Jesus Christ – The One Who Loves (Easter Series 2019, pt. 8)

No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 HCSB)

Christ truly modeled unselfish love when He was incarnated into humanity, lived as a man, and died for our sins. All of that was for our benefit, not His. He did it for us.

I really love this song by Sidewalk Prophets. It captures that love that Christ has for us.

It’s easy to understand that He loves us whenever we are obedient and full of faith, but the Bible tells us:

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (Rom. 5:8 HCSB)

So, if He loves us no matter how sinful we are, then He loves us no matter what.

When He calls us to do something that seems so incredible and unlikely and we’re just not sure that we should do it, so we let the moment pass, He still loves us. When circumstances don’t go our way, and doubts and unbelief result, He still loves us.

This song brings up certain elements of comparison. We should all make it personal. It was my sin that caused Christ to come and die. He was thinking about my sin when:

• • The crown of thorns was pressed into His head
  • He began to sweat blood in anticipation of the torture
  • The nails were driven into His feet and wrists
  • Judas betrayed Him with a kiss
  • As He hung on the cross, enduring the pain
  • With every taunt from the crowd

But, most of all, He was thinking of my sin when He rose up from the grave. He provided the way for salvation for me so that now, 2000 years later, I can accept Him as my savior. Then, He will never think about my sin again!

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“You Love Me Anyway”
By Sidewalk Prophets

The question was raised as my conscience fell
A silly, little lie,
It didn’t mean much but it lingers still
In the corners of my mind

Still You call me to walk on the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far, my heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me, how You love me

It took more than my strength to simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change, the reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

I am the thorn in Your crown, but You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow, but You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist, but You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss, but You love me anyway

See now, I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace

And then alone in the night
I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes, You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me

Yes, You love me, yes, You love me
Yes, You love me, yes, You love me
How You love me, how You love me
How You love me