Greater love has no one …

Greater love has no one …   Most of you recognize those words.  And know how they end.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  But what do they really mean?  Do these words tell us that the greatest love we can show for another person is to die for them?  Literally, physically, die?

On its face, it seems rather extreme.  While not discounting times when literally, physically dying does, in fact, show great love, I can’t help but wonder if that’s the only thing Jesus meant when He said that.  Given the context within which Jesus made that one extracted sentence, I feel it means more.  Given the overall context of a Christian who truly works at following Jesus’ teachings, I believe it means a whole lot more.

It matters what that line means.  We’ll explore why as we go along.

Greater love has no one …

Let’s start off with the immediate context within which Jesus made that statement about greater love.

The Vine and the Branches

Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Jn 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

Here’s the thing.  We read or hear that line – Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends – and we think about death.  Physical death.  It’s natural.  It’s like the image at the top of the article.  The cross.  The symbol of Jesus’ love for us and His death so that we might live.  And the correlation between Jesus’ love, His death, and the greatest love is natural.  Even right.

However – is that 100% correct?  Or have we missed something?

Did we miss something in that he lay down his life for his friends?

I believe we have missed something in there.

I’m considering doing a series on A choice between life and death.  Still haven’t decided whether or not to do it.  Part of the reason I’m undecided is that I feel like we’ve missed a whole lot of things about life and death in the Bible.  Even some authors I really like to read – I feel like something’s not there.  That somewhere along the line, we’ve lost the true meanings of life and death.  We’ve lost the distinction between this life and eternal life – and how much this life affects our eternal life.  But that for another day.

For now, here’s something I’m reading now:

As humans, we have an inexhaustible capacity to give our lives faithfully to God and to the good, even to the point of death. Jesus stated it plainly when he said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, KJV).  ¹Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (pp. 77-78). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

Again – my question is, did Jesus really mean that we need to physically die in order to show that “greater love“?  I submit, no, Jesus didn’t mean that.

And yet, the author seems to think literal, physical death is exactly what Jesus is talking about:

We laud, mythologize, sing songs, write stories, and build monuments to great sacrificial deeds, and these memorials are but a taste of the realities that can envelop us in our eternal relationship with God. There is no greater or higher good than that found within the glorification of Christ’s ultimate benevolence of willingly giving his life for humanity, for love. God’s “goodwill to all mankind” (adapted from Luke 2:14, KJV) demonstrates his value of human existence and its unparalleled beauty, meaning, and significance.  ²Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

True enough – Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate love.  And the things we sing and write about are but a taste of the realities that can envelop us in our eternal relationship with God.  And yet, isn’t there more here?  Isn’t there something still missing?

What’s still missing from Greater love has no one …?

The author continues:

There is a realization in that question that God is so completely devoted to human beings that we must be far greater than we appear at first glance.  ³Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

So he recognizes that we must be far greater than we appear at first glance.  But – is far greater based on dying – or something else?

Interestingly, the author provides what I thought would be the answer to that question.  Does he provide the key, when he continues with:

In our culture, we encounter those who, we think, maintain too high an opinion of themselves. Perhaps, in fact, some of our problems stem from the truth that we do not think highly enough of ourselves. Ironically, such undervaluing is often the source of the problems related to our arrogance and insecurity.  ⁴Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

I totally agree with the part about we do not think highly enough of ourselves.  And such undervaluing is often the source of the problems related to our arrogance and insecurity.  Not in the way you might think.  I don’t mean for one second to approach anything even close to arrogance, self-confidence and stuff like that. 

But I also think that the following misses a large part of what Jesus is telling us when He says, Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  For instance, the book continues with:

Jesus’s challenge is to consider that we would never earn a good return on our investment if we traded our souls, our lives, for the whole world (Matt. 16:26). This is a great insight into how valuable our lives truly are.  ⁵Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 81). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

It’s back to trading in our life – dying – as examples of greater love.

