Understanding Christ s Love
By GAYLORD L. GOERTZEN
Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church
From Robert Strands, "Moments for Pastors," comes the following story: The young farmer sat happily on the wagon seat as his spirited team made their way into the little Kansas town. After hitching his team to the rack on the corner of Main Street, he walked down to the general store to buy the week's supply of groceries.
He had hardly entered the store when a bunch of boys came walking down the street lighting and flipping firecrackers. One of the boys flipped one directly in front of the team of horses. When the firecracker burst, the team reared and lunged against the lines holding them. The lines snapped. When the team came down, the scared animals laid back their ears and bolted.
At that moment the farmer looked out of the store and saw what was happening. Without a moment's hesitation, he ran into the street just as the frightened horses came thundering down the street with manes flying. With a jump he managed to grab the bridle of the horse nearest him. The running team jerked him off his feet and dragged him down the street with them. But with an iron grip, the farmer held on.
Finally, the team began to slow down a bit and he was able to reach around to grab the other bridle. But the horses wouldn't give in quite so easily and reared again. With front hooves flying, down they came. One of those deadly flying hooves caught the farmer's head. Slowly his iron grip began to relax as he slumped into the dust of the street.
Other men came running and were able to bring the team under control. They carried the dead young farmer to the plank sidewalk and laid him down. One of the men spoke out his frustration. "Why did he do it? Why didn't he just let the team go. They would have run themselves out on the prairie. He didn't have to die like this."
The other men and the gathering crowd nodded in agreement. Just then they heard a sound coming from inside the wagon box. Every one looked in that direction and watched as the blond head of a sleepy three-year-old boy appeared above the sideboards and cried for his daddy. Then they understood.
We just celebrated Easter last week, but do we understand why Jesus died and rose again? Jesus himself told us why.
Jesus said: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus told his disciples that he was going to give his life for them — his friends. He was not a father who was going to give his life for his son; he was the Son of God who was going to give his life for his friends.
It's understandable that a father would give his life for his son. And it's understandable that a husband would give his life for his wife. And there are times when a person would give his life for a dear close friend.
But why would Jesus, the son of God, the Messiah, give his life for the kind of friends Jesus had? They weren't worth it. Peter denied him, Judas betrayed him, James and John wanted position of privilege from him, and the rest of the disciples deserted him. Not one of his disciples deserved to be called his friend; yet Jesus not only called them friends he was willing to die for them.
Why? Because he loved them. There's no other reason. As great as his love was for his disciples — his friends, it was equally as great for others as well. Jesus not only died for his friends who didn't deserve it, Jesus died for others who didn't deserve it. He died for the very people who rebelled against him. Jesus died for his enemies.
Romans 5:8 tells us: "But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
Jesus didn't wait for us to be his friends; Jesus died while we were still his enemies. None of us are worthy but Jesus died for us because he loved us.
So how do we respond to such love? Jesus wants us to respond to his love by choosing to receive the gift of salvation he offers us through his death and resurrection.
Why? So that we can be his friends — his followers — that he loves. When we become his followers, we will understand his love. We will understand how to love others as Jesus loved us.
