The cross of Jesus is the ultimate display of love.
[Reading Time: Approx. 9 min]
Lesson 6 Devotional: Jesus | He Loves Unconditionally.
Sections:
• What is Love?
• Why Should We Love...?
• We Must Love Unconditionally
• We Can Love Unconditionally
• How Do We Love Unconditionally?
• Walking As Jesus Did: Practicals
• Getting More from Your Study...
• Conclusion
What is Love?
In a day and age when people rely more and more on their emotions (and irrational thoughts) and when the word "love" has taken on so many twisted and perverted (Isaiah 5:20) connotations, we must go back to God's word to define what love truly is. Of course, there is the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13.
Of course, there is the famous passage in 1 Corinthians 13.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
So there it is—God defines "love" for us. Now that we know what love is according to God's definition, it stands to reason that unconditional love means that we love this way regardless of how others treat us. Easier said that done, right? It's always easy to love those who love us. It's hard to love those who hate us. But that's what Jesus did, and that's what we're called to.
Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)
43 “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? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Why Should We Love Unconditionally?
Because He first loved us. His love for us should motivate us to love others. Thank God we don't have to "muscle it." His love should set a perpetual motion 'love machine' into action in each of our lives.
1 John 4:19 (NIV)
19 We love because he first loved us.
God: Source of the love we give (1Jhn 4:19)
Jesus, His one and only Son, demonstrates how this dynamic works. When He was on the cross, He understood the love of God the Father more deeply than any of us ever could. He wasn't enduring the cross for us only; He was enduring the cross and scorning its shame for the joy set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2), knowing that He came from God and was returning to God (John 13:3). So, as His disciples, we should endure our own cross with the same focus Jesus had—first, the love of our Heavenly Father, then our love for Him, and finally, our love for our neighbor.
And God doesn't love believers any more than He loves those who are not yet followers of Christ. Although those who are not in a relationship with Him are under His wrath, He still loves them and longs for a relationship with them (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17), not wanting anyone to perish but to come to a knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9;). So we should also love those who are not yet believers. This is how we partner (1 Corinthians 3:5-9; 7:16) with God to help win them to Christ!
We Must Love Unconditionally
The emphasis on the word “must” is crucial. The first reason we should love others is that God loves us. But there’s another important reason for us to love others: He literally commands us to do so.
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘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.’
John 13:34-35 (NIV)
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.”
Jesus warned us about a time when "the love of most will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12), and when people will turn away from the faith, betraying and even hating each other. Isn't this what we are seeing today? I've often heard it said that we are in a post-Christian era, and I have witnessed hatred among so-called Christians, even within my own fellowship of churches.
We must be aware of Jesus’ teaching and continue to love, even those within the church who are behaving in this way. Loving them also means speaking the truth to them in love (Ephesians 4:15) and calling them to repentance, all done in love with the goal of winning them over (Matthew 18:15). In this sense, our motivation to love has two sides: we love because God first loved us, which is like the carrot; and we love because He commands us to, which is like the stick.
Matthew 24:10-12 (NIV)
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
Practicing unconditional love is not just something we "can" do. It's not just for the "super-Christian", but is something we are commanded and expected to do as a basic practice as a disciple of Jesus. He calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23-25)
So whether we are talking about believers or unbelievers, we have to love those who are difficult to love. And remember, love doesn't mean that we always have sweet words to say. We must speak the truth in love and let the chips fall where they may. With some, it is simply not going to be possible to live at peace with them (Romans 12:18). But you can still love them from a distance until or if there is reconciliation. There are some situations in which God calls us to expel individuals from the church. I’ve seen much harm done to the health of my fellowship of churches by sin going unchecked. As a result, the love in the church has grown colder and hatred has risen. But I won’t stand for this any longer. I’ll cover this at another time.
We Can Love Unconditionally
At this point, we know that Jesus loved unconditionally. We understand what true love is, and we recognize that we are called to love in the same way. But how can we do this? It often seems so difficult and out of reach. The reality is that, on our own, it is impossible. However, the good news is that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can love unconditionally.
