Fully Devoted: An IntroductionSample

What Does It Look Like to Love Others As Jesus Loves Us?

Jesus revealed His love to us as a servant. He never used His divinity for His own good. Instead, He dedicated everything that He had to the good of others. And that’s what He has called us to do—to move past the temptation to elevate ourselves, and instead, find opportunities to serve others. 

Shortly before going to the cross, Jesus sat down with His disciples for a final meal. This has become known as the Last Supper. At this meal, Jesus did something that would have shocked His disciples: 

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:2-5 NIV

Jesus—who knew that the Father had put all things under His power—never allowed the power of His position to prevent Him from having the posture of a servant. So even in His final hours, He wrapped a towel around His waist, got down on His knees, and washed the feet of His disciples. 

Even though He had all the power on the planet, He lowered Himself to the position of a servant. And in doing so, He gave us a beautiful example to follow.

As Christ followers, our calling is to reject the temptations of status, wealth, and power. Instead, we should choose to serve and lift up the least, the last, and the lost. Our calling is to put the needs of others before our own desires.

While this way of living can feel unrealistic, we know that the way of Jesus is the most realistic thing there is. So, we too are to be molded and formed by the servant-hearted and others-first life of Jesus. 

Journaling Questions 

• Consider the original audience who heard and experienced Jesus. What do you think it would have been like to hear that God’s Chosen One had been crucified on a Roman cross? How do you think you would have responded?  
• Write down one of the verses from today’s reading. Do you find it difficult to love people as Jesus does? Why? 
• What would help you better show Jesus’ love to others?

Memory Verse

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV