had glorified Him. So first, let’s realize that with the command, Jesus is loving us as the Father had loved Him. Second, let’s be encouraged that in receiving the command like a little child receives a command from his father, Jesus has put us in the privileged position to bring Him glory as we obey. Knowing we glorify Him by our obedience is motivational. Third, Jesus knew that with the command, His disciples could be assured of future grace that He will supply for the mission to be fulfilled. Fourth, they (by experience) and we (by His Word and experience) know what He meant when He said love as I have loved you. As their Master and Teacher, Jesus had just emptied Himself and served them like a lowly servant because His Father loved them. Surely they understood they were to do the same to each other out of love for and obedience to Him. Have we received Jesus’ commandment like a little child receives direction and instruction from his parents? Simply receive the work of God in your life today, receive this commandment from Jesus as a commandment from your heavenly Father, and obey with a simple trust His purposes for you. You, we, have been called as little children to live to love with Jesus for the rest of our lives. What a privilege and honor!

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

I’m so glad you’ve joined me for today’s Live to Love Scripture Encouragement from John 13:33 “Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.’”
Why does Jesus call His disciples, “Little children” at this point? He hasn’t referred to them as children at all since they met in the upper room. However, obviously in Jesus’ mind it’s necessary and an expression from His Father to them. Jesus had taught them about the quality of abiding that little children have in relationship with their parents. A little child simply receives his life from his parents without question. On two occasions they had heard Jesus say, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all” (Mark 10:15) and “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). He was telling them something that would be troubling if they didn’t receive it like a little child. Remember at the first of Chapter 13 we were told that all that occurs in this chapter flows out of His knowledge that His hour had come to depart out of this world, that His Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was going to go back to God soon. So now in this verse, He told them what He knew was going to happen before it happened so they would believe in Him. Basically He told them He was leaving them, and He was going somewhere that they could not go to at this time. The only way to receive such news peacefully was for them to remember that they were to receive the Kingdom, the work of God, like a child receives direction from his parents. He was about to give them direction that would become the direction for the body of Christ for the rest of the history of mankind. We’ll take that up tomorrow. For today, be encouraged to receive the kingdom of God, the work of God in your life like a child—with unquestioning trust and reliance upon God’s wisdom and purposes. It’s necessary to living to love with Jesus.

Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com