It is beautiful to see God’s love expressed through the Trinity. The Godhead’s love is demonstrated among three perfect Persons who are not only sinless but completely limitless in every area. While we can appreciate the beauty of this love, and while these pictures give us a better understanding of our God, we are unable to grasp or give this type of love ourselves. We are finite, extremely limited, and very sinful humans.
Jesus Christ, on the other hand, demonstrates what perfect love looks like as a human being loving both a perfect God and imperfect humans. The infinite God-Man does not only give us an example of how to love but because of His love as a human, we are capable to mimic His love through the power of His Spirit. He grows us in love and perfects us in love every day as we humbly submit to His Spirit’s work in us.
1 Corinthians 13 contains the fullest description of love found within the Bible. It tells us both the types of desires and behaviors that true love expresses as well as those that true love does not. Remember that God is love, so this description is of God Himself, and more precisely, of Jesus Christ. We see Jesus’ love modeled best for us throughout the four Gospel accounts, and we can see clearly through these accounts how Jesus’ love fits every aspect of the 1 Corinthians 13 descriptions.
- Jesus was always patient and kind. Contrast His response to that of His disciples when the crowds continued to press in after an exhausting day (and sometimes night) of ministry. Think about the individuals that Jesus took time for on His way to seemingly more pressing or urgent ministry opportunities. Think about the children, lepers, blind, and sinners that Jesus reach out to when others considered them a bother or not worth the effort. Consider Jesus’ patient training of the twelve who continually argued, misunderstood His words, and were filled with doubt even after His resurrection.
- Jesus was never envious or boastful. Consider His admonitions to His disciples when they clamored for position and power. Contrast His attitude and responses to those of the religious leaders of the day who operated completely out of pride and jealous self-righteousness. (James 3:13-18 gives a perfect description of the type of loving wisdom Jesus made use of versus the worldly wisdom employed by the Pharisees.)
- Jesus was never arrogant or rude. Consider Jesus’ tender and life-giving responses to those thought to be unclean, untouchable, or beyond forgiveness? Consider how He washed the feet of the twelve.
- Jesus never selfishly insisted on His way. Consider His compassion when He desired time alone with the Father but the crowds pressed in to get more from Him.
- Jesus was not irritable or resentful. This goes along with the point above. Consider Jesus on the way to the cross and while on the cross. Enduring physical pain and mockery from another is usually the time when we find it most difficult to respond in love. Jesus still made it a point to engage with love to individuals from women weeping while we carried His cross to the thief who asked for His grace as He was dying and His mother whom He made sure would be cared for after His death.
- Jesus never rejoiced in wrongdoing, but always rejoiced in the truth. Consider what caused Jesus to become angry and conversely what brought Him joy.
- Jesus always gladly bore the burden He was called to bear. We can’t comprehend the weight of sin Christ bore on our account on the cross or the daily burden of sin He bore while enduring with sinful people throughout His life.
- Jesus always believed His Father and set His hope completely upon the joy set before Him. We get a glimpse of Jesus’ humanity while He suffered in agony in the garden while praying to His Father, yet He continued to submit His will reaching forward to that glory that awaited on the other side of the cross. (Hebrews 12:2-4)
- Jesus always graciously endured every hardship allowed by the Father. Jesus had plenty of opportunities to escape suffering from the very first temptation from Satan to His crucifixion where He could have called down 10,000 angels to deliver Him. He chose to joyfully bear up under each trial instead, entrusting Himself to His faithful Father.
- Jesus could not be destroyed, and He lives forever. Therefore love never ends and can never fail.
Study it Out
- Take a moment to examine just one example of Jesus’ love expressed in the Gospels. Read Matthew 14:10-21 and Mark 6:30-44. How does Jesus specifically show love in the face of sorrow and loss? Think about the emotion and desire you see expressed as well as beliefs and actions. Which descriptions above do you see portrayed?
- How does Jesus’ love enable your own? (Romans 5:1-11) We are commanded to love and forgive like Christ. How is this possible according to Ephesians 5:1-21?
Additional Resources
Are you looking for more devotional or Scripture memory resources? Find gifts, artwork, crafts and other devotional printables at Etsy.com/Shop/BreathingGrace. You can also find the original Breathing Grace 50 day devotional on Amazon.com/author/RobertsSarah along with a 30 day devotional for Thanksgiving and a 31 day devotional and ornament maker for Advent. All devotionals are available in both KJV and ESV versions of the Bible.