TCC–1377
1
LOVE AS JESUS LOVES
A. Introduction: Almighty God created human beings to be more than creatures He created. He made us
to become His sons and daughters through faith in and dependence on Him. And God desires sons and
daughters who are like Jesus in their character and behavior. Jesus is actually the pattern for God’s
family (Rom 8:29). In our current series, we’re talking about what it means to be like Jesus.
1. Remember, Jesus is God become fully man without ceasing to be God. (This is the mystery of the
incarnation.) In the womb of the virgin Mary, Jesus took on a full human nature and was born into
this world so that He could die as a sacrifice for sin. John 1:1: John 1:14; Heb 2:14; I Tim 3:16
a. Although Jesus was fully God, while on earth, He lived as a man in dependence on God the
Father. During His three plus year ministry prior to His crucifixion, through His teaching and
His example, Jesus showed us what sons and daughters of God are like.
b. Among other things, Jesus showed Himself to be a servant of God the Father and a servant of
men. Through faith in Jesus, we become sons and daughters of God who are also servants of
God and servants of men.
c. Last week we began to talk about what it means to be a servant. The most common Greek word
that is translated servant (or slave) in the New Testament has the idea of voluntary service.
2. We cannot effectively live like Jesus, as servants of God and men, without humility and meekness.
Humility and meekness were Jesus’ chief character traits. Matt 11:28-30
a. Humility means lowliness of mind. Humility recognizes its true relationship to God. We are
totally dependent on Him (John 15:5; I Cor 4:7; I Cor 8:2; Gal 6:3). Humility recognizes its true
relationship to others. We don’t exalt or think of ourselves as better than others—In humility
count others more significant than yourselves (Phil 2:3, ESV)
b. Meekness means gentleness. Meekness is the choice to control your reactions, especially
toward others, in voluntary submission to God and your fellow man.
3. You can be truly committed to serving Jesus, but lacking in Christlike character, specifically in
humility and meekness. Jesus’ apostles (His closest followers) demonstrated this.
a. They left everything to follow Jesus, and they watched Him model humility and meekness for
three years. Yet they jockeyed for power and position right up to the crucifixion.
1. James and John asked to sit on Jesus’ right hand and left hand in His kingdom. Then, when
the other apostles heard it, they got mad. Mark 10:35-41
2. At the Last Supper, the night before Jesus was crucified, His men argued among themselves
as to who would be the greatest in His coming kingdom. Luke 22:24
A. Jesus said: Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever
wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came not to be
served but to serve others, and to give my life a ransom for many (Mark 10:43-45, NLT).
B. Jesus then washed their feet (a task normally done by a servant) and told them: Since I,
the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I
have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you (John 13:14-15, NLT).
b. Jesus wasn’t instituting a ritual that He wants us to repeat. He was demonstrating an attitude of
heart and mind that is expressed through action. We are servants of God and servants of man.
4. We have more to say about what it looks like to be a humble, meek servant in everyday life as we
interact with people we don’t like, people who annoy us, disrespect us, mistreat, and even harm us.
B. We get insight from something Paul the apostle wrote: Gal 5:13-14—For you brethren, were [indeed]
called to freedom (in Christ); only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an

TCC–1377
2
opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another. For the whole
Law (of God) [concerning human relationships] (Amp) can be summed up in this one command: “Love
your neighbor as yourself” (NLT).
1. We serve people by loving them, by treating them the way we want to be treated. The love that we
are to love others with is not a feeling. It is an action. You treat people as you wish to be treated.
a. This love is an action that comes out of obedience to God and is expressed through serving
others. To serve another person means to treat them the way you want to be treated, and as God
has treated you. God has been kind, merciful, and forgiving to you (more on this in a moment).
b. Paul wrote a famous passage on love. Here’s part of it: Love is patient and kind; love does not
envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or
resentful (I Cor 13:4-5. ESV).
1. Paul said that even if I have all kinds of commendable activities, such as speaking in other
tongues, prophetic powers, faith to move mountains, and give all that I have to the poor, “(If
I) have not love [that reasoned intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s
love for us and in us], I am only a noisy gong or a clanging symbol” (I Cor 13:1, Amp).
