What Does Love Require of Me?

Devotional

Day 1: The Night of New Command

Jesus watched Judas leave the upper room, knowing betrayal would trigger His crucifixion. He turned to His remaining disciples—men who’d seen miracles but still misunderstood His mission. “A new command I give you,” He said, pressing through their fear. “Love one another as I have loved you.” He redefined love not as sentiment but sacrifice, setting His own life as the standard. [20:42]

This moment shifted history. Jesus anchored love to action: His foot-washing, patience with Peter, and soon His cross. He called disciples to mirror His tangible care, not debate fairness or rights. Their obedience would mark them as His followers more than doctrines or rituals.

You draft texts and emails convinced your words will fix conflicts. But what if your next message asked, “How can I love like Jesus here?” Before hitting send, pause. What concrete step—listening, serving, forgiving—would mirror Christ’s love to this person? Where have you prioritized being right over being redemptive?

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

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one relationship where His sacrificial love, not your agenda, must guide your next move.

Challenge: Write a draft text to someone in conflict, then delete every line that doesn’t reflect Christ’s love. Rewrite it with three affirming statements.

Day 2: Glory in the Unlikely Hour

Soldiers seized Jesus hours after He called crucifixion His “glory.” The disciples saw humiliation; Heaven saw triumph. His battered body on the cross fulfilled God’s plan to rescue rebels. Jesus redefined glory as obedience, not applause—suffering as the path to life. [17:16]

The world glorifies strength, success, and self-promotion. Jesus glorified the Father through surrender. His “failure” on the cross became the hinge of redemption, proving love’s power transcends human logic. Every act of sacrificial love today continues His revolution.

You chase recognition at work, in friendships, or social media. What if true glory lies in unseen obedience? Identify one situation where serving quietly—without credit—would honor Jesus. How might embracing “hidden” love reshape your view of significance?

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified… Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.”
(John 12:23-24, NIV)

Prayer: Confess areas where you’ve sought personal glory. Thank Jesus for His cross-shaped example.

Challenge: Perform one act of service today without telling anyone—not even in prayer requests.

Day 3: Scars as Love’s Language

Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds, proof that love endures even betrayal. The resurrected Lord carried scars—eternal reminders that love costs everything. Early Christians imitated this, turning Roman cruelty into opportunities to feed plague victims and adopt abandoned children. [23:47]

Jesus’ scars validate His commitment. They remind us love isn’t safe but steadfast. When the Church cares for the unlovable, forgives persecutors, or stays faithful in hardship, we display His scars to a skeptical world.

You protect yourself from emotional wounds. What relationship requires you to risk “scarring” love—forgiving repeatedly, giving generously, or staying present in pain? Where does self-protection hinder your witness?

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. Let us not love with words but with actions and in truth.”
(1 John 3:16-18, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for a specific scar He bore for you. Ask courage to love someone “unsafe” today.

Challenge: Buy groceries for a struggling neighbor or coworker. Attach a note: “This is from Jesus.”

Day 4: The Text That Changed History

Peter denied Jesus three times. Yet the risen Christ didn’t send a corrective sermon—He cooked breakfast. “Do you love Me?” He asked, restoring Peter with grilled fish, not guilt. Jesus’ questions redirect us from blame to connection. [36:08]

Love prioritizes reconciliation over winning. When we ask, “What does love require?” we trade scoring points for healing hearts. Every conflict becomes a chance to mirror Jesus’ restorative grace, not prove our case.

You’ve rehearsed arguments to “fix” others. What if you asked Jesus to shift your goal from changing them to loving them? How would His approach alter your tone, timing, or demands?

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
(Colossians 3:13, NIV)

Prayer: Name one person you struggle to forgive. Ask Jesus to show you His perspective of them.

Challenge: Call or text someone you’ve avoided. Say, “I value our relationship more than being right.”

Day 5: Abiding in the Vine’s Love

Jesus told His disciples, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” He didn’t demand perfection but connection. Like branches drawing life from the vine, we love others by staying rooted in His presence. Striving ceases; abiding begins. [33:37]

Human effort fails. But Christ’s Spirit empowers us to love beyond our capacity. When we fix our eyes on His sacrifice rather than others’ faults, grace flows naturally.

You’ve tried to manufacture patience or kindness through willpower. What if today you paused to “abide” first—praying, “Jesus, love them through me”? How might dependence replace frustration?

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
(John 15:5, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to prune one distraction hindering your connection to Him this week.

Challenge: Set a phone reminder to pray, “What does love require?” before every conversation today.

Sermon Summary

Jesus confronts the common instincts people use to resolve conflict and offers a radically different question to guide life: What does love require of me? Rather than prioritizing what is legal, what is fair, what one deserves, or what one can get away with, Jesus reframes love as a concrete standard of action modeled by his own life. He presents love not as a feeling but as a set of choices and behaviors that mirror how he treated others - sacrificially, patiently, and obediently - even unto the cross. That cross, far from being a defeat, becomes the model of divine glory because glory arrives through obedience and self-giving rather than applause and achievement.

Jesus issues a new, unique command: love each other as he has loved them. This command elevates Christ himself as the normative standard for how people should relate with family, friends, and even enemies. The early community embodied that command so thoroughly that their behavior, more than their arguments or theological positions, authenticated their identity and made the gospel persuasive across cultures. Love enacted in tangible kindness, honesty, humility, and generosity created a reputation that drew others to inquire about the source of such a life.

The teaching recognizes the difficulty of this demand. Love often requires humility, patience, forgiveness, and costly sacrifice - qualities people lack on their own. Jesus anticipates that inability and provides the means: staying connected to him. Obedience to the command flows from union with Christ, not from the strength of human will or better strategies. Practically, this reorientation affects everyday moments: the impulsive text, a workplace conflict, parenting decisions, and marital tensions. Filtering responses through the question What does love require of me? changes motives, choices, and long-term fruit.