Let’s look at something different, to see if it has an impact on how we consider that greater love statement.

The Great Commission

Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Yes – the Great Commission.  Here’s my question.  If Christians all look at physically dying for someone as the greatest love, then how are we to go about fulfilling the Great Commission?  If we’re dead, how do we make disciples of other people? 

Yes, in the early church, especially with the original disciples, their deaths contributed much to the conversion of so many people.  Even today, their willingness to die for what they believed is an inspiration to many Christians.  It’s proof of their faith.  But how many of us, if we were to die for someone, will be written about and sung about, thereby showing that greater love?  

Maybe a better way to ask that question is this.  When we read:

We laud, mythologize, sing songs, write stories, and build monuments to great sacrificial deeds, and these memorials are but a taste of the realities that can envelop us in our eternal relationship with God.

How many of us actually made a connection between the myths, songs, stories and monuments to something of an eternal relationship with God?  I dare say, there are a whole lot more of the myths, songs, Etc. about non-Christians than there are about Christians and an eternal relationship with God.  It sounds good.  But it’s rare.  And it that’s the kind of thing we aspire to – and anything less isn’t great love – then doesn’t that leave us not think[ing] highly enough of ourselves?

What if there is something Jesus meant other than physically dying?  Is there some other kind of “death” that Jesus had in mind?  Another kind of death that also shows our love, both for God and for each other?

Is there any evidence in the context for another kind of death?

The Vine and the Branches

Before we get into what that other kind of death might be, let’s look at some evidence that Jesus might have even considered something other than physical death.  Let’s go back to the passage, The vine and the branches.

Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Jn 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In those two paragraphs, Jesus keeps talking about us being a branch of the vine, where He is the vine.  Further, as part of the vine, we bear fruit.  Tell me, just how much fruit will we bear if we’re dead?  Is Jesus really talking about remaining in Him, bearing fruit through Him, and then telling us the greatest form of love we can show is to die?

Really.  Does Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me go along with physical death?  

And the second paragraph ends with This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.  Physical death, for the vast majority of us, is the end of bearing fruit.  Only a very few are “immortalized” – and I use that word extremely loosely – by our death.  Is Jesus telling us that only a few will ever have the opportunity to show any kind of greater love?

The section we’re looking at continues:

Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

Again, remain in Jesus’ love.  And obey His commands – His teachings.  And more than once – love each other as Jesus loved us.  Not that some of us should love each other – but that all of us should love each other.

One more time, these things can’t be done if we’re physically dead.

Maybe we can take a lesson from the Old Testament.  Remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from Daniel?  They refused to worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar set up.  So they were to be thrown into a blazing furnace.  Here’s what they had to say about that.

Da 3:13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

Da 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were willing to die for God.  What of the question for us is the same?  Are we willing to die for what we believe?  Maybe we don’t really know the answer to that question.  But God certainly does.  We can lie to ourselves.  And maybe we even lie on the side of saying we’re not willing to die for our faith, but if the time actually came we would literally die because of what we believe?  It’s easy to lie – either way – giving ourselves too much credit or not enough credit.  

Sometimes I feel like we’re taught to not give ourselves enough credit.  Like we’re not good enough, and we’ll never measure up.  After all, we’re not Jesus.  But does that make us a failure, just because we’re not Jesus?  Come on – we’re supposed to be transformed into the image of Christ, not actually be Him.  It’s a process.  One that’s still at work.  

What did Jesus really say?  Greater love has no one than this … . 

