Knowing Jesus is God: He is Love

In our fast-paced, modern culture, the concept of Jesus can sometimes become overly familiar. We easily see Him as our big brother or our close friend, focusing on this comforting side of His character. However, it’s crucial that we take a moment to reflect deeply on who Jesus truly is—God incarnate and the embodiment of love. Understanding this reality changes everything.

The scriptures shed light on this profound truth. In 1 John 4:16, we read, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in them.” This declaration reminds us that God is the essence of love, and in knowing Jesus, we come to know love itself.

Colossians 1:19-20 further emphasizes this, stating, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Here, we see that Jesus is not only our friend; He is fully God, who came to earth to reconcile us to Him.

Jesus’s incarnation—emptying Himself to become a man as described in Philippians 2:5-8—is a staggering reality. He lived a life limited by flesh and bone, facing the same struggles and temptations we do. Yet, He did what we could not: He lived a perfect life, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. This sacrifice was born out of love, and Romans 5:8 beautifully expresses this: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It’s through this act that we experience love in its purest form.

As believers, we are invited to live in this love every day, stepping into a true relationship with Jesus—not just knowing about Him but truly experiencing who He is. Love is not just a concept for Jesus; it was demonstrated through His actions. 1 John 4:21 commands us that if we love God, we must also love others. We cannot claim to love God while harboring hatred towards our brothers and sisters; to do so would make us liars.

However, many of us build walls to protect ourselves from love—both from God and from others. These barriers often prevent us from fully receiving the love He has for us. We may feel that by putting up walls, we guard our hearts, but instead, we risk missing out on the profound love that God wishes to pour into us and through us.

As we reflect on this, consider what walls you might need to tear down today. What are the barriers keeping you from receiving God’s love? And more importantly, who do you need to allow God to love through you? Remember, when you struggle to love someone, God can step in and love them through you.

Let’s choose to open our hearts to truly know Jesus, recognizing Him not only as our friend but as God—love Himself. By doing so, we allow His love to transform us, equipping us to pour that love out to others. After all, knowing Jesus is knowing love.