Jesus Loves Me This I Know

  1. INTRODUCTION

    1. In John 21:15-17, three times Jesus asked Peter whether he loved Him.

      1. By the third time, Peter was grieved, for he thought that the Lord should have known that he loved Him.  He had twice answered, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You," yet Jesus asked him again.

      2. Despite Peter's assurances, he would still have to prove His love for Jesus.  He would do this by "tending the sheep" of Jesus, which meant that he would have to lead the followers of the Lord.

    2. As we consider the love of Jesus for us, we do not have to ask even once, for He has proved His love for eternity.

      1. As Jesus questioned Peter, Peter's love for Jesus was still in doubt, but Jesus' love for us has been proved beyond any doubt.

      2. Even though there is nothing more that Jesus must do to prove His love for us, He continues to demonstrate His love every day.

    3. Presently, let us consider the proof by which we know that Jesus loves us.

       

  2. KNOWING THAT JESUS LOVES US

    1. We know Jesus loves us rather than merely supposing that He does.

      1. Jesus has not left His love for us to our speculation.  He has given us indisputable evidence so that we may know of His love for certain.

      2. His love is extended to every individual with no exceptions.  Those who do not know of His love are simply unaware of it or else they are in disbelief.

      3. The love of Christ is so vast that it is difficult to grasp.  Even so, we may still "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:19).

    2. We know that Jesus loves us because the Bible tells us so.

      1. The New Testament is replete with the message of Christ's love. Consider a few samples.

        1. John 15:9 -- "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love."

        2. Romans 8:35 -- Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

        3. Galatians 2:20 -- "...the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

        4. Ephesians 5:25 -- ...Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her...

        5. 1John 3:16 -- We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us...

      2. In fact, the entire Bible is the story of God's love for man, which is manifested in Christ Jesus.

        1. The Bible tells the story of man's redemption, which was accomplished because of the love of God. Jesus declared it John 3:16:

          "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

        2. Jesus, the Son of God, loves us just as His Father loves us and gave Himself in our place to achieve His Father's will of saving us from sin.

    3. Jesus gave the greatest expression and exercise of love that is possible.

      1. Jesus declared this Himself in John 15:13 when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."

      2. We gain an even greater appreciation of Christ's sacrifice of love when we consider that we had made ourselves virtually unlovable to God because of our sin, yet He loved us anyway with the greatest measure of love possible.  Scripture expresses it in this way in Romans 5:6-8:

        6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

      3. The life of Jesus was the greatest sacrifice that He could give, and He gave it for us because He loves us.

        1. In Matthew 16:25-26, Jesus showed that a man's life is worth more to him than the whole world. (Notice in this passage that there is a single Greek word (ψυχή, psyche) that is translated with two English words ("life" in v. 25, "soul" in v. 26).)

        2. Jesus gave His life (ψυχή, psyche) as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28).  Because of His love for us, He traded a value that is greater than the whole world for us.

        3. Indeed, "you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ" (1Pet. 1:18-19).

    4. The love of Jesus is shown not only in His death but also in His life.

      1. While Jesus lived on earth, He demonstrated love by His compassionate actions.

        1. He had compassion on untold numbers of people whom He healed (Matt. 14:14).

        2. He had compassion when He fed those who were hungry (Matt. 15:32).

        3. He had compassion when He saw men like sheep without a shepherd and taught them many things (Mark 6:34).  His teachings have been passed on to us today.

      2. Now that He has ascended to heaven, He continues to demonstrate His love toward us.

        1. At this moment, it is Christ Jesus "who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us" (Rom. 8:34).

        2. In Hebrews 7:25, the Scripture says, "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

        3. Because of His love for us, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1John 2:1).

        4. This is further evidence of a Savior who continues to love us through His actions.

    5. Beyond the Bible, there is substantial evidence that Jesus loves us.

      1. The creation itself testifies of a loving Creator, who carefully made an inhabitable world for us (Ps. 19:1-6; 104:1-35).  It was Christ Himself who made all things (John 1:1; Col. 1:16).

      2. Jesus is not only the one through whom all things were created, but He is also the sustainer of all things (Heb. 1:3), and all things hold together in Him (Col. 1:17).

      3. The provisions of life prove that Jesus loves us (Ps. 104:27-28; 145:15-16; Acts 14:17).  It is the Sustainer of the world who lovingly sustains our lives.

      4. The temporal blessings of life fall upon all men, "for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matt. 5:45).  These blessings are further proof of His love for all men.

    6. Knowing that Jesus loves us, we also know that He will fulfill all of His promises.

      1. Because Christ already gave His own life for us, we know that He will not withhold anything that is good for us (Rom. 8:32).

      2. The abundant proof of His love is a guarantee of His promises, such as the one given in John 14:1-3:

        1"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  2In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  3If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

         

  3. CONCLUSION

    1. We teach our children to sing the song "Jesus Loves Me" at a young age, but it holds the most important message for all ages.  As simple as it is, this is the most profound truth we will ever know:

      Jesus loves me this I know,

      For the Bible tells me so.

    2. With the conviction of Christ's love, we know that nothing in the world can stand against it. Notice Romans 8:38-39:

      38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.




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