Like Jesus…

Jesus once said: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one can go to the Father except by Me” [John 14: 6 NLV].  We understand that this is the gospel, the good news that impacted the world and became a reality on a day that this week is commemorated. During this time of Passover, the church usually does a particular emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus. But to me, there is an essential theme that must be discussed to understand this event: to meet the protagonist, Jesus.

In 1 John 2:6  it says: “The one who says he belongs to Christ should live the same kind of life Christ lived” [NLV]. In the King James Version, it is said: “He that saith he abideth in him ought to walk as he walked.”

How will we take these words?

I do not pretend to be very extensive in my words since to properly consider the way Jesus lived; we would have to begin a series of readings to be responsible with the subject. However, it seems to me of the utmost importance to introduce ourselves in what this word means, considering what Philippians 2: 4-8 says:

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” [NLT]

In verses four and five, we find one of the attitudes portrayed by Jesus. Who being God and human said:  “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others” because we must have those “feelings that correspond to that they are united to Christ Jesus” [CYB].

So, one way to live and walk as Jesus did is to practice what he once said in Matthew 22: 36-40: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, for this is one of the commandments in those who are based on all the law and prophecies.

Giving through love seems to be one of the main attitudes in the life of Jesus. Love drove each and every action through His time on Earth. It is enough to go through the Gospels to discover how Jesus’ relationship was with his neighbors. It was based on the love that his Father had given him, and Jesus transmitted it with his actions; whether it was by healing or exhorting the good news of the gospel.

What is my point and How should we consider the word in 1 John 2: 6?

I once found a phrase that had a great impact on my life: “Man lives as much as he loves.” If we take a moment to remember John 3:16, God, according to His plan, sent His Firstborn Son to die on the cross out of love. God first loved us, but even more: “But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” [1 John 4: 8 NLT].

If we have to be as Jesus was,

If we have to walk as Jesus walked,

If we have to live as Jesus lived,

It seems to me that our lives and our actions must be moved by loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

“Love is Joy and Peace” … It is no coincidence that we can live in joy and peace when we have the love present in our lives. During this time of Easter, I exhort you to think of how Jesus’s  love transformed your life and how you are giving that love to those around you with every smile, every hug, every gesture, and every action you carry every day at every moment. Jesus said that he was the way, the truth, and the life. He gave steps of love making a way with his truth, living a life of love for you and me. I hope that His love continues to transform us so that we can walk as He did.