◆“The Lord Who Loves to the End” (John 13:1) July 6, 2027

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that He Himself was the Passover Lamb who would take away the sin of the world. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God commanded them to slaughter a lamb and paint its blood on the doorframes of their homes. The houses that followed this command escaped God’s judgment, while those that did not were judged. This act symbolized that the sacrificed lamb bore the sins of the household and took the judgment in their place, foreshadowing the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, the coming Savior.

Jesus knew that He was about to bear our sins and be judged in our place on the cross. As He was about to leave this world, He wanted to convey what was most important—almost like a final testament. That message was that He had loved His disciples and had loved them to the very end.

Who did He love to the end? The passage says “His disciples.” The 2017 Shinkaiyaku translation puts it as “His own who were in the world.” While this refers directly to the disciples gathered around Jesus at the time, since Jesus is still alive today, we too—those who believe in Him—are “His own who are in the world.”

But what does it mean to be “in the world”? It may seem obvious, but the phrase is intentional. “The world” is used in contrast to “the Kingdom of God.” This world rejects God. It values wealth and possessions, and it exalts the powerful. It is a world in opposition to God’s Kingdom, where people seek to worship and obey Him.

Therefore, those who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord live in the tension and contradiction between this world and God’s Kingdom. That is why Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” These troubles come not only from the outside, but also from within.

We ourselves are full of contradictions. Paul wrote in Romans 7 that though he desires to do good, he cannot carry it out, and that though he does not want to do evil, he ends up doing it. He describes this as having two laws within him—a deep, unchangeable reality.

And yet, in Romans 8:1, Paul proclaims, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Why? Because our sin has already been judged in Christ.

So who were these disciples that Jesus loved? They were people who repeatedly failed. John, for example, once asked Jesus if they should call down fire on someone who was preaching in His name but was not part of their group. The disciples argued about who among them was the greatest. Peter would soon deny Jesus three times. All of them would eventually abandon Him and flee.

Even so, Jesus continued to love them consistently. Scripture emphasizes this by saying He loved them “to the very end” or “to the utmost.”

What does “to the utmost” or “to the very end” mean? One meaning is about intensity—He loved them without giving up, without casting them aside, accepting them completely. Another meaning is a declaration of intent—Jesus expressing that He will continue to love them no matter what.

Peter’s denial and the disciples’ abandonment were yet to come. Even after encountering the risen Christ, the disciples struggled to understand who Jesus really was. In Acts 1:6, just before Jesus ascended, they asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Until the Holy Spirit came upon them, they could not grasp that the gospel was not just about restoring Israel, but about all people—Jews and Gentiles alike—being forgiven through Jesus’ atonement and restored to a relationship with God, becoming His children.

It is only through the work of the Holy Spirit—not human effort—that we can truly know and accept the gospel.

Even after that, Peter would later distance himself from Gentile believers out of fear of Jewish Christians who insisted on following the law. Paul himself, near the end of his life, confessed in 1 Timothy 1:15, “I am the worst of sinners.”

Still, Jesus loved them—to the utmost, to the very end.

This truth is echoed in Matthew 28:20: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The 2017 Shinkaiyaku version says, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The word “Behold” signals something especially important.

Jesus will be with us until the end of time. That means in every moment, in every condition, He will never abandon us. He will never leave us as orphans.

Today’s Word was originally spoken to the disciples of that time, but it is also a message to all who believe in Jesus and seek to follow Him—even across generations. If you accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then this is a word for you.

Jesus has consistently loved us—even in our stumbling, failures, shame, and brokenness. And though we will still fail and sin, Jesus will continue to love us to the utmost and to the end.

How will we respond?

Does this mean we are free to live however we like because we will be forgiven anyway? Some might have thought so, or perhaps others criticized that idea.

Paul addresses this in Romans. He teaches that our response to being loved and forgiven should not be complacency. Instead, as Romans 12:1 says, let us offer our bodies and lives as living sacrifices—holy and pleasing to God. Let us walk forward, discerning what is good, pleasing, and perfect in God’s eyes.

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Sermon script modified based on proofreading and translation with ChatGPT.