Ephesians 1:19-21 reminds us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work within us. This incredible power enables us to do what we could never do on our own. Yet, sometimes this power needs to be unearthed within us. Even Jesus had to wrestle in the Garden of Gethsemane to surrender to the will of His Father (Matthews 26:36-46) and love us enough to go to the cross. We, too, will face moments when we must wrestle in prayer to align our will with God’s and to access the strength we need to love as Jesus did. God has the power to turn our hearts of stone (hatred) into hearts of flesh (love)
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled
There will be times when our memory verses and daily worship times with God won't feel like enough. In those moments, we need to step away and engage in deep, earnest prayer, just as Jesus did. And just as the angels came and strengthened Him, I've experienced His power time and time again when I have found it impossible for me to humble myself and go and apologize my loved ones when I've been in the wrong. With His power, we can do it!
How Do We Love Unconditionally?
It comes down to the cross of Jesus.
Luke 23:34 (NIV)
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
There are many lessons we can learn from the cross about unconditional love. But I'll just share this one since it's loving those who are ACTIVELY hurting us who make it most difficult for us to walk as Jesus did... LOVE AS HE DID.
What makes this act of love even more astonishing is that Jesus extended this forgiveness while His tormentors were still actively crucifying Him. He didn’t wait for them to realize their wrongs or to repent; He forgave them in the moment of their greatest sin against Him. In fact, they even divided up his clothes by casting lots! This is the ultimate example of love without conditions—a love that persists even when it is not reciprocated, acknowledged, or deserved.
I have no special insights to share about this. I'll just keep it simple: memorize, meditate, recall, and recite this passage when we are "on our cross" of having to love someone who we may not feel like deserves it. In this, we can show them the love of Christ.
Walking As Jesus Did: Practical Application
How can we apply what we’ve learned today to walk as Jesus did? In our efforts to love those closest to us unconditionally, we can always look to Jesus on the cross for guidance, strength, and inspiration.
- 1Look to Jesus' Example of Not Retaliating: It’s easy to retaliate, whether actively or passively, when we are hurt by those closest to us. However, it’s powerful to remember that Jesus drew people to Himself and to God by choosing not to retaliate. Instead, He prayed for those who hurt Him, showing them the ultimate example of love and grace.
- 2Repeat Jesus' Prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This prayer frees us from retaliation, allowing God to work on their heart. The love you show, even in tough times, can profoundly impact them and may lead them to see God’s love and become Christians.
- 3Return to the Word: When it’s particularly challenging to love someone unconditionally, revisit the accounts of the crucifixion. Reflect on how Jesus submitted to God’s will and continued to love through it all. This can renew your strength and perspective, helping you to love as Jesus did.
- 4Return Kindness for Meanness: When Jesus was about to be arrested, Peter cut off the ear of one of the company of men who came to arrest him. But Jesus rebuked Peter and even healed the man's ear. When he was dying on the cross he even took care of the needs of his mother and John (John 19:25-27).
Lesson 6 Training Tips: Cross-Like Love
Getting More from Your Study of the Gospels
These insights aim to build your faith, deepen your understanding, and encourage practical application of God’s Word.
- 1Apply the Cross: In your journal, note a recent situation where you struggled to love unconditionally like Jesus. Then, read Matthew 26:36-27:34 and jot down any insights and verses the Holy Spirit gives you about Christ's love and how it applies to that situation.
- 2Memorize and Recite: Memorize and recite 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." When we have the word of God planted in us (James 1:21), we are able to obey even in the most challenging situations.
- 3Run a Mental Checklist: When you're struggling to love someone, recite 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 in your mind. Then, ask yourself: What am I doing that I shouldn't be, or what am I not doing that I should be? Then, correct it in the moment.
Conclusion
Love is messy. Love is hard. But when we love with the cross of Jesus as our standard, we will conform to the image of our Lord Jesus (Romans 8:28-29). This will take work, and whether our hearers heed our call to repentance that leads to salvation or not (Ezekiel 33:1-20), God promises us that our deeds will follow us into eternity and we will be richly rewarded. Let's keep our eyes on the prize!
Revelation 14:13-14 (NIV)
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”