“This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

– 1 John 3:16

In context of this Scripture, the apostle John is writing to a group of churches and believers, encouraging them to persevere in their walk of faith. During the period of time John wrote 1 John, he was personally being physically abused and socially shamed for his faith. However, John endured through his hardships as he had faith in the resurrection of Jesus and God’s love for His children. 

While John was a good reflection of the love of God, Jesus is the perfect example of true, pure love. He sacrificed His life, the ultimate sacrificial sign of love, so that we may experience true freedom from the bondage of our sin. There is no other greater comfort than knowing God loves us enough to send His Son Jesus to die for us. 

As Jesus laid down His life for us, we are called in this passage to also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although physical death could apply to this verse, John had a greater vision for this concept. He is calling all believers to sacrifice themselves for their family in Christ through humility, unselfishness, and service. 

This week’s praise is the love Jesus showed us by laying down His life for us and the opportunity we have to show the love of God to others by putting others before ourselves.  

As John explained, Jesus set the greatest example of love to us by sacrificing His own life for our sake. Jesus’s ultimate sign of love toward all of humanity calls us to commit ourselves to self-sacrifice and unselfishness in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Although we will never be capable of taking on the level of love and self-sacrifice Jesus did by dying for us, we are able to show the love of God to others even in the day to day tasks. 

Easter is the perfect time to pause and reflect upon all that Jesus has done for us and the love He has shown us. As John explained, He is the reason we have come to understand true love through his death, and He is the reason we have a future hope through His resurrection. 

As we go throughout this Easter week, let us remember the love God showed us by sending His Son Jesus to die for us and the victory we have in His resurrection. Let us practice showing His sacrificial love and goodness to all we encounter. 

Dear Jesus, thank You for the words of 1 John and the application these verses have in our lives. Thank You for not only showing us Your love by dying for us on the cross, but also giving us a future hope by resurrecting on the third day. Please strengthen us as we show the love of God to our brothers and sisters in Christ by laying down our lives for them as You did for us.