Loved, and gave Himself

To wrap up this little trilogy on the love of our Lord (see posts one and two), consider the only three times in the NT that we read of His love linked to the phrase “and gave Himself”:

• In Ephesians 5:25 we read that He “loved the Church, and gave Himself for it”. His Bride and Body, bought with His life.
• But His love was not just toward a collective entity; He also loved the individual believers that make up that Church. In v. 2 of the same chapter we read: “Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us”.
• Ah, but read this: “The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20)! Can you get closer to the heart of God than that? Can you find a more amazing truth in the whole Universe?

It is glorious to think of His sacrificial love for His Bride, and precious to think that that love reached out to each individual in that Church. But my heart thrills with these precious, powerful, and personal words: He (the Son of God) loved me (poor, worthless me), and gave Himself for me!

The old hymn captures the sentiment beautifully:

Was it for me, for me alone,
The Saviour left His glorious throne,
The dazzling splendours of the sky?
Was it for me He came to die?

It was for me, yes, all for me,
O love of God, so great, so free,
O wondrous love, I'll shout and sing,
He died for me, my Lord and King!

Was it for me, sweet angel strains
Came floating o'er Judea's plains
That starlit night so long ago?
Was it for me God planned it so?

Was it for me the Saviour said:
"Pillow thy weary, aching head
Trustingly on thy Saviour's breast"?
Was it for me? Can I thus rest?

Was it for me He wept and prayed,
My load of sin before Him laid,
That night within Gethsemane?
Was it for me, that agony?

Was it for me He bowed His head
Upon the cross and freely shed
His precious blood, that crimson tide?
Was it for me the Saviour died?

The love of Christ

Having considered the love of our Lord Jesus, look with me now at the three times the NT uses the expression “the love of Christ”. All three are in the epistles, and the use of the name “Christ” emphasizes His deity:

• Our security in Christ. In Romans 8:35 we learn that a Christian can be eternally sure that nothing, and no one, can ever separate him from the love of Christ. How can I think of losing my salvation if the Saviour loves me? A Christian is eternally sure of his salvation because he rests in the eternal love of Christ.
• Our service for Christ. In II Corinthians 5:14 the emphasis is on our responsibility to proclaim the “ministry of reconciliation” (v. 18), because “the love of Christ constraineth us”. How can I not live for Him, if He died for me (v. 15)? How can I not talk about such love? The Christian is compelled to preach the ministry of reconciliation, because the love of Christ constrains him.
• Our satisfaction in Christ. In Ephesians 3:19 the apostle speaks about the need to know the love of Christ in a personal, practical way. If we be strengthened with might by His Spirit (v. 16), and if by faith Christ dwell in our hearts (v. 17), we will know the love of Christ, which passeth all understanding. The Christian should desire, down here, to know the love of Christ.

The love of Christ is what gives me present and eternal security, stimulates me to dedicated and constant service, and satisfies the deepest aspirations of my heart.

Jesus loved …

Consider with me, briefly, the three different contexts in the New Testament where we read of the love of our Lord for individuals, in all of which He is called by the name “Jesus”.

• An unquestionable love (John 11:3, 5). We read that “Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus”, and the recipients of that love had no doubt of it. How touching is their message to Him: “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick”. The Lord loved them, and they knew it!
• An unchanging love (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:17, 20). Five times in his gospel John describes himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved”. Not that John was the only one, nor even the special one — he simply appropriates for himself what was true of them all. But read the five passages, and notice how the circumstances are different one from the other. Whether the Lord is at the Supper or at Calvary, whether He looks on John at the foot of the cross, or away fishing with the others; no matter what the circumstances, no matter where John was, he was always “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. The Lord loved him, and loved him to the end!
• An unmerited love (Mark 10:21). Here we have a different situation; a young man who loves his riches more than he loves the Lord Jesus. How tragically sad! Yet Mark tells us that “Jesus, beholding him, loved him”. What gracious, merciful, divine love!

He loved us when we had no merit, deserving only eternal condemnation. He loves us today with an eternal, unchanging love. May we rest in that love, secure in the knowledge that nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Three foreign words

The Bible was mostly written in Hebrew (the Old Testament) and Greek (the New Testament) — although there are some exceptions to that rule. When we read from the King James, or a similiar version, these different languages are translated for us into English; except for some stray words (usually place-names) which the translators decided to transliterate (“write using the closest corresponding letters in another language”) rather than translate (“express the sense in another language”).

Consider three examples of foreign words that were not translated in our English Bible. They outline a life lived in fellowship with God.

The past: Ebenezer (“stone of help”, I Sam 7:12). Samuel said: “Hitherto [thus far] hath the Lord helped us”. The name given to the stone was a testimony to the faithfulness of God in helping His people.

The present: Mizpah (“watchtower”, Gen 31:49). Laban and Jacob recognized that the Lord would be continually watching over them and between them (neither of them trusted the other).

The future: Maranatha (“Come, Lord!”, I Cor 16:22). The epistle ends the same way as the Bible ends, with our blessed Lord’s coming as our hope, and His grace as our portion.

As we survey the past we can trace the faithfulness of a caring, loving Father carrying us in the arms of a wonderful Saviour through the power of the Holy Spirit. Granted, it hasn’t always been easy sailing! Many have been the difficulties, deep have been the valleys, frightening have been the storms, lonely have been the deserts; but Ebenezer! Thus far hath the Lord helped us! See Psa 34:19.

As we look around us today, may we never forget that the Lord is watching over us. Think of the grace and the glory involved in this. Consider the security and the solemnity of being under His constant gaze! Let your moderation be known unto all men, but be not bowed down with care for the morrow (Phil 4:5-6). Remember Mizpah — the Lord is watching!

As we try to pierce the darkness that lies ahead, all we see is this glorious hope, shinning in all the fresh beauty that only eternal truths possess: Maranatha! The Lord is coming! “Amen! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).

Ebenezer: He has brought me to this day; Mizpah: He will carry me through; Maranatha: He is coming to take me home!

Note: the examples above are transliterated in versions like the KJV, Darby, ASV, NASB, but translated in modern versions.

"Woman, …"

Only seven times in the Gospels do we read of the Lord Jesus calling a woman by this title. In various other occasions He uses the word “woman” in a general sense, but only seven times does He directly address a woman in this manner.

In four of these occasions the Lord is speaking to sinners; in the other three, He speaks to saved women. The first group of women present to us a picture of human nature in its relationship to God; the second group gives more emphasis to the virtues of the Lord in His relationship with us.

We in relation to God

a) Great perplexity and confusion (John 4:21), linked to our spirit. The natural man or woman does not know how to worship or serve God.
b) Great bondage and captivity (Luke 13:12), linked to the soul. Satan has humanity in his claws.
c) Great sin and guilt (John 8:10), linked to the body.
d) Great persistence and confidence (Matthew 15:28), resulting in salvation. What a precious example in this woman!

The Lord in relation to us

a) His purpose (John 2:4). His hour was not yet come; He came for the cross.
b) His provision (John 19:26). Even on the cross He had time, strength and interest enough to take car of the woman who had cared for Him during His infancy.
c) His care (John 20:15) in relation to a beloved disciple. Certainly He cares for us today also.