April 14, 2025
As we near Good Friday, we remember the cross of Christ. In Luke 23, the 34th verse, we find these words, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
So many of Jesus’ expressions from the cross were expressions of His wonderful love. He prayed for His enemies when He said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” in the hour of their triumph over Him, and in the midst of the shame and suffering that they delighted in showering on Him. Yet He poured out His love in prayer for them. I think that is a call to everyone who believes in the crucified Christ to do likewise. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Then the next expression of love from the cross: “Woman, behold thy son,” and [to John], “Behold thy mother.” The very same love that cared for His enemies cared for His friends. Jesus knew just what the anguish must be in the heart of His widowed mother, and He committed her to the care of the beloved disciple John. Even so, we who are disciples of Christ must not only pray for our enemies, but also prove our love by loving those who are around us.
Then we read about the thief who was hanging next to Jesus who said, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (See Luke 23:41–43.) Jesus was demonstrating His love for the penitent thief. He had appealed to Christ’s mercy to remember him, and what an immediate answer he got to his appeal!
So whether it was the love that prays for enemies, or the love that cares for friends, or the love that rejoices over a penitent sinner, Christ proved that the cross was a cross of love, and the crucified One is the very embodiment of love that surpasses all knowledge. (See Ephesians 3:17–19.)
With every thought we have of what we owe to that love of the cross, I pray that God will help us prove that the mind of the crucified Christ is our mind, that His love is not only what we trust in for ourselves, but what guides us in loving others and our loving interaction with the world around us.
I lived for some time once with a person who was perfect in her social graces and read the Bible continually and was perfect in church attendance. But her life was like an icicle of coldness. There had been resentment there, and that resentment had turned into a lifelong grudge against a certain person. It just seemed to drain the love and joy out of her life.
So often when I think of that person, it reminds me of the little boy who was in the orphans’ home, and some very wealthy people came to take him home because it had been decided that he could go with them. They began to tell him of what he would have, what would be his possessions in their beautiful big house, and how someday he was going to have a real live pony, and how they would get him a watch that was his very own when he became a teen, etc. But his little heart was hungry for just one thing. When they got through with the possessions that they would give him and what they were going to do for him, he looked up with appealing eyes and said, “Can you spare a little bit of loving?”
I used to think of this when with that particular woman, as I had to abide in her home for a while. “Oh, can’t you spare just a little bit of loving?”—Because I was going through a great trial myself at that time.
Human love has weaknesses, but Christian love is divine, it is God-given. Romans 5:5 says, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” And 1 Peter 3:8 says: “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” A divine brotherly love will bind Christians in a solidly united family. Jude 1:21 says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”
As long as Christians walk in love, they will enjoy fellowship with their heavenly Father. But Satan has many tricks, and he tries so hard to draw a Christian outside the bounds of love, and he will do it if he possibly can.
If you want to grow spiritually, walk in love and continually try to practice the love of Christ that is in your heart. But when a Christian starts to criticize and loses his loving spirit, he stops growing, for he is no longer walking in love.
A Christian needs to watch and pray. Not watch and criticize, but watch and pray! Beloved, those who do wrong don’t need criticism; they need prayer and lots and lots of love. God’s Word says in Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
In Hebrews 10:24 God’s Word says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” And may I just add this: That love begets love. One person walking in love will encourage others to do likewise. It’s such a catching thing, the love of Christ in action, and it spreads from heart to heart.
God’s Word says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all things, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” Love doesn’t talk about the mistakes of others. This scripture tells us that love covers with a veil of silence the mistakes of others.
God bless you as Good Friday approaches and you think about Jesus Christ, who manifested such love from the cross.
From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor April 2025. Read by Lenore Welsh.
Copyright © 2025 The Family International