2. The love we are to love others with is a love that thinks: How would I want to be treated if
the roles were reversed—and then does it. It takes humility to say that I am going to love
(or treat) people this way, and it takes meekness to follow through.
2. The way we treat other people is an expression of the depth of our devotion of God. Our love for
others (our treatment of others) is the real proof of our love for God.
a. John the apostle wrote: I John 4:19-21—We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, “I
love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For he cannot love God, who he has not seen, if he
does not love his brother whom he has seen. This, then, is the command that Christ gave us:
he who loves God must love his brother also (Good News Bible). Two quick comments:
1. You may have heard the passage this way: We love Him because He first loved us. Many
good Bible translations render it this way. But the word him is not in the oldest New
Testament manuscripts, so other translators omit it. This actually fits with the context since
John is specifically writing about loving other people, because God loves us. I John 4:7-21
2. The Greek word translated hate can mean to detest, to persecute or harass, to annoy or pester.
It’s also used to mean to love less, and for unjustifiable feelings toward others.
3. You may be thinking: It’s easy to love God. He doesn’t annoy me and get on my nerves.
However, love for God is more than warm fuzzies (or emotions) toward Him. Love for Him
is expressed by the way you treat the men and women He created.
b. A few days before His death, Jesus told His apostles (including John): I lay down my life that I
may have it back again…For my Father has given me this command (John 10:17-18, NLT).
1. Jesus expressed His love for God the Father by obeying Him. He humbled Himself and
become a man so the He could die for us. Jesus further humbled Himself by dying a
criminal’s death on the cross. Phil 2:6-8
2. The night before Jesus was crucified He said to His apostles: I command you to love each
other in the same way that I love you. And here is how to measure it—the greatest love is
shown when people lay down their lives for their friends (John 15:12-13, NLT).
A. Jesus served men and women by dying for those who rejected Him. In doing so, He is
our example of obedience even when it is hard. Matt 26:39-42
B. Most of us will never face a situation where we literally have to die to save another
person. What we actually face is saying no to ourselves when we want to lash out at
someone because they have annoyed us or hurt us. Love chooses not to do so
1. Phil 2:3-5—Be humble, thinking of others as better than you. Don’t think only about

TCC–1377
3
your own affairs (NLT). Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus.—Let Him be your example in humility (Amp).
2. The Greek word that Paul used for mind means to be mindful of, be intent about.
This humility isn’t automatic. This humble attitude (mindset) must be developed,
and you must be intentional about it.
3. The love that we are to love others with is not a feeling. It is an intentional, willful act that thinks:
How would I want to be treated in this situation? But we’re more practiced at feeling than thinking.
a. Emotions are spontaneous reactions to people and events around us. You can’t will yourself to
feel or not feel something in the moment. If things don’t go our way, we get irritated or angry.
If someone hurts us, offends us, or disrespects us, we feel hurt, angry, and react by lashing out.
1. Emotional reactions themselves aren’t necessarily sinful. But they can drive us to sin. Paul
wrote: Be angry and sin not (Eph 4:26, NKJV). It’s not a sin to feel a negative emotion.
But that feeling doesn’t release you from you obligation to love people (treat them right).
2. How do you know if you have sinned? In your hurt or anger, did you do or say something
that you would not want said or done to you. When you make a mistake, do you want to be
shouted at, treated like a stupid idiot, or humiliated? No, you want grace and understanding.
A. We are blind to our own faults and shortcomings: When you do something wrong or
annoy me, you are an insensitive, stupid idiot. But when I do something wrong, I simply
made a mistake, or I have a good reason for what I did. No harm, no foul!!
B. We have to ask God to help us look beyond our hurt, rationalizations, and justifications to
see if our behaviors are truly Christlike. We need to ask ourselves, if Jesus stepped out
of the unseen right now, would I still treat this person the way I’m treating them now.
b. This can seem overwhelmingly impossible. But the first step is realizing that this is the standard
for those who profess to follow Jesus. The second step is desiring to grow in Christlikeness.
1. These character traits (humility and meekness) are not automatic to us. Christlike character
has to be developed. Old, ungodly patterns of behavior toward others must be exposed and
replaced with new habits of response. And we have to develop self-control.
