Will You Lay Down Your Life for Jesus?

Satan had just entered into Jesus’ disciple Judas who then left Jesus and the other disciples to go betray Jesus to the death.

“When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, “Where I am going you cannot come.” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.’” (John 13:31-38 ESV)

We read in Isaiah 53 a prophecy about Jesus Christ and of his suffering on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him so that we might die with him to sin and live to his righteousness. And in that prophecy it says, “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief.” And yes, it was God’s will and purpose that Jesus should be our sacrificial lamb on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that we can now be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness.

So, when Satan entered into Judas, and Judas went out to betray Jesus to the death, then it was time that Jesus be put to death for the sins of the world so that we can now be delivered from our slavery (addiction) to sin and so that we can now serve the Lord Jesus with our lives in walks of obedience to him and to his commands in holy living.

Then Jesus prepared his disciples for his soon departure, and he let them know that at that time they could not go with him. And then he commanded them that they were to love one another as he had loved them. And that love is agape love which centers in moral preference, and which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord and to his commands (New Covenant). So when we love with this love we prefer to live through Christ and to obey him in his power and to treat one another with that same love.

For the mark of a true believer in Jesus Christ is one who loves God and who loves his fellow humans and his brothers and sisters in Christ with this agape love which prefers what God prefers. And so this love is not going to be like human love, which is based in the one being loved, and in our emotions, and in our moods, and in our circumstances. This kind of love loves God and loves other humans despite how we are treated, and despite our circumstances. And this kind of love is not superficial, but it is of the heart, and it considers what is best for other people, as God determines what is best for us, too.

And going right along with this subject of loving one another, another passage of Scripture comes to mind here:

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12 ESV

Paul had just finished giving a history lesson about the Israelites during their time in the wilderness for 40 years. And he said that God was not pleased with most of them, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Why? Because most of them didn’t listen to God, and they didn’t listen to Moses, but they desired evil, instead. So many of them died in the wilderness and did not get to go into the Promised Land because of their idolatry, their drunkenness, their revelry, their engagement in sexual immorality, their putting Christ to the test and their grumbling against God.

And he said that all these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. And then he said, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”

Now Peter was not actively sinning against the Lord, but he had a higher opinion of himself than he should have, and he tended to be impulsive, and so he presumed that he would be faithful to the Lord and that he would lay down his life for the Lord, for that is how he felt in his emotions. So Jesus set him straight, and he let him know that what was really going to take place is that Peter was going to deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed. And it happened just as Jesus said, and Peter repented, and he later reaffirmed his love for the Lord three times (John 21:15-17).

So, what’s the lesson for us here? We need to listen to the Lord and not think that we know it all. We need to be assured of our relationships with the Lord, yes, but not to the point of overconfidence to where we think we know more than we do, or to where we think that we will not fall. Peter didn’t always listen well, and sometimes he took action before he thought it all through, and sometimes he spoke too soon without giving thought to his words. So we should be good listeners, and we should be realistic in our opinions of ourselves, and always daily putting on the armor of God.

Believe Him  

An Original Work / July 15, 2013

My heart cries: Lord, won’t You hear me

Seeking You for the answers

To my heartache and questions

I have concerning my life?

Speak, Lord, to me right now.

“Oh, dear one, why don’t you trust Me

With your life’s circumstances?

Give your all on the altar

In submission of your will

To My purpose for you.

“Surrender your life completely

To your Lord and your Savior.

He has all things planned for you

For His glory and honor.

He’ll work all things for good.

“Believe Him. He will fulfill all

Of His promises to you

For your life and your future.

Trust Him. Rest in His love.

He’ll give you peace from above.”

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