“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.” — John 15:12
Love is often a word thrown around to describe things we enjoy. “I love this coffee.” “I love that app.” “I love that song, that show, that shoe, that … sport.”
But Jesus introduced a love that transcends our cheapened understanding of it. In the original language the word Jesus used has a deeper meaning that the word we throw around.
WARM-UP
Why do you love your sport?
What do you sacrifice for your sport? What does your family sacrifice so you can compete?
WORKOUT
Agape Love is Sacrificial
The word for love Jesus used most often in the New Testament (and the one we see in John 15) is agape. Agape is sacrificial love. It does what’s best for others in spite of what it costs us. And make no mistake, agape love is costly. It was agape love that motivated Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
When Jesus says in John 15:12 to “Love one another as I have loved you,” He is telling His disciples—and us—that His life is the playbook for how we love those around us.
Because Jesus sacrificed for others, we sacrifice for others.
Because Jesus served others, we serve others.
Because Jesus walked this earth with a “There you are” instead of “Here I am” attitude, we adopt a similar posture.
This is not a feeling. It’s a life characterized by self-sacrificial action. For the early Christians, treating others with agape was the litmus test that revealed one’s true relationship with God. The test extends to us today. Our love for God is proven through sacrificially loving our teammates and those in sport who go unnoticed.
Q: Tell about a time when you did something for a teammate that came at a great cost to you.
Q: How should the view that love is sacrificial change the way you love others?
Agape Love is Unconditional
In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable about a son who squandered the inheritance from his father on “foolish living” (Luke 15:13). When the son came to his senses, he traveled home hoping that he would become one of his father’s servants. What happens next shows the unconditional love of the father: “So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him” (Luke 15:20).
The father’s love for his son was grounded in relationship, not results. He didn’t need to behave in order to belong to the family.
The agape love of Jesus, the kind He wants us to show to others, is not only sacrificial, it’s also unconditional. This means that it is offered without any strings attached. Unconditional love does not keep score. It doesn’t say “I picked up the trash in the locker room last time so now it’s your turn.” Unconditional agape love is offered without an expectation that we would receive anything in return. It places others’ needs above our own and isn’t concerned with being recognized or affirmed.
In the same way that we don’t have to earn God’s love, we can offer a similar love to others. Our teammates don’t need to prove themselves worthy of our love before we offer it to them.
Who we choose to love and why we choose to love them offers evidence of Jesus in our lives. Our love is our proof that we are His disciples. Will we love only when we get something back in return, or will we remain in Jesus and love unconditionally?
As we remain in Him and love others like He loves us, we’re transformed from the inside out until others-centeredness becomes second nature.
Q: Why do you think it is easier to love others when you know you are getting something in return?
Q: Has a teammate or coach ever shown unconditional love to you? What did it feel like?
WRAP-UP
We’re proven by how we love.
Agape love is sacrificial.
Agape love is unconditional.
Our motivation for loving others is proof of who we serve.
Key Action: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. Think about the importance of the fruit of love. Consider the traits of love in verses 4-7. Which ones do you need to improve?