Greater Love

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Amy Boucher-Pye, and I called our reading Greater Love. Just days before Holy Week, when Christians around the world remember Jesus' sacrifice and celebrate His resurrection, a terrace stormed into a supermarket in southwest France, opening fire and killing two. After negotiation, the terrace released all but one hostage, whom he turned into a human shield. Knowing the danger, police officer Arnault Beltran did the unthinkable. He volunteered to take the woman's place.

The perpetrator released her, but in the ensuing scuffle Beltran was injured and later died. A minister who knew the police officer attributed his heroism to his faith in Jesus, pointing to Jesus' words in John 15-13, Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. Those were the words Christ spoke to His disciples after their last meal together. He told His friends to, Love each other as I have loved you, and that the greatest love is to lay down one's life for another. This is exactly what Jesus did the next day when He went to the cross to save us from our sin, as only He could. We may never be called to follow the heroism of Arnault Beltran, but as we remain in God's love, we can serve others sacrificially, laying down our own plans and desires as we seek to share the story of His great love.

Our passage of scripture today comes from John chapter 15 verses 9 through 17. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this, Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command, Love each other. Let's pray. Loving Jesus, you died to give us the life that will never end. May we live with gratitude for this gift, and may we share it with those you put in our path today. We pray in your holy and powerful name. Amen. Thank you for listening. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.