Let’s look at the Greek words that were translated into greater, love, and no one.

greater

3173 μέγας [megas /meg·as/] adj. [including the prolonged forms, feminine megale, plural megaloi, etc., cf also 3176, 3187]; TDNT 4:529; TDNTA 573; GK 3489; 195 occurrences; AV translates as “great” 150 times, “loud” 33 times, and translated miscellaneously 12 times. 1 great. 1A of the external form or sensible appearance of things (or of persons). 1A1 in particular, of space and its dimensions, as respects. 1A1A mass and weight: great. 1A1B compass and extent: large, spacious. 1A1C measure and height: long. 1A1D stature and age: great, old. 1B of number and quantity: numerous, large, abundant. 1C of age: the elder. 1D used of intensity and its degrees: with great effort, of the affections and emotions of the mind, of natural events powerfully affecting the senses: violent, mighty, strong. 2 predicated of rank, as belonging to. 2A persons, eminent for ability, virtue, authority, power. 2B things esteemed highly for their importance: of great moment, of great weight, importance. 2C a thing to be highly esteemed for its excellence: excellent. 3 splendid, prepared on a grand scale, stately. 4 great things. 4A of God’s preeminent blessings. 4B of things which overstep the province of a created being, proud (presumptuous) things, full of arrogance, derogatory to the majesty of God.  ⁶Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Obviously, some of those definitions don’t fit here, like 4B.  What does apply are the ones that indicate some sort of relative comparison.  While the three-dimensional aspects of space measurements don’t apply, the concept of a relative comparison does.  So, as we tend to think of, this really does mean that the example Jesus gives in this sentence is the greatest form of love.  However, it doesn’t resolve the question of exactly what that greatest form of love is.

love

There are a number of different forms of love that God shows in the Bible.  On top of that, we need to realize that God’s showing of love is often very different from what we tend to think of when we hear the word love.  In this case, it’s:

26 ἀγάπη [agape /ag·ah·pay/] n f. From 25; TDNT 1:21; TDNTA 5; GK 27; 116 occurrences; AV translates as “love” 86 times, “charity” 27 times, “dear” once, “charitably + 2596” once, and “feast of charity” once. 1 brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence. 2 love feasts.  ⁷Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

That’s so general, it’s hard to know exactly what it means.  So, here’s more.

Agapē. Of Greek words available, eros (sexual love) does not occur in the NT; phileō, spontaneous natural affection, with more feeling than reason, occurs some 25 times, with philadelphia (brotherly love) 5 times, and philia (friendship) only in James 4:4; storgē, natural affection between kinfolk, appears occasionally in compounds. By far the most frequent word is agapē, generally assumed to mean moral goodwill which proceeds from esteem, principle, or duty, rather than attraction or charm. Agapē means to love the undeserving, despite disappointment and rejection; the difference between agapaō and phileō is difficult to sustain in all passages. Agapē is especially appropriate for religious love. Agapē was long believed to be a Christian coinage, but pagan occurrences have recently been claimed. The verb agapaō was frequent in the Greek OT. Though agapē has more to do with moral principle than with inclination or liking, it never means the cold religious kindness shown from duty alone, as scriptural examples abundantly prove.  ⁸White, R. E. O. (1988). Love. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1357). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

So Jesus is talking God’s kind of love – not what most people likely think of first.  It’s also important to note – it never means the cold religious kindness shown from duty alone.  What that means is that we show this kind of love because we love Jesus, and want to follow His commands.  It’s not that we show this kind of love in order to gain favor from Jesus.  Or that we somehow earn our salvation because we show agape love.  In fact, if we aren’t doing something because we love Jesus – knowing that He first loved us – then we’re not actually showing agape love at all.  We’re lying to ourselves if we believe otherwise.

no one

While it was important to look at the first two translations, we haven’t solved anything yet.  But this one will start to give clues as to what Jesus meant.

3762 οὐδείς, οὐθείς [oudeis, oudemia, ouden /oo·dice/] pron. From 3761 and 1520; GK 4029 and 4032; 236 occurrences; AV translates as “no man” 94 times, “nothing” 68 times, “none” 27 times, “no” 24 times, “any man” three times, “any” three times, “man” twice, “neither any man” twice, and translated miscellaneously 13 times. 1 no one, nothing.  ⁹Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

When this word is used in the Bible, it’s about people most of the time.  The other instances are about things.  In addition, you hopefully noticed that the translation in the AV is generally about “man”.  Unfortunately, in the effort to become gender-neutral and not show bias towards men over women, the NIV translation, and others, use “no one“.  That, in essence, can serve to reinforce our belief that Jesus includes Himself in this statement.  

