We run into people we love every day in life. We love God, our children, our spouses, our friends, our pets. Sometimes we love someone so much, we think it is impossible to love anymore than this. But do we love someone enough that we would die for them?

That's how much Jesus Christ loves us. Jesus spread His arms and died for each of us. That is true love. Jesus did this willingly, because He never HAD to die for us. He CHOSE to die for us.

John 10:14-18 reads, "I am the Good Shepherd, and I know my sheep, and I am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And the other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

How many of us would lay down our life for another? How many of us love someone that much, that we would die for them? How many of us would die for someone we've never met? How many of us would trade place with the condemned person at the moment of their death?

Jesus never sinned, never did wrong. Yet Jesus willingly took our place and hung on a cross for each of us. They put nails into his hands and feet and hung Him there. Jesus bled and died, so that we could be saved from an eternity in hell.

I cannot imagine what that must have felt like. We often take for granted that Jesus died for us, that He was nailed to a cross. But how many times do we think about how that felt? To have nails driven into our body and hung up on a cross, all willingly and for something we never did........Jesus did it. That is true love.

Peter told Jesus in John 13:37 that he would lay down his life for Jesus, yet Jesus told Peter in John 13:38 that Peter would deny Jesus three times.

Jesus spoke in John 15:13,14 what a true friend is, and Jesus later proved what a true friend is when He laid down His life for us. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."

We can never be like Jesus, but we can strive to be. When we help others, we are in God's will. When we do a kind deed without expecting something back for it, we are in God's will.

Jesus lived a perfect life, an example for us to follow. Though we are not perfect, none of us have any excuse for not helping others in some way. Everyone may not be able to give to others material things, and most of us will never lay down our life for anyone, but everyone can pray for others, and that is the greatest gift. There is power in prayer.

When we find ourselves taking for granted the gift that Jesus Christ gave us, His very life, stop and take a moment to think on what really happened that day. Remember that although Jesus is and was fully God, He was also fully human and felt the pains we would feel. Think about what He went through and suffered for us, and remember always that He never had to.

© Copyright 2001 by Cindy Thomas