Laying Down Our Lives in Love

John 10:11-18, I John 3:16-24

 In John 10, Jesus tells about himself using the metaphor of being the Good Shepherd. He compares himself with a mere hired hand in the way that the Good Shepherd will actually lay his life down for his sheep. He uses this metaphor to say how he will on his own accord lay his life down for the sheep when he endures crucifixion and death in order to bring us salvation. Christ followed the command from the Father and though he could have refused to do it, he did so for his love of us – as the metaphor says for the love of his sheep.

In the book of I John the writer brings this act of love home to us. We are to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. How? By helping someone in need. He goes on to say let’s not just do it in word or speech but live it – in deed and truth. Don’t just say it- show it! Where does this self-giving spring from? He tells us that if our hearts don’t condemn us we can have boldness before God. This comes from obeying God’s commandments and doing what pleases God. Having this boldness, we can receive from God whatever we ask.

The writer stresses two commandments. One is to believe in the name of God’s son, Jesus Christ. Two to love one another as Jesus taught us. By doing so, keeping these commandments, we abide in God and God abides in us. How do we know this? By the Spirit that God has given us.

Many parents would lay their lives down to protect their children. I heard about a man trapped in the mountains with his two young children. He built an icehouse for them and built a fire in it to keep them warm. He didn’t have enough ice for a door, so he lay down in front of the opening to keep his children warm. He had his children sing church songs as they waited out the storm. When the children were found alive later, the father had frozen to death. He had literally laid his life down for his children.

We may not be asked to literally lay down our physical lives, but we can give of our time and resources to help others in need by putting aside our busy lives to help others. This is true love taught to us by our Good Shepherd, Jesus, in his action on the cross to save us from our sins. Amen

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