Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 19:31 “Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
Did those Jews have no shame? They had no problem with unjustly trying and condemning Jesus, but wanted to be sure they observed the law in Deut. 21:23 not to leave a dead body unburied. They swallowed the proverbial camel and strained the gnat! Had it not been a “high day” Sabbath, both the first day of Passover and the normal Sabbath, they would have had no problem leaving His body on the cross to putrify and be eaten by the buzzards, as the Romans usually did.
Let’s pause, think about this hypocrisy, and examine ourselves before we are incensed at their lack of shame and hateful cruelty. At the heart of the matter was a lack of fear of God and a desire for approval from men. Jesus had said of them, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God” (John 5:44)? Have we ever thoughtlessly spoken ill of someone with whom we disagreed so that their reputation might be destroyed and our reputation enhanced in the eyes of our followers or friends? I’m ashamed to say that I have been guilty of the same hypocrisy.
Today, let me encourage us to purify our souls from the shameful desire for glory from men, so we can sincerely and fervently love others God puts in our paths today, for His glory. If we don’t, we allow the same shameful, hypocritical attitude in our souls that would murder a man and then seek to gain more followers on social media for doing so.
The reason it is important to live to love with Jesus is that such a purpose in life will protect us from doing what the Jews did. We live to love with Jesus because we seek glory from the one and only God. That’s why Jesus loved us—to glorify the Father and to be glorified by the Father.

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

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John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
After fulfilling the last Scripture He knew to fulfill, Jesus had one last thing to do.
Breathe His last breath knowing He would not be able to exhale. He suffocated and gave up His spirit to His Father—yet He did not die—His spirit did not die. In a moment, He was with His Father. The work was done. He could sit down on His Father’s throne and take an eternal Sabbath rest. It was the Passover rest. The lamb had been sacrificed. The blood shed. The blood sprinkled on the altar, the mercy seat, the Priest (the Son), and the worshippers. It was time to celebrate and enjoy the salvation of God.
Can you imagine the immediate relief of leaving His body and this world of pain, misery, and suffering? Please take a moment and do so. Your time is coming! You and I will come to that moment when we too can say, “It is finished.” Our journey in this world is over. We will breathe our last breath, leave our bodies sleeping here on earth, and immediately experience the same relief Jesus did and and enter into the presence of our God and Father, Jesus Christ. What a glorious day that will be! We will be raised up and united with Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will experience the reality of what we now know positionally. We are one with Jesus just as Jesus is one with the Father. To God be the glory.
That hope is what births faith and love, for Paul wrote to the Colossians, Col. 1:3-6 “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.”
We believe and love because of the hope of the gospel. We know we will breathe our last breath on earth and in the next moment breathe in our first breath of eternal life in heaven which will never end. Have you heard this gospel in your heart? Is it bearing the fruit of faith and love in your heart? Are faith and love increasing as you walk in the grace of God in truth? We live to love with Jesus because of the hope of the gospel.

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

John 19:28-29 “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.”
Again John shows us that Jesus is the Messiah, the One sent by God to be the savior of the world. This Scripture was fulfilled. John brings to our remembrance Ps. 69:21. ‘They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” He wants there to be no doubt about who was on that cross and what it means to us. Jesus left nothing undone. Drinking the sour wine was one of the last things to be accomplished now before returning to His Father. He did this to fulfill Scripture. That means He did it because He loves you! You needed to see this testimony of God’s faithfulness. He couldn’t leave it out or undone. God decided it was important for you to know Jesus did all things His Father willed so you could believe and be saved. Your salvation is perfect. It’s complete. It is grounded upon the eternal Word of God.
Jesus, thank You for accomplishing all of the Father’s will and for fulfilling the Scripture because you love us. We believe because it is the Father’s will, and we love because You have loved us. Glorify Your name in us today as we accomplish our Father’s will and fulfill the Scriptures, “By this, all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35.

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

John 19:26-27 “When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
Before going to His Father, Jesus had one last responsibility as Mary’s oldest son. He knew He was leaving within minutes, but His mother was to remain a while longer on the earth. She needed to be cared for. At that moment, apparently none of His siblings were believers, so He wanted Mary to know she would be cared for. He gave her into the hands of His beloved disciple, John, who took her into his care from that hour. I have not often considered that John even had a household to take her into. Perhaps he was married like Peter was. Perhaps he had children. We know John’s brother, James, was a believer also. Other than that, we don’t have much info about John’s household. But this we know. Jesus recognized the family of faith is more important than flesh and blood family.
When we come to Jesus, we come to a new family of faith. We gain new fathers and mothers, new brothers and sisters, with Jesus as the head of the family. To receive and love them is to receive and love Him. As believers we are all in God’s household. We are disciples whom Jesus loves. Just as Jesus loved John and gave him someone to love, so He loves us, and gives us others to love. May we take up the responsibility as quickly and willingly as John did.

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

John 19:25b “But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
It’s hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for these women to watch Jesus suffer so. We also cannot know what Jesus felt knowing they were there, but knowing God is love gives us insight. We know He wasn’t self-conscious. He was perfectly love-conscious. He knew what they were watching was to result in their salvation, their ultimate union with Him, and change everything in their lives. He was almost finished fulfilling His Father’s will. Within moments, He would be with His Father rejoicing in His love and glory.
I hope you’ll join me in pausing to put yourself at the foot of Jesus’ cross and receive His love. The women didn’t know at that time the significance of what they were watching, but they do now! And so do we! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. There, He presents us spotless, blameless, and covered in His righteousness.
Can we see His love and joy? Have you entered into it by loving like He loved? By that I mean, have you willingly, intentionally, and lovingly laid down your life so another might stand before you spotless, blameless, and covered in Jesus’ righteousness? Have you loved others with Jesus’ love?

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