The word love conveys different things to different people. Some people may think of love as an emotion or as a passion. Others may regard love as deep affection or feeling for someone or something. However, when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, His love transcends human thoughts, estimation or feelings.
There is absolutely no love like the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. No mortal man has any purer or greater love than the love of Christ. The Bible says “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:13,14).
Only Christ could love us to the extent that He did. And this resulted in Him going all the way to the Cross and sacrificing His sinless life for sinful man.
Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9). Jesus is saying He has loved us just as His Father loved Him.
Isaac Watts concludes the hymn he wrote, titled, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” with these meaningful words about the love of Jesus Christ, “Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
The Bible says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). And this friend is the Lord Jesus who loves, saves, keeps, and satisfies all who put their faith in Him. Unlike family, friends, associates and others, the Lord will never abandon or forget about us.
Think of this, Jesus sought us, found us, rescued us, and bought us with His own shed blood on the Cross. No one would ever be capable of doing so.
Christ loved me ere I knew Him;
He drew me with the cords of love,
And thus He bound me to him.”
—James G Small, (1817-1888).
There is absolutely nothing that is able to separate believers in the Lord Jesus Christ from His unceasing love. The apostle Paul asks this question. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35,38,39).
After Paul asks the question, he goes on to identify seventeen major things that can affect a person’s lifestyle in one way or another. But to be sure, Paul firmly declares that none of these things is capable of separating us from the love of God that’s in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The incomparable love of the Lord Jesus is most precious and guaranteed never to fail. It is pure love that knows no bounds. During His earthly ministry, Christ always exhibited great love and compassion to those who were sick, distraught, or had other personal needs.
The extent of Christ’s love goes beyond Himself. As His betrayal was approaching He told His disciples, “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” (John 13:34,35).
Because the Lord Jesus loves us the way He does, He expects that His love must not only remain in us but also extend to others as well. He said, “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Having love for one another is important as it will also let all people know that we are Christ’s disciples.
Someone described Christ’s love as being so high, you can’t get over it. So low, you can’t get under it. So wide, you can’t get around it. How very true. The love of Jesus Christ is so vast that it is above and beyond length, breadth, height and depth.
Some of us who attended Sunday school many years ago can recall this children’s song written by Charles Miles (1868-1946) about Jesus’ love:-
High as the Heaven above:
Deep, deep as the deepest sea
Is my Savior’s love.”
“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:25,26).