November 3, 2020 -- John 13:1 -- Love that is real; Love that is strong.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

John 13:1 English Standard Version

In a few hours Jesus would be betrayed into the hands of Jewish leaders, Roman soldiers and Jesus’ own disciples would run away. All would be scattered, all would abandon Him, none would come to His defense. More even than this, Isaiah tells us it was the Father’s will to crush Him (Isaiah 53:10)—that is, to put onto Jesus Christ the punishment for all our sins. He would face torment and anguish unspeakable and indescribable. Yet the declaration inspired by the Holy Spirit and given to the Gospel-writer is this: He, Jesus, loved them to the end.

Jesus was confident of the Father’s purposes in salvation so Jesus walked the road of suffering.

Jesus was confident in the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain His human flesh and blood during this trial and anguish and torment—the valley of the shadow of death.

Jesus was confident that His suffering would bring glory to the Father, and be the propitiation—the sacrifice which removed the perfectly just and appropriate wrath of God against sin.

Therefore Jesus loved, demonstrated His love for His disciples though they misunderstood Him.

Therefore Jesus loved, enduring their self-centredness, knowing unless He died and rose and broke the hold of sin, their stubborn rebellious hearts could never be freed.

Therefore Jesus loved, aware that this salvation would bring many sons and daughters to the full awareness of the Father’s determined, unshakable, and greater-than-the-sun intensity love for them.

Maybe you are aware of your sins today. Jesus’ love is great.

Maybe you realize you are unworthy of love. You are right. Yet Jesus loves you and loves you to the end so that you will know the love of the Father, demonstrated in the perfection by Jesus, through the power of the Spirit who lives in you.

Maybe you think, God can’t possibly love me after all I’ve done. I Corinthians 6 reminds us that we were: sexually immoral, idol-worshipers, adulterers, homosexual and transgender practicing, corrupted people, thieves, drunkards, angrily insulting of all that is good, exploitative manipulators (just to name a few sins, all of which are broken by the next, beautiful and powerful words pointing to Jesus) and “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and this is continually applied to you by the Spirit of our God” (adapted from I Corinthians 6:9b-10).

Truly, He loved them, and He loves you, and He loves ,all who will believe—He loved them to the end—to the complete satisfaction of God the Holy One Jesus working by His Spirit has effected complete cleansing, making holy so that it is spoken over us “Not guilty!” Hallelujah! What a Savior!

With the Psalmist what can we do but lift up our eyes to the hills and to the heavens—our Help is from You! You have preserved us, Father in heaven, despite our willfulness and inclination toward every sin. What was promised has been accomplished in Jesus: “The LORD will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.” Praise and honour, blessing and exultation belong to You, Jesus. Blessed are You, Spirit of God as You keep us in the ordinary rhythms of our life—our going out to do and work and our coming home again—all this until our life is ended and eternity is ours in the Presence of the Triune Majesty, Who is forever blessed and glorious. Amen.