2. The Holy Spirit is in us to help us develop these traits as we obey the Bible and look to Him
for help. The fruits of the Spirit are actually character traits (more on this next week).
c. We pointed out last week that if you learn to see people as God sees them, as beings created in
Him image, as lost sons and daughters who have value to Him (not as stupid idiots who get on
your nerves), it will make it easier to treat them as Jesus does. Luke 15:1-32.
1. Part of our problem with loving people is how we talk about them. We live in a culture that
constantly criticizes people, and we all unconsciously assess people negatively. We need to
become aware of this and ask ourselves: Would Jesus talk about someone like that?
2. James the apostle wrote: With (the tongue) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we
curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and
cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so (James 3:9-10, ESV).
C. Jesus not only modeled humility and meekness, He also taught His followers how they are supposed to
treat other people—especially people they don’t like and don’t have feelings of love for.
1, Jesus said: Luke 6:32-36—Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you?
Even sinners do that…Love your enemies! Do good to them…Then your reward from heaven will
be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High (NLT), for he is kind to the
ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (ESV).
a. Love has to do with how you treat people. The word good means something that is good in its
makeup or character and is therefore beneficial. Note it’s an attitude that can lead to action.

TCC–1377
4
b. Kind is from a word that means to furnish what is useful, needed, and therefore good.
Webster’s Dictionary defines the word kind as having the will to do good and bring happiness to
others; sympathetic, gentle, considerate, not harsh—also an attitude that can lead to action.
c. The Greek word translated merciful means compassion for the ills of others. It is sorrow or pity
aroused by the suffering and misfortune of others—another attitude that can lead to action.
2. Jesus’ first followers understood that this is the standard for Christians. Note what Paul wrote about
becoming like Jesus in character and behavior.
a. Eph 4:31-32—Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types
of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just
as God through Christ has forgiven you (NLT).
1. Kind is the same word used in Luke 6:32 (God is kind). Tenderhearted means sympathetic,
full of pity. Pity is a sympathetic sorrow for one suffering in distress. To forgive is from
the Greek word that is translated grace. It means to grant a favor, to be kind to.
2. To forgive someone means you choose not to retaliate, choose not to pay them back.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what the person did was okay, or that you have to let them
keep hurting you over and over, or even that there should be no legal consequences for them.
3. Forgiveness means you don’t retaliate in thought, word, or action. You choose not to keep a record
of wrong doing or call back to your mind what they did. It takes effort to do this, but can be done.
a. Remember that Jesus died for us when we were His enemies (Rom 5:10). Remember that God
has forgiven us and we have no right to withhold forgiveness from others.
b. Paul wrote: Eph 5:1-2—Follow God’s example (be imitators) in everything you do, because
you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of
Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins (NLT).
1. Jesus showed us a love that serves and forgives. When Jesus was dying on the Cross after
being mercilessly beaten, spit upon, and humiliated, He prayed to the Father: Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34, NKJV).
2. Peter the apostle wrote: Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in his steps.
He never sinned, and he never deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted.
When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even. He left his case in the hands of God who
always judges fairly (I Pet 2:21-23, NLT).
c. You can’t (or won’t) do any of this if you aren’t humble, if you see yourself as better than others,
or if you are unwilling to obey God when you don’t feel like it. You can’t (or won’t) do this if
you aren’t meek, unable or unwilling to control your reactions to other people.
D. Conclusion: Lessons like this are difficult because we all fall short. But this is the standard for
Christian character and behavior. Consider these thoughts as we close.
1. Remember that to follow Jesus means to seek to be like Him. I John 2:6—Whoever says he abides
in (Christ), ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (ESV).
a. Some say that this standard is impossible and that we’re going to keep sinning. We can’t help
it. We’ll talk more about that next week, but consider this thought: I’d rather shoot for the
stars and get halfway there than aim for the lamp post and hit it.
b. Even if we still fall short in this area, we’ll be better off (more Christlike) if we take this kind of
lesson to heart and put it into practice the best we can at this point in our life.
2. Remember that the will (the desire) to be Christlike comes before the performance. If it’s truly your
desire to be like Jesus and accurately represent Him to the world, even though your performance
doesn’t yet match up with the standard, you’re moving in the right direction.
3. Remember also that purpose (intent, motive) is as important as performance. More next week!!