Dec 7^th The Love of Jesus

Last week srtaed new series on Love. Biblical love. Discovered real love emanated from God Real love is relational btwn human beings not objects animals or food. No where is found intimate love btwn same genders & we show God we love him by obeying his commands. In the strongest most obvious form of love -Love is the reason God sent his Son to the world (John 3:16-18). For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. PRAY

Jesus as God the Fathers symbol of love to the world taught us about love in Matthew 5:43-46 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

Notice it fits with 3:16 it is not limited to those who choose Jesus, as he was sent for the world.

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matt 22

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” It is an identifying trait from where your values derive from. Are you aligned with the commands of God-Love. Love when it is not safe.

John 14:15, 23-24 “If you love me, keep my commands. ²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

John 15:9-13 ⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Like the command was to the Jews Jesus carries this out and extends it to us. Obeying shows love to Him.

Notice it is relational

John 17:24-25 ²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. ²⁵ “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

You may be asking how does Jesus show me love?

Psalm 139:13, 16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. He created us Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The first step is yours. Take the initiative. But you may think-IS he real? You may have been told that he is a myth. History bears a different story. Archeology tells a different story.

The massive discovery “confirms” Jesus’ divinity about a hundred years before the Council of Nicea – fundamentally changing our knowledge of early Christianity. It has been nicknamed the “Megiddo Mosaic” after being discovered in Megiddo, Northern Israel.

The prized piece has been lent to The Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. Carlos Campo, CEO of the museum, hailed the mosaic as “the greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

This breakthrough shows that Christians believed Jesus to be the son of God from the very beginning. This is so significant because it is the first archaeological instance of the phrase “God Jesus Christ”, long before he was thought to have been recognized as such.

The Council of Nicea was a meeting of Christian Bishops. The group was the first in the history of the Christian Church to address the entire body of believers.

One of its biggest accomplishments was establishing Jesus’ relationship to God as his son and his divine status. This mosaic pre-dates this event, re-contextualizing one of the most pivotal moments in the Christian story.

The find tells us first that it was accepted Jesus was God’s son before the Council of Nicea decided this. The 16ft by 32ft mosaic was uncovered beneath the floor of an Israeli prison, and dates back 1,800 years.

The tablet bears the text: “The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.” Alegre Savariego, curator of the exhibition, said: “The mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians.”[1]

More evidence that is revealed He is real. He is alive.

You may think you do not need him.

and we all have fallen short of the glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23).

This love carried out with a surrendered will to do what the Father was doing in Heaven, not his own will (John 6:38), because love covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12)

Take the first step draw near to God and accept his love through the life of Jesus.

[1] https://www.the-sun.com/tech/12923027/ancient-jesus-is-god-inscription-israel/

More evidence that is revealed He is real. He is alive.

You may think you do not need him.

and we all have fallen short of the glory of the Lord (Romans 3:23).

This love carried out with a surrendered will to do what the Father was doing in Heaven, not his own will (John 6:38), because love covers a multitude of sins (Proverbs 10:12)

Take the first step draw near to God and accept his love through the life of Jesus.

[1] https://www.the-sun.com/tech/12923027/ancient-jesus-is-god-inscription-israel/