Honestly, we don’t need, or shouldn’t need, to have the idea reinforced that Jesus’ death on the cross is a greater form of love than literally anything else.  If we don’t have that idea firmly in our hearts already, then Jesus wasn’t talking to us in this passage.  The entire passage we know as The Vine and the Branches was addressed to those who are already part of the vine.  To those who are already followers of Jesus.  Who know that their / our love for Him will never come close to His love for us. 

We don’t need to be told that within this context.  There’s an assumption built into the context implying we already know this.  What we do need though, is a reminder of something else Jesus said:

Mt 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What if Jesus isn’t telling us to die, in a literal physical way, in order to show this greater love?  What if Jesus is once again telling us to be the slave / servant of others?  And that becoming the servant of others is also a way to show this greater love?

What did Jesus really say? Lay down one’s life …

This time we have two translations to look at: Lay down and life.

Lay down

5087 τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/] v. A prolonged form of a primary theo (theh·o, which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); TDNT 8:152; TDNTA 1176; GK 5502; 96 occurrences; AV translates as “lay” 28 times, “put” 18 times, “lay down” 12 times, “make” 10 times, “appoint” six times, “kneel down + 1119 + 3588” five times, and translated miscellaneously 17 times. 1 to set, put, place. 1A to place or lay. 1B to put down, lay down. 1B1 to bend down. 1B2 to lay off or aside, to wear or carry no longer. 1B3 to lay by, lay aside money. 1C to set on (serve) something to eat or drink. 1D to set forth, something to be explained by discourse. 2 to make. 2A to make (or set) for one’s self or for one’s use. 3 to set, fix establish. 3A to set forth. 3B to establish, ordain.  ¹⁰Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

How many times do you see anything about death in that definition?  None.  It’s not there.  In fact, here’s how the Greek word, 5087 τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/], is used in the Gospels.  As you read the list, notice that only times it’s used pertaining to death are in John’s Gospel.  Not only that, but the only instance where John isn’t obviously pointing to Jesus is the one passage we’re looking at now.

