The Measure of Love: He Laid Down His Life
Pastor David Lenz
1 April 2007

Text: I John 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.”

Part 1: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”
Of the 49 3:16’s, this is the most appropriate for Palm Sunday.
The measure of Jesus’ love for us: he laid down life for us

The Road to Jerusalem
The gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke unfold Jesus’ slow but certain journey to Jerusalem.
Not once, not twice – but three times, Jesus announces what happen in Jerusalem: he will suffer and die
The disciples never quite grasp this but as readers, we know what’s coming.
The tension keeps rising as Jesus “sets his face” for Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)
Palm Sunday means “Jerusalem at last!” And now events set in motion will cost Jesus his life.

A Bit of a Surprise.
Palm Sunday is always a bit of surprise – we know that Jesus goes Jerusalem to die.
Yet we see him met by cheering crowds, people throwing cloaks down before him, and others cutting down palm branches. Just as in days of old → Jehu crowned King of Israel and people threw cloaks down before him
A shout rises up – “Hosanna!” (Lord, save us) and the cheering crowd continues with the words from Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
A visual parable, for those who have eyes to see:
The King of Glory riding on a donkey! Not a white stallion, but simple donkey. “Humble majesty:”
Lord who washes feet his disciples
Servant-Leader who comes to serve (rather than be served)
King Glory who comes to lay down his life
Important to see Palm Sunday as not just “happening to Jesus” (a tragedy unfolding against his will). But a choice Jesus makes; intentional, active, not passive.

An Intentional Choice.
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd…And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
John 10:18 “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord”
What Palm Sunday means –Jesus riding into Jerusalem to a certain death. It was his choice for us. His intention.
Jesus shows us what love is – we might say, “what love does:”
His intention.
Pouring Himself out for us.
Costly
Sacrificial

Part 2: “And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
Does that grab your attention?

A Father/Son Banquet
Recently at a Father-Son banquet David’s son’s college a speaker brought along his nine year old son. A charming boy with one of those laughs that rises above others. The father would tell a joke and we would laugh. And then hearing his son laughing we would laugh again. He was so proud his dad! Suddenly the room got very serious when the speaker said; “You know, I would give my life for my son –looked at young men in room “Your father would do same. You could feel it in room - fathers feeling the weight this – but also the truth. “Yes, we would do this”
Perhaps many of us do this: lay down our lives for our children, or perhaps for others in our family. This is certainly a measure of love.
This is what Jesus shown us: What love is (what love does).
chooses for others; intentional
active, not passive
pours itself out
costly; sacrificial

A Few Weeks ago in New York City
Team from Hope were at Ground Zero where World Trade Centers stood until 9-11, 2001. Strange think so many died here. A sense of horror gone now; due to the bustling construction site. A new tower will rise – Freedom Tower (1,776 ft.) and there will be a permanent memorial – “Reflecting Absence” where the original towers stood. For now, there stands a small temporary memorial with a few photos and timeline what happened on 9-11. David found himself deeply moved by a particular photo, and its brief caption.
A photo Port Authority Police Officer Christopher Amoroso shown actively engaged in rescue efforts during early stages of disaster. The time stamp on the photo is 9:28 a.m. - He is shown helping woman to safety despite burns on face, Chris re-entered the Towers four times but never returned from his last attempt when building collapsed on him. He was 29 years old with wife Jaime, and a daughter Sophia Rose who was 19 months old on 9/11/2001.
In a letter to Sophia when she was 10 weeks old Christopher wrote:
“Sometimes it makes me cry, as I am overwhelmed by the joy I’ve been given by you and your mother. I want you to know that I consider myself the luckiest man to ever walk the face of this earth. If anything were to happen to me, I could honestly say I’ve known true love and happiness in my life. I’ve known that because of your mother and now you.”
Certainly a measure of love. Christopher Amoroso had so much to live for yet laid down his life like Jesus and showed us what love is (what love does).
chooses for others; intentional
active, not passive
pours itself out
costly; sacrificial

Does this set the bar too high?
As John writes these words in 1 John 3:16, imagine him saying – “this sets bar high; maybe too high”
John hastens add the words v. 17 “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother (or sister) in need and yet refuses help?”
There are many kinds costly love:
“laying down our life” might be quite literal. Making the ultimate sacrifice, as Jesus did, as Christopher Amoroso did.
Or “laying down our life” = caring for the poor.
Develop a big heart for poor.
In name Jesus, provide urgent relief.
In name Jesus, seek justice for them
This too, is a measure of love
love the poor – just as Jesus shown us what love is (what love does).
chooses for others; intentional
active, not passive
pours itself out
costly; sacrificial

Key Phrase: “What love is - what love does.”


Call to Action: Encourage each other to enjoy the gifts God has given each of us.

Palm Sunday – a day to see love Jesus in action. A day to ask ourselves – do I love as Jesus loves?
Where and for whom and how am I to lay down my life?
If you are not sure….. spend time with God and direction will come. Above all, look to Jesus – for this how we know what love is, (what love does.)