Wednesday, May 11, 2022

😎🐫🎤 Christ’s peace and presence be with you.  It was evening.  The evening Jesus was to share the last supper with His disciples and one that was about to betray Him.  During the meal Jesus got up and showed by example that a true leader is first and above all a servant.  Even to those who we know will hurt us.  After confronting Judas and his betrayal, Jesus then addresses Peter’s/our weakness and lack of true faith in Him. 

John tells us in John 13:31-38 ‘When he (Judas) was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him.  If God is glorified in Him, God will glorify the Son in Himself, and will glorify Him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for Me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Simon Peter asked Him, “Lord, where are You going?”  Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”  Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You.”  Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for Me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times!”’

Someone’s final words to us typically aren’t about the weather or some meaningless item.  They are wanting to impart words of wisdom; lessons to be learned and lived by.  In this passage Jesus invoked some mighty words of wisdom, but Peter in his selfishness just totally blew past the fact that Jesus was giving them a “new command”.  Peter was focused on trying to find out where Jesus going.

Jesus imparts on us a new command to “Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

There are so many varieties of love, but none compare to this command to love as Jesus has loved us.  Truly, that degree of love is beyond words, but yet this is what He is asking of us.  The interesting thing about it is, no one will ever tell you that you are loving as Christ has loved you.  You won’t receive kudos or accolades.  This is something only Christ Himself will discuss with you.  It is a very personal and humbling conversation.  But, before that conversation, you will need to talk with Christ to find out what loving like Him should look like and be in your life.  The love He is asking of me is different than the love He is asking of you.  Lean in…listen closely and carefully to what He is saying to you in His final words.  These words are extremely important.

At the 72 hour Walk to Emmaus weekend experience, Thursday evening, after sharing a light dinner, the Emmaus community sings a song as the Pilgrims leave for their time together with God.  The song we sing is They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.  As the Pilgrims leave the dinning room hearing these words, they haven’t a clue about the love of God they are about to experience.  I can’t stop smiling thinking about it.  Loving others as Christ loves you is hands down the absolute best gift you can offer anyone and everyone.  Expect that not everyone will accept this gift, but know that those who do, will never be the same again.

Bless others and be blessed.

If the Lord has touched you in some way with His message today, I ask that you pay it forward by sharing this message, so that you and He may also bless others.  Click subscript to receive your message every Wednesday.

#JustinUnger – They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love