Verse	words preceding τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/]	translation of τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/]	words following τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/]
Matt 5:15	do people light a lamp and	put	it under a bowl. Instead they put
Matt 12:18	I love, in whom I delight; I will	put	my Spirit on him, and he will
Matt 22:44	“Sit at my right hand until I	put	your enemies under your feet.” ’
Matt 24:51	He will cut him to pieces and	assign	him a place with the hypocrites,
Matt 27:60	and	placed	it in his own new tomb that he had
Mark 4:21	them, “Do you bring in a lamp to	put	it under a bowl or a bed? Instead,
Mark 4:21	bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you	put	it on its stand?
Mark 4:30	is like, or what parable shall we	use	to describe it?
Mark 6:29	came and took his body and	laid	it in a tomb.
Mark 6:56	, towns or countryside—they	placed	the sick in the marketplaces. They
Mark 10:16	he took the children in his arms,	placed	his hands on them and blessed
Mark 12:36	“Sit at my right hand until I	put	your enemies under your feet.” ’
Mark 15:19	with a staff and spit on him.	Falling	on their knees, they paid homage
Mark 15:46	wrapped it in the linen, and	placed	it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then
Mark 15:47	mother of Joseph saw where he was	laid	.
Mark 16:6	here. See the place where they	laid	him.
Luke 1:66	Everyone who heard this	wondered about it	, asking, “What then is this child
Luke 5:18	to take him into the house to	lay	him before Jesus.
Luke 6:48	a house, who dug down deep and	laid	the foundation on rock. When a
Luke 8:16	and hides it in a clay jar or	puts	it under a bed. Instead, they put
Luke 8:16	it under a bed. Instead, they	put	it on a stand, so that those who
Luke 9:44	“	Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you	: The Son of Man is going to be
Luke 11:33	“No one lights a lamp and	puts	it in a place where it will be
Luke 12:46	of. He will cut him to pieces and	assign	him a place with the unbelievers.
Luke 14:29	For if you	lay	the foundation and are not able to
Luke 19:21	You take out what you did not	put	in and reap what you did not sow.’
Luke 19:22	man, taking out what I did not	put	in, and reaping what I did not
Luke 20:43	until I	make	your enemies a footstool for your
Luke 21:14	But	make up your mind	not to worry beforehand how you
Luke 22:41	a stone’s throw beyond them,	knelt down	and prayed,
Luke 23:53	wrapped it in linen cloth and	placed	it in a tomb cut in the rock, one
Luke 23:55	saw the tomb and how his body was	laid	in it.
John 2:10	and said, “Everyone	brings	out the choice wine first and then
John 10:11	good shepherd. The good shepherd	lays	down his life for the sheep.
John 10:15	me and I know the Father—and I	lay	down my life for the sheep.
John 10:17	my Father loves me is that I lay	down	my life—only to take it up again.
John 10:18	No one takes it from me, but I	lay	it down of my own accord. I have
John 10:18	own accord. I have authority to	lay	it down and authority to take it
John 11:34	“Where have you	laid	him?” he asked. “Come and see,
John 13:4	so he got up from the meal,	took	off his outer clothing, and
John 13:37	can’t I follow you now? I will	lay	down my life for you.”
John 13:38	Jesus answered, “Will you really	lay	down your life for me? Very truly
John 15:13	love has no one than this: to	lay	down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:16	choose me, but I chose you and	appointed	you so that you might go and bear
John 19:19	Pilate had a notice prepared and	fastened	to the cross. It read: jesus of
John 19:41	in which no one had ever been	laid	.
John 19:42	since the tomb was nearby, they	laid	Jesus there.
John 20:2	and we don’t know where they have	put	him!”
John 20:13	I don’t know where they have	put	him.”
John 20:15	him away, tell me where you have	put	him, and I will get him.”

Interesting, isn’t it?  Only John uses this word, τίθημι [tithemi /tith·ay·mee/], for death.  And then, only when it has something to do with Jesus, except for (maybe) this one verse.  

Let’s look at one more word that Jesus used, life, and then consider what all this could mean.

life

5590 ψυχή [psuche /psoo·khay/] n f. From 5594; TDNT 9:608; TDNTA 1342; GK 6034; 105 occurrences; AV translates as “soul” 58 times, “life” 40 times, “mind” three times, “heart” once, “heartily + 1537” once, and not translated twice. 1 breath. 1A the breath of life. 1A1 the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing. 1A1A of animals. 1A12 of men. 1B life. 1C that in which there is life. 1C1 a living being, a living soul. 2 the soul. 2A the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.). 2B the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life. 2C the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body).  ¹¹Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Yes, the word can literally mean physical life.  But there’s more.  Look at the second one – 2A the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.).  There is a difference between what’s actually in our heart versus what should be in our heart.  Every Christian knows that.  Here’s but one well-known example:

Adultery

Mt 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Clearly, what’s in the heart of someone who looks at a woman lustfully isn’t following what Jesus taught.

Question.  When we lay down the improper thoughts of our hearts, are we not at the same time laying down that part of our life which is against what Jesus taught?  And don’t we do that our of love for Jesus?  Further, as a result of that, are we not also more capable of fulfilling the Great Commission?  To the extent that we succeed in laying down those thoughts – and therefore the actions that would eventually accompany the thoughts – we are able to live a life that doesn’t open us to charges of hypocrisy.  That, in turn, enables us to be better witnesses for Christ.

