Introduction:

Is it possible to accurately define a mother's love? If you take into account all of the kind words and generous acts of a mother, can you really sum that kind of love up into a neat and tidy definition? A mother's love encompasses so many things. A mother nurtures the brokenhearted child. A mother mends the wounds of life. A mother encourages in the darkest of days. A mother seeks not for herself, but for the well being of her children. Good mothers are usually the most selfless people you know.

Now with that being said, could the love of any mother in this world ever compare to the love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ? That is not meant to slight mothers, but rather, it emphasizes the extraordinary love of God.

I grew up with three older brothers. And I believe one of the greatest acts of love my mother showed me was when she would leave my brothers and me alone. She would give them this explicit command, "Be nice to your little brother when I am gone." That probably saved me more than once from the terrors that they might have imposed on me.

In our lesson for today, Jesus was about to leave his disciples. It is the day before he would die on the cross for the sins of the world. And he gave those disciples a command before he left them. He said, "Love one another." As we consider Christ' command of love today, we will uncover the basis of this love, and see why the demonstration of this love is so important.

1. The basis of this love

As Jesus spoke these words to his disciples, he knew that it would be the last chance he would have to privately instruct them before he died. The Lord felt it was necessary to give them the clear command to love another.

Now love can be a tricky in our sinful world. So many people have so many differing opinions of what love is. The people of Jesus day had many different words that expressed many different types of love. And so being the master teacher that he was, Jesus told them exactly how they should love another. He told them, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Jesus' disciples were to follow his example of love.

I am sure that they knew that Jesus loved them dearly. But I wonder if they really knew to what extant he loved them. Often it is this way with mother's and their children. Children don't often appreciate their mother's love until they have gotten older and had a chance to reflect back on that love. The disciples, I am sure, were the same way. After they had seen the full extent of Jesus' love for them on the cross, God's love had become much clearer.

Those disciples had seen their teacher suffer a terrible punishment at the hands of sinful men. But even more so, they had seen Jesus suffer at the hand of God for their sins. They witnessed the Son of God being abandoned by his Father, crushed by man's guilt. They saw Jesus' true love for them.

And we have seen the true love of Jesus for us also. He suffered selflessly for all the times we have acted so selfishly. Christ put us first, even though we so often act without love. He lived the perfect life in our place because we couldn't do it. He suffered for our sins, because we couldn't do it. He died to remove our guilt because we couldn't do it. Jesus love for us moved him to make the ultimate sacrifice for us. And in love, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead so that we too will be raised on the last day to spend eternity in heaven. The love of the Holy Spirit has made us God's children through faith and set us free from our eternal punishment and ripped off the chains of sin so that we can freely live the lives of love that God intended for us.

Transition:

The result of God's love for us is clear. He saved us through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son. He has provided for us now and for eternity, as we read in the lesson from Revelation this morning. "They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." The result of God's love in His disciples is clear also as we are told in the book of Acts. That love moved the followers of Christ to proclaim the gospel so that others believed and were saved.

2. The demonstration of this love

The demonstration of this love through the apostles touched all those around them. That result was amazing. Through those apostles expressing their love for God and for one another, everyone was able to see that they were Jesus' disciples. They preached about Jesus and his resurrection from the dead. They baptized people. They came together and celebrated the Lord's Supper in communion with one another. The apostles took care of those in need, healing the sick, giving food to the poor, and encouraging those weak in faith.

As we get a glimpse of the love demonstrated by those followers of Christ, it is natural to ask ourselves how God's love is demonstrated in us for all people to see. We must ask ourselves point blank, "Has the love of God grown cold in us? Have we become lukewarm Christians?"

It is obvious when this has happened in us. Instead of God's love showing forth, we revel in the downfall of others. We steep ourselves in gossip and backstabbing. We turn our backs on those in need. Hate wells up in our hearts and pushes God's love out.

But today, the Holy Spirit, through the Word, is calling us to repentance for our sins. He is telling us to confess our guilt before our loving God and bask in the forgiveness won by Christ. We are commanded to turn from lives of sin and may the Holy Spirit moves us to live new lives of love.

May our hearts be filled with love so that we can put the best construction on others' words and actions. It is easy to gossip and spread rumors about people, but Christ commands us to love one another. Let us speak well of one another and help each other.

May our feet be moved in love to search out opportunities to share the gospel. One of the most loving things you could do would be to bring back that lost sheep who has wandered away from God. Maybe it is a son or daughter who has lost their faith along the way. Maybe it is that friend you haven't seen here in God's house for months. Oh what a great act of love it would be to encourage them back to church to hear God's Word and worship the Savior.

And may our hands be motivated in love to serve one another with the many talents and blessings he has given us. It is easy to be selfish and always serve our own needs. Look for opportunities to lend a helping hand. They are everywhere. May we be lights of love so that "we may bring salvation to the ends of the earth." These demonstrations of God's love will show us to be Jesus' disciples.

Conclusion:

A mother's love for her children is an amazing thing. And yet the Father's love for us overshadows all love. It is so far reaching and all encompassing, we can only marvel at it. But let us not get caught flat-footed as we stand in awe. For Christ commands us to love one another with words and actions. Jesus is the basis for our love. And as we demonstrate that love in our lives, others may come to know the God's love also. Amen.