Today as I was meditating on scripture that I will preach on, I noticed the amount of pain and suffering Jesus endured to get a message of love and hope to the world (1 Corinthians 13:13). He was mocked, beaten, and even murdered for loving people. Throughout the Gospels we see Him do nothing but good, but some hated Him without cause (John 15:25). Below I am including some of the persecutions He faced for us; look how evil and twisted people’s thinking was—to ridicule Jesus—the one who was there to help them. Yet, Jesus’ mercy and love endured (Psalm 136:1) and He would later pray for that girl (after throwing unbelief out, Matthew 9:24–26), and she was resurrected from the dead. “Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma (Ephesians 5:1–2).” Jesus taught us a few valuable lessons here; it does not matter what happens to us—love anyways (both God and His creation, John 3:16–17, Matthew 5:44). Be doers of the word (James 1:22–25, Romans 12:9), and Overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). When I look at Jesus’ life through scripture, I see the price He paid for our sins; as a leader, I am reminded to follow Him, to love Him, and to love others like Him. Have a blessed and prosperous day–in ministry– through Him.
I wrote Love Like Him on April 13, 2023, for the leadership section of our webpage. On June 4th, 2023 this memory was on Facebook. I was led to add it here. I love how God works, keep looking for Him throughout our journey–He is there.
2018
Had a talk with God tonight. Part of it went like this…
Me: “I want to preach like you!”
Jesus: “Love like me!”
Matthew 9:24–26 (NKJV)24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went out into all that land.
Hebrews 4:15(NKJV)15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Luke 22:63–65 (NKJV)63 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.
Luke 16:14–15 (NKJV)14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
Luke 23:35–38 (NKJV)35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS
James 1:22–25 (NKJV)22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Romans 12:21 (NKJV)21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 John 4:7–11 (NKJV)7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
John 3:16–17 (NKJV)16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.