The passage calls for a communal witness where behavior confirms belief. When a community consistently mirrors Christ’s sacrificial love, the world may find its beliefs baffling but its behavior compelling. The invitation is not to perform by human effort but to rely on Christ to live the love he commands, allowing obedience to serve God’s ongoing mission in the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Love as chosen, observable action Love becomes visible through decisions and deeds rather than private feeling. Choosing humility, patience, and forgiveness in specific moments trains the heart and reshapes relationships. Faith shows itself when love translates into concrete practices that cost something. This functional love carries the credibility needed to draw others to Christ. [20:42]
2. Ask what love requires Reframe conflict by asking which action best reflects Christlike love instead of which tactic protects self-interest. That question redirects energy away from proving a point toward embodying sacrificial care. Over time it forms habits that align personal conduct with kingdom priorities. This single question becomes a practical litmus test for daily decisions. [08:20]
3. Glory manifests in self-giving True glory appears in obedience and sacrificial love, not in applause or status. The cross reframes power as vulnerability and triumph as faithful surrender. Embracing that pattern challenges cultural measures of success and reorients motives toward God’s purpose. Living this way participates in the very glory Jesus embodied. [16:38]
4. Stay connected to Jesus Union with Christ supplies the power to love beyond natural capacity; connection precedes conformity. Remaining in him enables mercy, patience, and sacrifice to flow without striving. Obedience becomes fruit of relationship rather than mere discipline. Trusting that connection lets love work through imperfect people. [33:37]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:20] - Opening illustration: the perfect text
[04:09] - Common questions that guide conflict
[08:20] - The better question introduced
[09:24] - Final Instructions series overview
[11:32] - Imagining last words: Thursday night
[14:02] - Judas leaves; "the time has come"
[16:38] - Glory through the cross
[20:42] - New commandment: love one another
[24:43] - Love proves true discipleship
[34:22] - Practical application and response
[38:14] - Invitation, communion, and prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 13:34-35 (ESV)
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

Observation Questions

What specific standard does Jesus give for how we should love others, according to John 13:34?
How does Jesus redefine "glory" in the context of the cross, as described in the sermon? [16:38]
What four common questions do people typically ask when navigating conflict, according to the sermon? [04:54]
What practical examples of everyday situations were mentioned where asking "What does love require of me?" could change our responses? [29:24]

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus use His own sacrificial love—rather than a list of rules—as the standard for how we treat others?
The sermon states, "The world may find [the church’s] beliefs baffling but its behavior compelling." How does this contrast with how many people assume the church should gain influence? [26:45]
How does the cross reframe cultural ideas of success, power, and glory? What makes this definition of glory so counterintuitive? [17:16]
Why is obedience to Jesus’ command to love dependent on staying connected to Him, rather than sheer effort? [33:37]

Application Questions

Think of a current conflict or tension in your life. Instead of asking, "What’s fair?" or "What do I deserve?" what specific action might "What does love require of me?" lead you to take this week? [08:20]
The sermon mentions that love often requires humility, patience, or sacrifice. Which of these feels most challenging for you right now? What step could you take to rely on Christ’s strength in that area?
Reflect on a time when you prioritized being "right" over being loving. How might the outcome have changed if you’d asked, "What does love require of me?" [30:10]
How could your workplace, family, or friendships look different if your decisions were guided by Jesus’ standard of love rather than self-interest?
The early church’s love created a reputation that drew others to Jesus. What tangible habit (e.g., generosity, kindness, forgiveness) could your small group practice together to reflect Christ’s love more visibly? [24:43]
Identify one relationship where you’ve resisted showing grace. What would it look like to extend the same mercy Jesus has given you in that situation? [36:31]
What practical reminder (e.g., a note, alarm, Scripture verse) could you use this week to pause and ask, "What does love require of me?" before reacting in stressful moments?

Sermon Clips

23s

#ChooseOthersFirst

“What if Jesus had asked before he walked to the cross what he deserved? He didn't ask what he deserved. He did what we needed. What if Jesus had asked, what can I get away with? And they're like, he he didn't ask that. At every moment, every opportunity, when Jesus had the opportunity to put others first or do what was best for others or do what was best for himself, he chose other people every single time.”

37s

#TrustOverPerformance

“Why on earth would I give you a command you could accomplish without me? That doesn't make any sense. But if you'll trust me, and if you'll let me, you don't have to perform. You don't have to try harder. You just have to trust me. And in fact, next week, that's where we're gonna pick up. Next week, Jesus gives us the key to obeying this command. He gives us the key for how we can begin living a life guided by that question.”

22s

#LoveIsAction

“And on the face of it, we hear that. We think, well, that doesn't really sound like a new command. But it does clarify some things. Because for most of us, we think of love as something we feel. Well, Jesus would never command his disciples to feel like he feels. That isn't how would you even know that? So what he's saying for us is love is much more than a feeling. Love is a behavior.”

41s

#GloryThroughSacrifice

“I'm pointing that out because that is clearly not the way our king of the universe sees glory. Because he says, the son of man is about to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified through him. And then he immediately is arrested, spit upon, mocked, beaten, stripped naked, and nailed to a cross. And my king says that was him entering into his glory.”

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What Does Love Require of Me?

Devotional

Day 1: The Night of New Command

Day 2: Glory in the Unlikely Hour

Day 3: Scars as Love’s Language

Day 4: The Text That Changed History

Day 5: Abiding in the Vine’s Love

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

What Does Love Require of Me?

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