Friday of Easter Week 5 – Devotion

Text: John 13:31–35

Love is something we all want, and yet it’s one of the hardest things to live out. We talk about love, sing about love, crave love—but when it comes to loving others sacrificially, we often find ourselves coming up short.

In John 13, Jesus has just washed His disciples’ feet and predicted His betrayal. With the cross only hours away, He tells them: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you” (v. 34). What makes it new is not the idea of love—it’s the standard: “as I have loved you.” His love is not mere sentiment. It’s humble, costly, and forgiving. And it becomes the identifying mark of His people: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples” (v. 35).

This isn’t optional for Christians—it’s essential. And it’s impossible without grace. The One who commands us to love is the One who first loved us, even to death on a cross.
Who is God calling you to love today? Maybe it’s someone difficult, someone who’s wronged you, or someone who’s simply in need. Let Jesus’ love for you be the well you draw from. You can’t give what you haven’t received—but if you have received His love, you have more than enough to share.

Transform Our Hearts Through Prayer
Jesus, You loved us to the end. Thank You for showing us what true love looks like. Forgive us when we withhold love or offer it conditionally. Holy Spirit, pour Christ’s love into our hearts, and help us to love others as we have been loved—generously, humbly, and without fear. Amen.