“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 (NIV)

Have you ever wondered what being one of Jesus’ 12 disciples was like? I have.

As Creator of the universe, Jesus could have chosen any number of ways to establish His Kingdom, but personal relationships with messy people is the way of love.

Jesus invited these 12 to come close, to join Him behind closed doors, and to witness the miracles recorded in Scripture plus many more (John 21:25). He explained hard teachings to them. He answered their questions. He bestowed on them honor, even calling them His friends.

Jesus chose these disciples not just to learn His doctrine but to be with Him, to be loved by Him — because He delighted in them. And then He gave them their great assignment: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

Notice that what Jesus required of His disciples was not Bible knowledge, zeal for evangelism or passion for social justice. Those are all good things. But the thing that defines a friend of Jesus? It’s love: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).

Love. That sounds so simple, but it can feel oh so hard — especially when we’re trying to muster up more love on our own.

But that’s not what Jesus is calling us to do. Instead, Jesus invites us to be with Him and to be loved by Him. Inevitably, His love will pour out of our hearts onto others. You see, time with Jesus changes us. Even opponents of His disciples Peter and John recognized that they had spent time with Jesus and had become courageous (Acts 4:13) — because a person cannot spend time with love Himself and remain unchanged.

And while none of us got to be one of the 12 disciples, each of us can still experience Jesus’ tender love. Through His death, resurrection and ascension to our Father, Jesus invites us — His followers today — to receive His love and presence through the gift of His Spirit within us (Romans 5:5).

We were the messy ones when Jesus gave Himself for us. And let’s be honest: We’re still pretty messy most days, aren’t we? But He still loves us. And because we’ve been loved by Jesus, we get to go and love others with His love.

As we enter the upcoming season of Lent, consider this: How is Jesus inviting you to experience His love more deeply in the coming months?

May we be women who love in such a way that others know we have been with Jesus.

Beloved Jesus, thank You for choosing me to be Your friend. Open the eyes of my heart to grasp the enormity of Your love toward me, and open my heart to become a channel of Your love toward those You’ve placed in my life. I love You, Jesus, because You first loved me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Do you feel like Easter sneaks up on you each year? In Uncovering the Love of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu invites you to reclaim the Lenten season with 40 daily devotionals that reveal the deep love of Jesus 2,000 years ago and poured out on you today. Don’t let Easter pass you by this year. Get your copy here today!

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (NIV).

What do you think Jesus might be inviting you to learn from Him in this next season as His friend? And who in your life is He calling you to love with His love?

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

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