The Love of God

I somehow had the urge to write something on here today, but I first didn’t know what to write about. Then I knew I wanted to write about God’s love.
In my Bible study group, we talked about John 18:1-27. Many might not see God’s love in this passage because it is about Jesus’s arrest, but while studying it this week I realized that it is all about God’s love.
A detachment of soldiers and some Jewish officials came to arrest Jesus. I always thought this was a small group of Roman soldiers and some Jewish leaders; however, I learned that a detachment consists of about 600 soldiers. In this case there might have been a little less, but it was still a significant amount. It comes to show that they were ready to fight any opposition and rebellion. Jesus and the eleven disciples would have had no chance against them. What is most striking is that Jesus goes before them and asks, “Who is it you want?” (v.4). Why did he do that? Well, if you think about who was there with him and what was about to happen it kind of becomes obvious. He was protecting his disciples. If he had just let the soldiers come closer, they could have arrested them all or the disciples would have tried to fight them, which wouldn’t have ended good either. By taking the first step, Jesus diverted the attention on himself and away from the disciples. He loved them too much for them to get hurt. In his high priestly prayer in chapter 17, Jesus had asked God to protect them in the world and keep them in the world, so they could do what he had taught them. The soldiers told him that they were looking for Jesus. Jesus simply replied, “I am he” (v.6). Now the soldiers were so surprised that they fell to the ground. I thought that was pretty weird because they didn’t believe in God. Jesus words must have been so powerful that the soldiers were stricken with fear and maybe even awe. Who would turn themselves in knowing they are innocent? Only Jesus did that for US. All this happened because God had a plan. He wanted to show us His love. He protected us (or the disciples) from harm and being arrested and gave His beloved son to die for us. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” There is no greater love than the love God showed for each one of us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Back in the passage, Peter tried to fight for Jesus and cut of one of the soldier’s ear, but Jesus explained that this was God’s will for him, so he was arrested. Later we learn that Peter denies Jesus three times. From experience I can tell you that this is one of the worst things you can do to God and to yourself. I still remember very clearly what happened the day I just stayed quiet. Peter cried after he knew what he had done. He was heartbroken and ashamed. Jesus showed him forgiveness, though, before he ascended into heaven by asking him three times to take care of his sheep. I recently found this verse in Isaiah 43, “I, even I, am he blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remember your sins no more” (v.25). This made me think a lot. I had never thought that God forgets our sins, but it makes sense. How depressing would it be if He remembered all the things we did wrong? If God were human, He would have become a mental patient and been put in a high security mental hospital, where he would spent the rest of his life. God forgives and forgets, This kind of love is unconditional and indescribably amazing.