Live to Love Scripture Encouragement John 18.32

John 18:32 “To fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.” Matthew recorded Jesus’ prophecy regarding His death. Matthew 20:18-19. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up." Jesus also prophesied our death. Matthew 16:24-25. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.’” Have you not heard? We were born again to die just like Jesus was born to die? We know the kind of death we are going to die—death to our own individualism, death to self—so that the life and love of Jesus may be resurrected in us. If we think we can live today to express our true authentic selves, we are deluded and deceived. There was no way out for Jesus that morning. His death had been prophesied by God and this had to be fulfilled. So it is with us. As we live to love with Jesus, we may expect to die daily so Jesus’ love may be revealed. We can testify with the apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:31 “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” In Jesus’ death, we die. In His life, we live—to love with Him. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com