Love Like Jesus

Holy Week Reflections – Day 5

Read John 13:34–35

Let’s keep it 100: the word love gets thrown around a lot, but it rarely looks like Jesus.

The reality of love has been so abused, misused, and misrepresented.

We’ve watered it down to feelings and vibes.

We say “I love you” in one breath and tear each other down in the next.

We treat love like a reward for those who meet our standards, or a weapon for those who don’t.

But Jesus gave us a different kind of love.

A love that bends low.

A love that gives first.

A love that lays itself down even when it’s not returned.

A sacrificial love.

When Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you,” He wasn’t offering a suggestion. He was setting a new standard; not just love your neighbor as yourself, but love like Jesus.

This kind of love is how the world will know we belong to Him.

Not our sermons.

Not our Sunday fits.

Not even our Bible knowledge.

But by our love.

So before we post more verses, preach more messages, or defend our theology, Let’s pause and ask: Are we loving like Jesus?

Here are 10 reflections to help us check our hearts and align our love with the One who laid down His life for us.

1. Jesus didn’t say “love when it’s easy or convenient.”He said, “Love like I loved you.” That’s not casual love, it’s sacrificial love.

2. Real love doesn’t wait for convenience.It lays down self. Your pride. Your need to always be right. Your ego.

3. “Love as I have loved you” is the standard. Not how you feel. Not how they treated you. Not how much they deserve it. Don't base your love on them, base your love on Jesus.

4. You don’t get to choose your version of love. Jesus already defined it.If it’s not sacrificial, it’s not His love.

5. Old love says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”Jesus said, “Love like Me.”He raised the bar, and then exemplified it by dying for us.

6. Love that only sacrifices when it’s required is religious. But love that sacrifices because it’s who you are, that’s the mark of someone who’s truly His.

7. We’re not called to love with our love, but with His. Our love is flawed, shaped by pain, pride, and past wounds. It’s unstable, self-focused, and quick to break.But God’s love is steady. Sacrificial. It builds what ours would tear down.That’s the love we’re called to live out.

8. If nobody’s being lifted, maybe you haven’t really laid anything down.There’s a difference between offering a sacrifice as an act of love, and offering yourself as a living expression of love. One is occasional. The other is who you are.

9. True love is lasting, it’s not just ritual. It doesn’t show up only when it’s required.It shows up when it’s hard, when it’s costly, and when no one’s watching. Real love goes beyond the motions, and into genuine devotion.

10. We shouldn’t be known for gossip, sneak disses, and shade. We should be known for loving like Jesus: real, honest, forgiving, and bold. That’s what sets us apart.