But let’s take that even further.  All of what I said laid out is good.  But we do it out of love for Jesus.  Any impact on other people is almost like a side-effect.  The light on a hill – which is a good thing.  But remember something Paul said.  Something that goes beyond just the light on the hill.  Something that specifically addresses laying down our life, our sinful heart, for the love of another person.

Food Sacrificed to Idols

1Co 8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But the man who loves God is known by God.

1Co 8:4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

1Co 8:7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

1Co 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

So Paul is writing about laying down, putting aside even more than just our sinful desires in this passage.  He’s talking about not doing things are ordinarily would be OK – for the sole purpose of not causing a problem for another Christian.  Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.  Paul knows full well that what we eat doesn’t matter.  Yes, it did under the Old Covenant.  But not under the New Covenant introduced by Jesus. 

In spite of that, if eating something like meat that was sacrificed to idols (previously prohibited) might cause another Christian to sin, then Paul won’t eat it.  Not because it’s forbidden, because it isn’t.  But only because of his love for others who might be tempted to sin if they know he ate such meat.  That’s agape love.

And in a very real sense, it’s an example of Paul laying down a portion of his life.  Not part of his sinful desire, but part of what could be his right as a Christian.  And only out of love for other Christians.

In the next chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul takes that thought to its logical conclusion.

1Co 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Here, Paul extends that thought beyond just eating meat that was sacrificed to idols.  Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  Paul’s willing to do what’s necessary to win people over to Jesus.  To give up whatever might be acceptable under the New Covenant in order to not cause others to lose their faith.  

Again, laying down parts of a life that are perfectly acceptable under the New Covenant, in order to save others.  Not literally dying, although he did eventually do that.  But throughout his time as an Apostle, laying down, giving up, portions of a life that he could have lived and still been saved.  All that, so that others may be saved because of his unselfish acts, done out of love.

Did Jesus “lay down” anything other than His life?

OK – if we’re going to go with Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends meaning something other than literally physically dying, what did Jesus give up, other than His life?  Well, we must remember that Jesus was both man and God.  In fact, He was and always has been God.  Jesus becoming a man was something that happened thousands of years after Adam and Eve.  

Therefore, in order to even become a man, starting out as a helpless little baby that was hunted down by the King, Jesus gave up something of His reign in Heaven.  He came here to earth, spent most of His time in ministry hated by the Jewish leaders, was arrested, tortured, and finally nailed to a cross.  All that, after reigning in Heaven since before our vision of time even began.  In reality, for an eternity before that.  (I know, there’s a past eternity, a future eternity, and an overall eternity – and they’re all eternal.)

I’d say Jesus gave up a lot, on top of dying on the cross.  

One other thing.  Jesus laid down His life – for a time.  It was temporary.  He did return to Heaven.

When we think of things like what Paul wrote about, they are also temporary.  Consider this:

Pressing on Toward the Goal

Phil 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Phil 3:15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Phil 3:17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Phil 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

That’s all good stuff – very encouraging for those who truly follow Jesus.  But check this out – But our citizenship is in heaven. 

Yes, we come into the world, fallen.  Separated from God.  But along the way, some turn to Him.  I say only some, because of this: as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Ultimately, just as Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world, neither is our citizenship.  We become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.  

Therefore, between the time we become citizens of Heaven and the time we actually reside there, anything we give up, lay down so to speak, in this world is temporary.  In other words, we put aside / lay down rights that we have in this world, knowing that in the next life we will have so much more.  And when we do that out of love for our Christian brothers and sisters, does that not fit in with what Jesus said –

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Greater love has no one – conclusion

There’s one other thing from the Philippians passage I want to point out.

Phil 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Now, consider that, contrasting it with something we read earlier:

In our culture, we encounter those who, we think, maintain too high an opinion of themselves. Perhaps, in fact, some of our problems stem from the truth that we do not think highly enough of ourselves. Ironically, such undervaluing is often the source of the problems related to our arrogance and insecurity.

