Love is such a broad and profound topic that it touches every part of the Christian life. Throughout Scripture, we find that love is the foundation of God’s relationship with His people. Because of its importance, we have written many articles about it, each exploring different aspects of God’s love and our calling to love others. We pray that this devotional becomes a blessing to your soul and helps you grow in the understanding of the love of Christ.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
John 15:9-10
In this passage, Jesus reveals something extraordinary: the same love with which the Father loved Him is the love with which He loves us. This is not an ordinary love, conditioned or limited by human emotion; it is divine, perfect, eternal. Jesus then exhorts us to remain in His love. Remaining is not passive—it requires intentionality. And Jesus explains how to remain in His love: by keeping His commandments. Just as Christ Himself obeyed the Father and abided in His love, we are called to walk in obedience so that the love of Christ continually rests on us.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:12
Here Jesus summarizes His command in a single, powerful statement: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Notice He does not merely say, “Love one another.” He sets the standard: as I have loved you. This kind of love is sacrificial, patient, merciful, forgiving, and unconditional. It is a love that does not seek its own benefit but the good of others. This is the love that changes hearts, restores relationships, and reflects the character of Christ to a broken world.
Wherever Jesus went, His actions and teachings demonstrated this perfect love. Some people were moved by it, others rejected it, but no one remained indifferent. His very presence exposed darkness, challenged pride, comforted the broken, and confronted sin. Through His example, Jesus taught us not only what love is but also how to practice it daily with our families, our church, and even our enemies.
One of the greatest demonstrations of love is the sacrifice God made in sending His Son. Humanity did not deserve compassion or forgiveness, yet God, in His great mercy, gave us the highest proof of love: Christ dying for sinners. This is the true love of God—love that gives, redeems, restores, and transforms.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
John 15:13-14
What a powerful declaration! Jesus defines the greatest act of love: laying down one’s life for one’s friends. And He did not simply teach this—He fulfilled it on the cross. His death was not just an act of obedience to the Father but a manifestation of His deep love for us. We were His enemies, yet He chose to call us friends, not because of anything we did, but because He loved us first.
Jesus then tells us the condition for being His friends: to do what He commands. Friendship with Jesus is not casual; it is covenantal. It means walking in obedience, aligning our hearts with His Word, and practicing the love He modeled. When we keep His commandments, we show that His love has truly taken root in us.
Love, then, is not an emotion we feel; it is a life we live. It is choosing forgiveness when offended, patience when tested, generosity when others are in need, and compassion when the world is harsh. Loving like Jesus is impossible in our own strength, but through the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to love as He loved us.
May this truth strengthen your heart today: You are deeply loved by Christ, called to remain in His love, and commissioned to share that love with others just as He has loved you.
2 comments on “Greater love hath no man than this”
AMEN.
Greater love hath no man than this
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It is a true reality that through the years many wise people have written or spoken about love: that word which is used as if it was a magic formula that seems able to solve any problem or relationship among people of different social kinds or beliefs.
In God’s Word is the only definition of love that we can accept, far away from novels or sentimental uses of the word.
Admittedly, the love of God for people and his creation exceed all knowledge of love; and that is why his children must adore and venerate the Lord God and his love for us.
Goodness, patience, humility, self-denial, mercy, loving devotion, and the fact that Christ delivered himself up for his people: all those things are expressions of the chief attribute of love, the love of God.
The love that Jesus Christ commands us to feel for our brothers must be related to and derived from such a kind of love, the love of God.
Jesus said;
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” John 15:9-10
His words echo through all the Bible; and Jesus said he has loved us as his Father loves Him. We can’t compare this love with any other love. Human love is always mixed with selfishness, while the love of God is a complete love which only looks at his people, the creation that he made. He does not take into account our failings or our sins; he is always ready to pardon; he sees us through the perfection of his beloved Son. He also corrects us and advises us against sinning deliberately, which implies abusing his love, as if treading on the blood shed for Jesus in our stead.
We show that the love of God is in us if we love our brothers. The degree of love we feel toward God is seen in our love to brothers, and it depends on the truthfulness of it.
All good works we can do to our brothers are of no value in the face of God if we don’t truly love our brothers.
My the Lord God increase in us something of his perfect love so that we can please Him when we love our brothers