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I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it--the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey me. I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn't confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. I command you to love each other. (John 15:9-17 NLV). Many
of you are aware that I am a former student of Texas A & M University. That
being said it brings me to a thought this morning from the days I spent on
campus. The student center, or the
“MSC,” is a central building in the life of the student at A & M.
The Memorial Student Center is “hallowed ground.”
It memorializes the sacrifice of life made by Aggies in the military.
Inscribed on a bronze plaque in the entrance are the words from our
reading this morning: “Greater love hath no man than this that he would lay
down his life for his friends.” Especially in these days, we ought to be
reminded of that great sacrifice given for our freedom. However,
there is an even greater sacrifice made for our freedom. It is that of our
Savior, Jesus Christ. In the Civil War, Jefferson Davis had to flee from
Richmond, from the force of the oncoming troops. When Davis left, he took with
him three wagonloads of Confederate money that were later captured by a handful
of Union soldiers. That night, tired, hungry and cheerless, the soldiers decided
to play poker with the Confederate money for $100,000 per game. That is the way
it is with the world, one great hustle for worthless tender. Jesus came to say,
"Look! You're missing the reason why you were created. You're wasting your
life." At that, the world looked up from its poker game. One player took a
black cigar out of his mouth, pulled out a gun and shot Jesus dead. It
is dangerous to utter His truth in the world. His truth says that, in order to
recognize God's sovereignty, men and women must give up their own. You either
accept the truth or you kill it. Truth was crucified on Calvary. Truth was
placed in the tomb. And when Christ got up and walked, His truth was loosed on
the world, where no cross will ever stop it. Jesus had to die because love
cannot stand in the face of aloofness:
“…the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their
friends. You are my friends." (John 15:13-14). A
while back, I talked to a man on the phone that didn't want his daughter to
marry the man of her choice. He said, "I'll] tell you what, if she marries
him, she will no longer be a part of my family." I said to the man,
"There isn't anything that my sons could do that would cause me ever, ever
to say anything like that." He said, "Don't get me wrong, I love my
daughter." I had to say, "No, you don't. What you're saying is that
you will love her just so long as she does exactly what you want her to
do." You have to check out love. If there is no expression of love, there
is no love. A lot of things are defined by what they are; a few things are
defined by what they do and love is one of those. Love is not just a word. Love
must be expressed or it isn't love. At the cross, Christ came and He died, all
because of love. Reflect on that thought today as you worship Him. |
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