One last question, maybe.  Are we not undervaluing ourselves when we think we have to raise to the level of actual physical death in order to show that greater love Jesus spoke of?  

In English, and I assume most or all modern languages, we tend to translate words with an eye towards the single “best” meaning.  But, as I’ve pointed out before, that’s not how the Jewish people of Jesus time or the Hebrew people of the Old Testament looked at their language.  For instance, you can see another example of that in Temptation – Did the Pope really change the Lord’s Prayer?

Rather, they’d look at all the possible meanings for a word, and rule out only the ones that made no sense.  They did this, so as to not put God in a box by limiting what He could possibly do or mean.  In that light, I believe what we’ve looked at here is valid.  That things done out of love, not just physical death, could be part of what Jesus would consider laying down our “lives”. 

When we look at the meanings behind the Greek words recorded in John’s Gospel, there’s no restriction requiring physical death.  Within the larger context of the passage we looked at, physical death isn’t required either.  And within the larger context of the Gospels as a whole, physical death plays no part whatsoever in most instances where the word is used.

I feel like, too often we’re taught to beat ourselves down.  I’ve known some Christians that liked to talk and pray about what “dirty sinners” they were.  And we all are.  However, as one pastor put it – we should also be getting better as we grow in our faith.  

If we don’t acknowledge that, but instead keep putting ourselves down, it’s going to be really hard to do what Paul wrote:

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

How do we stand firm when we think so little of ourselves and feel that God thinks so little of us?  We know there’s a transformation that’s supposed to take place.  We’re supposed to grow in our faith.  And we’re supposed to become more Christ-like through all of this. 

But if we think we still back at square one, when will we start to believe that God’s giving up, or has already given up, on us?  We can’t stand firm on our own strength.  We need God’s strength to do it.

Jesus had harsh words for the Jewish leaders.  But not for the “ordinary” people.  Do we really think this passage:

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

is to remind us that the vast majority of Christians will never be able to show this greater love for each other?  Or was it an encouragement from Jesus, just as Paul’s writing to the church in Philippi was an encouragement?

I wasn’t originally planning on ending like this.  Truth is, I had no idea how it’d end.  Most of these are journeys with the Holy Spirit – at least that what’s I pray they are.  I want Him to be the pilot, driver, and guide.  And it goes where He takes me. 

He brought me to this conclusion.  To look at His statement about greater love – and Paul’s about standing firm.  Both as encouragement.  Jesus also left us with the Great Commission – to lead others to Him.  To make disciples, who would make still more disciples, to the end of the age. 

I don’t believe Jesus fits the mold of so many people today – beat up your workers, and they work harder.  Jesus is about love.  Love doesn’t beat people up.  In closing, here’s what John wrote about love, in a section the NIV subtitles Love One Another.

1Jn 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

That’s love – laying down our lives – without physical death, but with actions and in truth.

A Final Word

All of this is not to say that physically laying down one’s life out of love, isn’t significant.  Far from it.  However, the acts described above are also significant,  and I don’t think we should lose sight of that.  While we seem to focus on the physical death viewpoint, I believe Jesus is telling us about more than just that.  Same thing with Paul.  Being a Christian involves laying down, setting aside, many things that we’d naturally like to do – but really shouldn’t do if we’re going to follow the path Jesus set for us.  And I believe Jesus is telling us that both are ways for us to show the greater love He spoke of.

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Footnotes

• 1
  Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (pp. 77-78). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 2
  Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 3
  Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 4
  Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 80). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 5
  Black Jr., Gary. Preparing for Heaven (p. 81). HarperOne. Kindle Edition.
• 6
  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
• 7
  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
• 8
  White, R. E. O. (1988). Love. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 2, p. 1357). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
• 9
  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
• 10
  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
• 11
  Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.